Shelley, Prometheus Unbound, Synopsis
Act I
1 Prometheus addresses Jupiter; has been on rock for 3000 years
74 universal suffering accompanies his bound state
112 Prometheus's role as defender of mankind against Jupiter
131 Prometheus wishes to be reminded of his own curse
152 Earth (P's mother) speaks of her misery under tyranny
191 Earth on the shadow realm of Demogorgon
222 phantom of Jupiter approaches
262 the curse restated by phantom
303 Prometheus repents his curse
326 approach of Furies
352 Mercury calls for submission of Prometheus and his secret that would safeguard Jupiter's throne
380 Prometheus refuses
444 arrival of new Furies, who will inhabit his brain like thought, given form by his agony
542 they deride knowledge Prometheus gave to man, corrupting of Christ's words, French Revolution, wars;
618 Fury speaks of human failing
635 Prometheus sees his endurance as victory over Jupiter
656 Earth speaks of hopeful spirits that inhabit human thought
690 the spirits' prophecies of love, compassion, wisdom, poetry
817 Prometheus affirms his role as saviour of mankind
Act II, Scene I
1 Asia speaks: Spring has arrived
35 Panthea dreams of the pre-fall past, golden age
62 Panthea's dream of Prometheus renewed
121 Asia foresees arrival of Prometheus
133 Panthea's second dream, seconded by Asia, of "follow, follow"
175 follow to world of potentiality, i.e., prophetic
Scene II
1 spirits on laws of love and nature
93 prophecy of Prometheus's release
Scene III
1 Asia and Panthea approach realm of Demogorgon
36 avalanche likened to revolution in thought
54 spirits call them down to abyss of Demogorgon
Scene IV
1 view of Demogorgon in his cave
8 Asia's questions
32 she reviews history of earth, tyranny, role of Prometheus, history of mankind
129 sees vision of overthrow of Jupiter:
150 Demogorgon's ascent in the Car of the Hour
Scene V
1 Asia and Panthea pause in their ascent
20 Asia's beauty when love filled the world, but it was darkened
58 voice celebrates love
98 Asia sees future of love as return to innocent past
Act III, Scene I
1 Jupiter on this throne declares his omnipotence, ironic speech
51 arrival of Demogorgon: he overthrows his father Jupiter
Scene II
1 Ocean and Apollo on Jupiter's fall
18 earth will be transformed: an end of slavery, of storms
Scene III
1 Hercules frees Prometheus
6 speech of Prometheus to Asia, their bower, of Platonic reality
85 Earth feels rapid change: end of disease, etc.
112 death the veil of life
Scene IV
1 approach of spirit of the Earth; runs to talk with Asia
36 Spirit reports changes among humans, they become true to themselves
100 spirit of love has become universal
131 all men are now equal, no more kings, hypocrisy, jealousy, etc.
164 thrones, altars, prisons, now empty and abandoned
Act IV
9 funeral of the dead Hours
40 nature celebrates
93 renovation of human thought to wisdom, love
194 Panthea and Ione on bower of Infant, The Spirit of Earth
289 skeletons of the historic past
319 Earth's rhapsody; Moon's renovation
510 advent of Demogorgon, his final speech on freedom
The Prometheus Myth: version 1; version 2; Prometheus and Pandora, Bullfinch
Aeschylus, Prometheus Bound
Text from MIT: http://classics.mit.edu/Aeschylus/prometheus.html
Oceanus (to Prometheus)
Learn to know thy heart,
And, as the times, so let thy manners change,
For by the law of change a new God rules.
But, if these bitter, savage, sharp-set words
Thou ventest, it may be, though he sit throned
Far off and high above thee, Zeus will hear;
And then thy present multitude of ills
Will seem the mild correction of a babe.
Prometheus prophesies Zeus will marry, and:
She will bear to him a child,
And he shall be in might more excellent
Than his progenitor.
And further:
I tell thee that the self-willed pride of Zeus
Shall surely be abased; that even now
He plots a marriage that shall hurl him forth
Far out of sight of his imperial throne
And kingly dignity. Then, in that hour,
Shall be fulfilled, nor in one tittle fail,
The curse wherewith his father Cronos cursed him,
What time he fell from his majestic place
Established from of old. And such a stroke
None of the Gods save me could turn aside.
Hermes, fails to have Prometheus declare how Zeus will fall.
Prometheus:
I hate all the Gods,
Because, having received good at my hands,
They have rewarded me with evil.
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Document prepared November 2nd 2003