Prometheus Revisited

The myth of Prometheus has been dealt with throughout the ages. It illustrates the ongoing rebirth of the creative revolutionary spirit though it is sometimes muzzled and muffled by tyrannical forces. My goal in this paper is to prove that all these below mentioned writers have reflected a creative mainstream of rebellion against tyranny, hinting from time to time to the Egyptian 25th January Revolution. Many Greek and Roman authors discussed the Prometheus myth stressing two points: the creation of man out of clay, and the theft of fire. Other modern writers stressed this revolutionary spirit. Throughout their works, Hesiod, Aeschylus, Goethe, Shelley, Byron, Al-Shaby, Hughes and many others build up a series of images of this spirit. During the Greek war of independence, Prometheus represented the creative revolutionary spirit and hope. Hesiod¿s Theogony shows Prometheus as a transgressor and portrays Zeus as a wise and just ruler. However, Aeschylus¿s Prometheus Bound portrays Prometheus as the benefactor of mankind. Goethe¿s poem Prometheus illustrates a defiant creative spirit that seeks self-assertion. The romantic rebellious spirit shows itself in Shelley¿s Prometheus...