Bibliography: Aeschylus. Prometheus Bound. London: Penguin Classics, 1961. 20-53.
Bibliography: Aeschylus. Prometheus Bound. London: Penguin Classics, 1961. 20-53.
“Prometheus” begins by saying, “Prometheus and Epimetheus were spared imprisonment in Tartarus because they had not fought with their fellow Titans during the war with the Olympians. They were given the task of creating man.” Prometheus represents intelligence and human progress and is the protector of mankind. When creating humans he decides to give man a likeness to the gods by having him stand upright and have the gift of fire. His intent is good but not appreciated by Zeus.…
Prometheus was an odd character if one considers his story, that of no violence or death. This Titan, ironically, could not stand to see the humans suffer with the fate Zeus and his fellow Titans commanded, so he disobeyed authority and gave mankind fire. As punishment, Zeus killed him over and over and after being unsatisfied, chained him to a large tree to never move, but only able to watch the humans. Zeus was not satisfied, however, so he punished Prometheus’ brother, Epimetheus. This happens in the story of Pandora’s box. Yet, symbols and characteristics that have inspired authors around the world come from Prometheus, which can be called the good heart, or some similar things. Heroes can’t only fight, kill, and claim…
Both Frankenstein and his monster focus all of there energy on the other. There is…
Prometheus is a God whom was part of a mighty group of Gods called the Titans. The story of Prometheus shows strong connections between their original culture and that of the Sumerians. Prometheus is a God who was a beneficiary to mankind. He worked to benefit the lives of man and not the lives of Gods. Prometheus was assigned by Zesus to create mankind from water and earth. Prometheus is completely different from the other God’s in this epic. Not for once does he advocate moderation but demands on entire opposition to injustice and mock those who obey Zeus thoroughly.…
In many Greek tragedies, there will be one tragic hero and one tragic hero only. However, in Euripides’ drama Medea there are two tragic heroes within one story. One of these heroes is who the play is titled after, Medea. The other tragic hero is Medea’s ex-husband and father of her children, Jason. To be classified as a tragic hero, a character must present certain qualities such as, a royal status (king, queen, princess, prince etc.), an extraordinary power (wisdom, compassion, strength etc.), a fall from grace based on the hero’s own actions, and finally acceptance of their mistake or mistakes. Medea and Jason’s family history, impressionable characteristics, downward spiral caused by their own blunders, and their willingness to expect their wrongdoings in the end, portrays them both as tragic heroes.…
For many centuries the tragedy holds to continue to be perceived as the most ardently gratifying arrangement of drama because it encompasses the capability of transporting the spectator into the drama as well as allowing them to empathize with the characters, particularly the tragic hero. The study noted above regarding tragedy was shaped by the Greek philosopher, Aristotle. Aristotle also noted that the tragic flaw is imperative in the characteristic of the protagonist and the proceedings that transpire in the piece are a manifestation of that flaw (“The Poetics by Aristotle: XIII.”). This philosophy of the tragic hero can be located in both Charles Van Doren in Quiz Show and Shakespeare’s character, Othello, in his play Othello. It is the…
Aristotle defines a tragic hero as someone, usually a male, who “falls from a high place mainly due to their fatal flaw.” During the highest point of the tragic hero’s life, something is revealed to the protagonist causing a reversal in their fortune. This reversal of fortune is caused by the flaw in their character. Tragedy evokes catharsis, a feeling of pity for the protagonist in the audience. While both the characters of Lear and Antigone possess some tragic features required to be a tragic hero, only one proves to be the true tragic hero.…
Sophocles, writer of Oedipus the King, compresses the dramatic reveal of the true destiny and origin of birth to Oedipus all in one day. Oedipus’s search for the truth creates a storyline of anticipation and intensity. The play focuses on human weakness, human suffering and man’s inability to change his destiny. Though the audience can see between the lines early on, the knowledge allows them to feel pity for Oedipus as the real revelation of himself is gradually unveiled. In his poems, Aristotle outlined the necessities of a good tragedy exclaiming a tragedy must evoke pity and fear in its viewers. A tragic hero, according to Aristotle, must be a man who is superior to the average man in some way. In Oedipus's…
