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Thread: Prometheus Unbound

  1. #1
    Featured Member Fawn's Avatar
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    Default Prometheus Unbound

    I'm am stuck on this damn paper for my british lit class, and I really need some help.
    The topic is "the Romantic Hero: Prometheus, Don Juan, Foust and Satan"
    I understand Don Juan, But I just don't get Prometheus.
    It's written in old english, and I don't get if prometheus is supposed to be good or evil. The words are a mess to me. Is Jupiter supposed to be evil? whats going on? I am so frusterated.
    All help is greatly appreciated.
    " Remember during each test there is some girl in Australia jealous of you who wants to do what you're doing."- Lilithmorrigan

    " If you're young and sexy, why not spend a few years
    Shopping and Fucking? Life is short, but youth is shorter. Ride the wheels off, I say." - FeministStripper

  2. #2
    madmaxine
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    Default Re: Prometheus Unbound

    Hey Fawn, Prometheus gave fire to humans out of his love for them and desire to see them stand up against the Gods. He suffered greatly because of this. Classic story of what happens to you when you're good-hearted enough to love and give out of generosity.....good luck with the paper!

  3. #3
    Featured Member Fawn's Avatar
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    Default Re: Prometheus Unbound

    Thanks a bunch. I am making good progress, and have researched a little more on the net, I have an outline on everything I need now except for foust. The net kept giving me things like phone directories, and classmates.com and a million responses even when i refrazed my question several times. I can't even find foust in my lit book.
    Oh well, at least I've got notes on the other guys now.
    " Remember during each test there is some girl in Australia jealous of you who wants to do what you're doing."- Lilithmorrigan

    " If you're young and sexy, why not spend a few years
    Shopping and Fucking? Life is short, but youth is shorter. Ride the wheels off, I say." - FeministStripper

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    Featured Member polecat's Avatar
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    Default Re: Prometheus Unbound

    In order to understand Prometheus Unbound, you first need to have a solid understanding and feeling towards the mythological legend, Prometheus and his story.

    Zeus never had any compassion for humankind. He felt earthly mortals were a savage and useless race, quite happy to leave them to struggle and eventually die out. Prometheus took pity on humankind and used his divine powers to grant humans many gifts- most of which we attribute to society. Crafts, industry, culture, and fire. Fire being the most notable, from which sprang industry and cave warming hearth. From Prometheus' many gifts rose humankind from simple, cave bound survivalists to an actual race of useful, productive and meaningful beings.

    This didn't appease Zeus one bit, and as punishment cast Prometheus to be bound for all eternity to craggy, icy rocks on this earth (the Indian Caucacus) and have his flesh and innards rent from an eagle. By night, his immortal flesh would repair itself for the torment and pain that awaits at every sunrise. Zeus also made a gift as a punishment to humankind in the form of Pandora (see the rich tale/myth of Pandora's Box). A beautiful girl in an irresistible form that would rent despair and darkness upon the world once 'opened'.

    Prometheus Unbound is dramatic poetry that encompasses characters and their interaction with Prometheus as he lie shackled and in sufferring.

    First the spirit of Jupiter and later Jupiter himself symbolize evil and the power of evil in this work. The tie between Prometheus and Jupiter is very pivotal towards the symbolism in this story. As Prometheus must embrace the hope and flourishment of love (something the earth seems so devoid of, yet he champions this from his bound torment), he cannot do so against his enemy Jupiter. For Prometheus holds the key- a tidbit of knowledge that could save Jupiter, but despite knowledge of Jupiter's predestined ruinous fate in the future, he is not capable of sharing this secret. Jupiter indeed falls from his throne in the story, thus creating a form of paradox between Prometheus' nature of good and love, but from this there is a conflict when exhibiting such could cause pain and hatred (Jupiter) to thrive and live on. Prometheus needed to withhold the secret that could save Jupiter while knowing what horrible fate awaits Jupiter. Therein lies the conflict- in order to fight and die to cast out all hatred and evil, a less than honorable thing needed to be done (withholding of a secret that could save one of his immortal brethren).

    Jupiter's fall symbolizes the rebirth and casting away of evil from mankind. It is shortly after this event that Prometheus is unbound, at the end of the last Act when Hercules kills the eagle and unbinds Prometheus to his freedom, thus ending the curse.


    "I shall never exchange my fettters for slavish servility. ‘Tis better to be chained to the rock than be bound to the service of Zeus. "
    It doesn't matter if you're somebody in this world, it rather matters you mean the whole world to somebody.

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    God/dess gypsy_girlchild's Avatar
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    Default Re: Prometheus Unbound

    research research research... Check out some Greek Myth books, they tell you exactly what the prof. will want to hear from you... If you can find some books from Elem. school, they are easier (and shorter) to read and will make everything clear without the hysterics... good luck!
    Oh, if you have a prob with Satan I ask if you have rad Memnoch the Devil by Anne Rice it def. gives Satan a romantic twist.
    Please don't lick me, it tickles..



