Prometheus

Fiction | Poem | Adult | Published in 1816

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Summary

Background

Poem Analysis

Themes

Symbols & Motifs

Literary Devices

Symbols & Motifs

Prometheus

Prometheus is the subject of the poem and poem's addressee, but throughout the poem, the titan also becomes a symbol of what the poem wishes to see from mankind. The speaker makes this clear late in the poem when he directly calls Prometheus “a symbol and a sign / To Mortals of their fate and force” (Lines 45-46, emphasis added). Prometheus is a model for how humans should approach life.

One of the ways Byron accomplishes this is by using apostrophe to write the poem in the second person. Since the poem is in the second person, the use of direct address and the pronoun “you” gives the poem a sense of intimacy, as if the speaker is talking to Prometheus directly. By directly telling readers that Prometheus is a symbol for mankind, the speaker makes it clear that anything the poem says about the titan is something that can be applied to humans as well.

Ultimately, Prometheus represents the ideal Byronic hero. He is anguished, bold, rebellious, and selfless. We are not meant to read the poem as a poem about Prometheus the myth; instead, we are meant to read Prometheus as ourselves and the potential we all possess.

Zeus

The character of Zeus is just as metaphorical as Prometheus. The speaker uses harsh language to describe the king of the gods and his actions, including tyranny, hate, torture, annihilate, menace, torments, vain, and evil. The speaker portrays Zeus as a tyrant with no potential for empathy and only the capacity for evil and abuse of power. This is also apparent in the line, “The rock, the vulture, and the chain” (Line 7). Here, the speaker refers to the bird that eats Prometheus’s liver as a vulture instead of an eagle. While both birds have been used in the myth, the eagle is the more popular choice, as it is the bird most associated with Zeus. However, eagles typically signify more regalness than vultures, as vultures are scavengers. If the line identified Zeus with the eagle, it would include unwanted positive connotations.

Just as Prometheus symbolizes the individual human spirit and will, Zeus symbolizes the unjust and oppressive powers that exist in the world. If the poem celebrates Prometheus’s rebellion and encourages readers to act in the same way as the titan, then Zeus represents all the things humans should rebel against. The poem argues that human beings must take up the example of Prometheus to defeat whatever form of unjust power oppresses them.

Silence

The motif of silence and its power is prevalent throughout the poem, and it is a modification of the source material that Byron drew from. In Prometheus Bound, Prometheus is not silent in his suffering. Byron chose to make this change in order to illustrate his point about stoicism in the face of suffering. One of the ways that Prometheus in the poem seizes the power from Zeus is by not giving in to the pain and giving Zeus what he wants. Prometheus’s strength and unwillingness to give in to Zeus literally makes Zeus afraid. Prometheus’s silence also renders Zeus powerless against his own fate, as the speaker claims “in thy Silence was his Sentence” (Line 31).

It is also important to note the contrast between Prometheus’s stoic silence and Zeus as the Thunderer. Thunder is an ominous noise, and it brings power with it. The traditional image of Zeus is as a powerful, rageful god who, like many gods from ancient religions, can smite anyone down at will. Zeus’s very name inspires fear and respect in all. Nevertheless, here Zeus’s bombastic persona is completely eradicated in the face of Prometheus’s calm silence while being tortured.