“Tragedy is an imitation not of men but of a life, an action…” (Aristotle). Greek Tragedy was invented five hundred years Before Common Era, and focuses on the actions of characters. These actions emphasize the harsh reality in which the innocent mankind lives in. In Oedipus the King, Oedipus is defined as one with great potential, but has a hamartia leading to the ultimate demise of himself. Oedipus’ actions are tragic, as he tries to make the right choice but fails. He was dealt a hand that would only lead him to lose. Furthermore, Sophocles develops Oedipus as a relatable character which allows for catharsis to occur. Aristotle’s, The Poetics, explains the necessary components to create a powerful Tragedy. Oedipus the King is a powerful representation of Aristotle’s ideas on tragedy, so the purpose, protagonist, fall, and plot elements in Oedipus the King demonstrate the concepts of tragedy written in The Poetics.…
As the children address Oedipus with remarks such as “You are not one of the immortal gods, we know; Yet we have come to you to make our prayer as to the man surest in mortal ways and wisest in the ways of God.” (1. Prologue. 35. 43.), the audience can understand Oedipus's role as king and the respect to his power, as with an irony on the fate bestowed upon our hero. As the fate of Oedipus is that of the tragic hero, Aristotle's descriptions of simple and complex plots within a tragedy lead to such “events that are fearful and pathetic" (Aristotle. 70). As Aristotle said that a tragedy should evoke two emotions: terror and pity, such that the audience is aroused with these feelings with the fate of Oedipus, but can relate and understand logically how such events took place.…
In Oedipus the King by Sophocles, Oedipus is responsible for the tragedy of his downfall. Fate and free will are two opposing ideas that Sophocles seamlessly blends into the play. Sophocles ultimately leaves it up to the audience to interpret the reality behind this argument. Oedipus is presented with a series of choices throughout the play, and his arrogant and stubborn nature push him to impulsively make the wrong decisions, the decisions that ultimately lead him to his downfall. While Oedipus and those around him consider "fate" the source of Oedipus' problems, Oedipus' decisions show the audience that it is he who is responsible. Sophocles is able to drive his message about the pitfalls of human arrogance through Oedipus' fatal flaws and…
Aristotle is a Greek philosopher who made significant contributions to many different aspects of literature. In Aristotle’s philosophical treatise, Poetics, a tragedy is depicted as the downfall of a tragic hero, which is conveyed through the unification of hubris, free choice, and an error of judgement. Aristotle defines a tragic hero as a person of noble prestige and greatness. Although the tragic hero is notably great, he or she is not perfect because they possess a tragic flaw. The hero’s intention to accomplish a goal inevitably leads him to confronts multiple challenges or limits. Aristotle acknowledges that the tragic hero must have a tragic flaw, or hamartia…
Throughout the course of time, the definition of the word "tragedy" has changed significantly from what the word originally meant when the Greeks were writing their famous plays. The word has gone from meaning "A drama or literary work in which the main character is brought to ruin or suffers extreme sorrow, especially as a consequence of a tragic flaw, moral weakness, or inability to cope with unfavorable circumstances," to the modern meaning of the word, "a lamentable, dreadful, or fatal event or affair" (Random House Unabridged Dictionary). As a result, readers of the Greek plays have different thoughts about the "tragic hero" of the story. Often, they assume that because something bad or dreadful happened to the character, he must be a tragic character, thus missing a key part of the Greek's definition of the word: that a tragic hero must have made a decision, placing him in his fate to suffer a downfall.…
Prometheus Bound is a Greek mythological play written by Aeschylus. Prometheus was a Titan who gave the gift of fire to humans, fire not only meant little things like heating and cooking food, but it also represented a move forward for humans. Prometheus also gave humans the gift of hope. There is a man who can be compared to that of Prometheus, Christ. Both have mad an enormous impact on the human race.…
For a start, Oedipus is far more tragic than Prometheus, because he falls straight down from having a happy family to becoming a murderer of his own father and a husband of his own mother. Oedipus ruled as a kind and beloved king of Thebes, and who also marries Jocasta; the widow of dead King Laius. Whereas he finds out that the murderer of King Laius is he himself, who brings diseases as the punishments of the murderer to Thebans, he “angered more than ever, Oedipus told the old man to get out of his sight and never come near him again”…