  6. #6
    Featured Member Fawn's Avatar
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    Default Re: Prometheus Unbound

    Polecat,
    I was wondering where you got your information from so I can credit it in my Works Cited page.
    " Remember during each test there is some girl in Australia jealous of you who wants to do what you're doing."- Lilithmorrigan

    " If you're young and sexy, why not spend a few years
    Shopping and Fucking? Life is short, but youth is shorter. Ride the wheels off, I say." - FeministStripper

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    Moderator Djoser's Avatar
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    Default Re: Prometheus Unbound

    I think you need to look it up as "Faust", or "Faustus", the name of a character in the archetypical tale of selling one's soul to the Devil in exchange for money, power, fame, etc.

    Marlowe and Goethe both have written plays about it, and there are numerous legends and ancillary stories concerning him.

    Good luck, and give a shout if you need more help.
    You must have chaos within you to give birth to a dancing star.
    Friedrich Nietzsche

    Free your mind, and your ass will follow.
    George Clinton

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    Veteran Member bloodydewdrop's Avatar
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    Default Re: Prometheus Unbound

    hey fawn,

    in addition to your net search, you might find some great resources through research databases in your school library. they can point you to books, journals,etc. on your topic (especially if you search by subject). MLA is a great database, as are others. Good luck

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    God/dess Casual Observer's Avatar
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    Default Re: Prometheus Unbound

    I think you need to look it up as "Faust", or "Faustus", the name of a character in the archetypical tale of selling one's soul to the Devil in exchange for money, power, fame, etc.
    There's some historical evidence to suggest that Faust actually made a real deal with Satan. I'll see if I can't dig that up...
    Idealism is fine, but as it approaches reality, the costs become prohibitive.

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    Senior Member grace's Avatar
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    Default Re: Prometheus Unbound

    Fawn:
    The Romantic movement embraced the idea of individuality. Until that time (early.mid 19th cent.) there was much more emphasis on fulfilling your social role (you were born into it usually, didn't choose it), obeying laws of church and state, and generally getting along with people. Before the Romantic era, the *typical* hero was either born into the warrior/upper class, or was someone who succeeded basically by following orders and getting along with others.
    The Romantics coined the idea of the hero as someone who breaks rules -- the "rebel" who defies authority. Prometheus defied Jupiter by bringing fire to humans. The story is interesting, because it predates the Romantics by a few thousand years. So this was an idea that had currency in Western thought for a long time, but it was the Romantics who popularized it. In fact they did such a good job that hero and "rebel" are practically synonimous to us today. We rarely think of a "hero" as someone who does things by the book.
    Ummm....I'm a nerd.
    Anyway, good luck with your paper, babe.

  11. #11
    Moderator Djoser's Avatar
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    Default Re: Prometheus Unbound

    Quote Originally Posted by grace
    Fawn:
    The Romantic movement embraced the idea of individuality. Until that time (early.mid 19th cent.) there was much more emphasis on fulfilling your social role (you were born into it usually, didn't choose it), obeying laws of church and state, and generally getting along with people.

    The Romantics coined the idea of the hero as someone who breaks rules -- the "rebel" who defies authority.

    We rarely think of a "hero" as someone who does things by the book.
    Ummm....I'm a nerd.
    This is all true, and a great post, Grace...

    The Classical Age was onto the idea of the hero as rebel, to some extent--but this notion was buried during the Dark Age, when feudal obligation was the norm, and obeisance to religious authority was tantamount.

    The original rebel/hero was Achilles. Though he was without question born into the upper classes, he defied all the rules of aidos, roughly translated as the duty to obey (Agamemnon was superior in a very feudal nature to Achilles), and to always stick with your friends, right or wrong (letting the Trojans kick the Greeks' asses while he sat in his tent brooding).

    But we are digressing from Fawn's topic, something I will gladly take the blame for, lol.

    On this topic as it relates to stripclubs, however; I can testify that breaking the rules or playing the rebel, as DJ, is not the wisest choice to make--even if often the most effective one.
    You must have chaos within you to give birth to a dancing star.
    Friedrich Nietzsche

    Free your mind, and your ass will follow.
    George Clinton

    ______________________________________

  12. #12
    Senior Member grace's Avatar
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    Default Re: Prometheus Unbound

    Quote Originally Posted by Djoser

    On this topic as it relates to stripclubs, however; I can testify that breaking the rules or playing the rebel, as DJ, is not the wisest choice to make--even if often the most effective one.
    No...stripclub culture is much more like a feudal dark age than an enlightened classical era. Best to follow rules and get along, lest someone fuck with your possessions or bitch you out to the manager/warlord.

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