Prometheus Unbound: Act 1 Summary & Analysis

Prometheus is a character from classical mythology. In classical myth, Prometheus was chained to a mountaintop for all eternity for giving humanity fire; an act that went against the will of the gods. Prometheus addresses Jupiter because Jupiter is omnipotent over all beings in the universe except Prometheus himself.

Prometheus only has power over himself and, even then, only over his own mind since his body is chained to the mountain by Jupiter. However, he does not envy Jupiter’s power and would not accept this sort of power even if it was offered to him. Despite his terrible suffering, Prometheus “endures” and stands by his decision to oppose Jupiter.

Prometheus is confident that Jupiter will suffer negative consequences because he has abused his power. When this happens, Prometheus knows Jupiter will beg for his forgiveness. Prometheus pities Jupiter because he knows that Jupiter will inevitably be punished for his actions. Prometheus has become more compassionate and forgiving through his suffering as he does not want others to suffer the way that he does.

Prometheus has become so compassionate during his torture that he has even forgotten the curse that he spoke against Jupiter when he was first chained to the mountain. The elements are personified in Shelley’s poem and are capable of feeling and speaking. This reflects Shelley’s interest in pantheism (the belief that the whole universe contains God) and his interest in classical and pagan mythology in which natural forces were often given personalities.

The fact that the elements fell silent when they heard Prometheus’s curse suggests that he is more powerful than these mighty natural forces. Prometheus is a Titan (a classical deity whose mother is the Earth) and, therefore, is an extremely powerful being. Prometheus represents freedom for the natural elements and mankind, the inhabitants of the “pale nations,” and that is why they cry “Misery!” when he is captured. Prometheus also speaks his curse in anger and hatred, and this spreads anger and hatred on earth because, in Shelley’s poem, Prometheus’s actions affect the whole of humanity. This is based in Christ’s message that hurting one person is the same as hurting the whole of humanity and demonstrates Shelley’s combination of classicism and Christianity in his poem.

Prometheus is the only “barrier” between the world and the total omnipotent rule of Jupiter. Prometheus’s description of Jupiter as a “fiend-drawn charioteer” suggests that he is driving the world in a bad direction and foreshadows Shelley’s personification of the Hours as wild charioteers who drive time along and make humanity slaves to the passage of time. The Earth insinuates that everything in the world has been metaphorically dead since Jupiter took control, as she no longer speaks in the language of “life.” This suggests that nothing on the planet or in nature speaks this language anymore. Jupiter’s reign, therefore, spreads death, as he does not permit the language of life to be used.

In classical mythology the Earth, or the goddess Gaia, is the mother of the Titans. Prometheus, who gave humanity fire and knowledge, represents hope for mankind and allowed them to rise above ignorance and confusion. Prometheus’s gift of knowledge to humanity is perceived as a threat by Jupiter, as knowledge allows humans to think for themselves and potentially question his authority. Jupiter’s imprisonment of Prometheus has caused a rift between humanity and nature so that they can no longer exist harmoniously but must struggle to survive alongside each other. Prometheus’s curse and defiance of Jupiter gives the Earth hope that Jupiter will fall, and that harmony will exist again between man and nature.

The Earth’s fear that Jupiter will punish her suggests that Jupiter is a cruel ruler. This is reinforced by the fact that Ione and Panthea are afraid of the Phantasm of Jupiter. Jupiter’s costume aligns him with worldly powers, such as the Pope, who is the head of the Catholic Church and carries a golden staff and wears decorative robes.

Prometheus’s curse defies Jupiter’s power and suggests that nothing Jupiter can do will subdue Prometheus—Prometheus is determined to oppose Jupiter’s reign even if he is the only being to do so. Prometheus is an example of a Romantic hero because he is willing to alienate himself from the rest of society rather than conform to something that he feels is morally wrong. Romantic poets like Shelley valued individual heroism as a powerful force against authority and corruption. In his curse, Prometheus hopes that Jupiter’s actions and misuse of his power will come back to haunt him.

Prometheus’s suffering has made him more empathetic and compassionate; he no longer wishes any being to suffer because he has experienced firsthand how awful it is. Although the Earth think this shows weakness, it really shows strength, as Prometheus has found the strength and compassion to forgive Jupiter despite Jupiter’s cruelty. Meanwhile, Jupiter, who is omnipotent and does not understand Prometheus’s compassion, thinks forgiveness is a sign of weakness and sends Mercury to try and bargain with Prometheus while he is vulnerable.

Mercury demonstrates that he is a weak character because does not like seeing Prometheus suffer at Jupiter’s hands but is too afraid to oppose Jupiter and continues to act as his messenger. Mercury tries to convince Prometheus that compromising with Jupiter is a moral thing to do, but Prometheus feels that “evil” people delude themselves into thinking that their actions are good when really their actions are selfish. Jupiter is “thought-executing,” as he does not allow freedom of thought or knowledge among mankind.

Prometheus can withstand the Furies’ torture because he has fully accepted his own decision to let himself be tortured and feels that it is both the right thing to do and worth the sacrifice of himself. This gives Prometheus immense self-control and allows him to even pity the Furies, who, unlike him, do not control their own feelings or behavior but are slaves to evil and to Jupiter. The Furies are afraid to tell Prometheus what is in hell because they fear that, once he knows, he will cease to be afraid of it. This suggests that hell has no real power, and that its power comes from individual’s imagination. The Furies refer to knowledge among mankind as a destructive force, which causes man more harm than good because it is being used irresponsibly. This is supported by the symbol of fire as knowledge, because fire has the capacity to be both a useful and a dangerous element.

The Furies refer to Jesus Christ and suggest that his teachings about compassion and love have been misused by the Church. Shelley was an atheist and felt that the Church was an extremely corrupt institution; however, he deeply admired Christ’s message of forgiveness and compassion and felt that Christ would be horrified by the ways in which the Church had used and distorted this message to gain power for themselves and to frighten and control the populace. The “youth” whom Ione and Panthea see is Christ, who is being crucified. The “hopeful nation” refers to France in the early stages of the French Revolution, which took place in 1780s and 90s, and which Shelley was politically influenced by. Shelley supported anti-establishment rebellion but was disappointed by the outcome of the French Revolution. Although it began as a rebellion against the French monarchy, who had been starving the French people, and sought liberty and equality for all, it turned violent and descended into a “murderous regime.”

Shelley disliked the strict forms of etiquette and social custom which ruled Enlightenment society and which, he felt, placed restrictions on people’s self-expression and prevented them from being honest about their emotions. In Shelley’s mind, this lack of emotional honesty and understanding leads to confusion and suffering, which consequently leads to a general lack of understanding and compassion among people. Romanticism as a movement prioritized emotional expression and non-conformity over the Enlightenment values of social order and rational objectivity.

While Jupiter intends to break Prometheus’s spirit by torturing him, this actually makes Prometheus more determined to resist Jupiter, as he understands that Jupiter uses cruel, tyrannical measures to maintain power. This confirms Prometheus’s belief that someone must stand against Jupiter, even if this means suffering for his defiance. The prophecy “begins and ends” in Prometheus because it relies entirely on him, and his continued resistance. The idea that Prometheus will kill “the horseman grim” suggests that Prometheus will kill death, which, under Jupiter’s reign, humanity is subject to. Prometheus’s title as “savior” links him to the figure of Christ who, in Christianity, triumphed over death through love and compassion for humankind.