Aeschylus: Prometheus Bound [Paperback]

Paul Roche (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0865162387 | ISBN-13: 978-0865162389 | Publication Date: July 1, 1990

In his Prometheus Bound, the ancient Greek playwright Aeschylus presents the dramatic conflict between the free spirit of human progress and the limitations set by divine law. Prometheus was chained to a mountain, sentenced to endure a hideous and eternal torture for wresting fire from the gods to bring it to earth. His story has become a universal symbol for human strength of character, achievement, and enlightenment. Roche's translation captures the force, the beauty and the nobility of the original play.

Roche's moving translation of Aeschylus' Prometheus Bound (3rd reprint of the 1962 edition) is enhanced by:
- Introduction setting the literary and historical context of the play.
- Notes on Production
- An Informal Survey on the Greek Theater
- Glossary of Names and Places
- 10 original illustrations by Kapheim

Also available:

Aeschylus: Seven Against Thebes - ISBN 0865163375
Drosilla and Charikles: A Byzantine Novel - ISBN 086516536X

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Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

Roche's moving translation of Aeschylus' Prometheus Bound (3rd reprint of the 1962 edition) is enhanced by:
- Introduction setting the literary and historical context of the play.
- Notes on Production
- An Informal Survey on the Greek Theater
- Glossary of Names and Places
- 10 original illustrations by Kapheim

From the Author

Of his translation, Paul Roche said: "If there is anything left to say about a work which purports to be strictly faithful to the original, I think it is this: two qualities of Aeschylus must above all be kept in translation. One is the quasi-liturgical solemnity of his utterance. More than Sophocles, much more than Euripides, Aeschylus hews to the semihieratic mission of Greek tragedy. He is dealing with more than ordinary people. They do not speak ordinary language - or at least they heighten it. . . . The other is: distance. We cannot and must not try to make Prometheus contemporary. His own basic universality makes him that. There are two distances for the translator to keep: our distance from Aeschylus; his own from Homer, who provided him with characters and events from an age of heroes and pre-heroes many hundreds of years anterior to his own." Of his art, Thom Kapheim said: "My intent was not illustrate Prometheus Bound. Instead, I have tried to create, from this rich source of literary art, new visions that in turn might cause one to contemplate and reflect. In this way I pay homage to those who go before me."

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Product Details

• Paperback: 128 pages
• Publisher: Bolchazy-Carducci Publishers (July 1, 1990)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0865162387
• ISBN-13: 978-0865162389
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 5.8 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #776,609 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Aeschylus presents the first stage in the evolution of Zeus, July 26, 2002

By 

Lawrance M. Bernabo (The Zenith City, Duluth, Minnesota) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Aeschylus: Prometheus Bound (Paperback)

There was a point at which some critics contended that "Prometheus Bound" was not actually written by Aeschylus, arguing that someone else, perhaps his son Euphorion, who was also a dramatist, was the actual author. The argument hinged on the portrait of Zeus in the play, which is highly critical of the king of the Gods and at odds with the wise and just Zeus Aeschylus presents in the "Orestia." Since we have only a half-dozen complete plays of the ninety Aeschylus is believed to have written, it is difficult to make a judgment regarding his entire body of work. However, we do have fragments from the other plays in the trilogy, "Prometheus Unbound" and "Prometheus the Fire-Carrier," which suggest that what happens in this first play sets the stage for an evolving Zeus, who eventually finds his better nature when he achieves a reconciliation with the rebel Titan. Given the dramatic scope of the "Orestia," with its evolving notion of justice, it seems to me reasonable enough that Aeschylus was attempting something similar with this trilogy.

"Prometheus Bound" finds the titan, who defied Zeus and gave humanity the saving gift of fire (among other sins), bound on a remote mountain peak with iron spikes driven through his flesh by the unwilling Hephaestus and his assistants Might and Violence, allegorical figures who define the source of Zeus's power. The scenes of the play consist of a series of dialogues between Prometheus and the ancient god Oceanus (the chorus consists of the daughters of Oceanus), Io, a woman turned into a cow because of Zeus's attentions, and Hermes, who wants to know the secret held by Prometheus that threatens the power of Zeus. Prometheus (whose name means "foresight") refuses and is then cast into the underworld to be punished further. At the heart of the play is the conflict between the immovable will of Prometheus and the irresistible force of the power of Zeus.

Clearly this tragedy speaks to an archetypal human condition, wherein physical power seeks to break the mind of an individual to its will. The audience is caught in a dilemma, for on one side is the king of the gods and on the other is the savior of humanity, for without the gift of fire early man was doomed. Indeed, that was clearly the intent of Zeus. Consequently, like Prometheus, the audience is caught between their own rock and a hard place. Fortunately, by the end of the trilogy Aeschylus gives his audience an out, for the Zeus who is represented in this play is transformed into a more acceptable deity in the end. Even without those plays and knowing the innovative brilliance of Aeschylus as a tragic dramatist, we can certainly appreciate the overall story arc that begins with this play. For teachers who do not want to contend with the entire "Orestia" or have to contend with editing it down for students, "Prometheus Bound" represents a single work by Aeschylus that is equally as pivotal to our understanding of classical mythology.

4 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Force vs. altruism., June 12, 1999

By 

R. D. Allison ([e-mail]) (Gainesville, Florida, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Aeschylus: Prometheus Bound (Paperback)

The Titan Prometheus has stolen fire from heaven and given it to Earth's mortal inhabitants. He is punished for his presumption by being bound to a rock on Mount Caucasus and tortured. Prometheus, who can foretell the future, refuses to tell Zeus the secret of Zeus' downfall. This is a play of the conflict between force and injustice on one side and intelligence, justice, and altruism on the other. The play greatly influenced a wide spectrum of later writers. It should be required reading in all universities.