Prometheus Bound

“For it was your flower, the brilliance of fire

that enables all the arts, your flower he stole

and gave to humankind; this is the sin

for which he must pay the gods the penalty—

so that he may learn to accept the sovereignty

of Zeus and quit his human-loving ways.”

In the opening lines of the play, the character of Might—a personification who acts as one of Zeus’s henchmen—expresses several important themes, including The Consequences of Defying Tyranny: Prometheus, he explains, is being punished because he stole fire from the gods and gave it to men. In describing fire as the “flower […] / that enables all the arts,” Might also broaches another theme, namely, The Role of Knowledge and Enlightenment in Human Progress, as the play will go on to highlight how Prometheus’s gift of fire enabled humans to develop technology and culture.

“[M]any a groan and many a lamentation

you’ll utter, but they will not help you; no,

the mind of Zeus is hard to soften with prayer,

and every ruler’s harsh whose rule is new.”

Zeus’s tyrannical rule is a central idea throughout the play, with different characters reminding us that Zeus’s brutality arises from the newness of his position and the fact that he is still insecure in his power. To maintain his rule, Zeus feels he must make an example of those who defy him, like Prometheus, even though doing so often means violating justice. The playwright also uses Zeus’s tyranny to reflect on politicians and rulers in the real world and to draw generalizations about power and justice, as when