Prometheus amongst the Romantics

When people hear the word romanticism they assume it is do with love and the thought of being ‘romantic.’ However it has nothing to do with that although occasionally the subject of Romantic art comes into place.[1] It is an international artistic movement that focused don individualism, imagination emotions and nature. It redefined the ways which western cultures thought about the outside world and their own world.[2] It begun in the late 18^th to the mid 19^th century. It influenced many artists and poets such as Byron, Wary Woolstoncraft…..

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe poem Prometheus is an example of Romantic poetry. The voice is Prometheus but symbolises men’s struggle against the higher powers of our society. The poem shows men rebelling against god like Prometheus. The poem starts of with Goethe telling the Gods to live the earths alone. Goethe calls it ‘my earth’. The use of the ‘my’ shows that he believes it’s the means earth not the higher power. This links in with the romantics as they. There is clear feeling of anger towards the higher power. Whether that is Zeus, other religious gods or even the government we do not know. But the Prometheus myth is used as a metaphor to express the anger if want to break away from being restricted. “And my hut which you did not build” this emphasizes that ‘Zeus’ did not help man create their lives. They created their huts without any help from the Gods. The Gods have done nothing for the creatures on earth.

The Gods are usually worshiped as they are seen to be almighty and better off than us, nut Goethe goes against this idea in his poem. “I know of nothing poorer under the sun, than you, Gods!” humans are presented to be wealthier and to have a better life than the Gods. This contrasts with the Hesiods Works and Days where he states “for the Gods keep hidden from men the means of life” implying that men and Gods have s different style of life, where the men are not worthy enough to experience the Gods life.

Goethe says they are barely nourished on sacrificial offerings. This shows that men to are starting to lose faith in the Gods and no longer worship or fear them as they are hardly being fed. Goethe writes that only children and fools believe in their help. Thr gods in this poem are continually disrespected. They are said to have heir own masters thus implying they are not as almighty as they say. Prometheus wants men to be like him ant mock the gods as he does. This poem wants to create people to be rebels against the ‘gods’. Like a true romanticist Goethe is urging people to make their own lives happen and not to wait about for help from the ‘Gods’.  It is unclear what Johann Wolfgang von Goethe is trying to rebel against; politics, religion, Zeus? But the metaphor of Prometheus symbolises men’s struggle and need to break fee very well. Goethe however forgets the fact that Prometheus is punished and had to endure pain everyday (which in some way is worse than death), just because he tried to overthrow Zeus and help men. So is it worth the pain that rebelling will cause?

---

[1] http://academic.brooklyn.cuny.edu/english/melani/cs6/rom.html

[2] http://www.huntfor.com/arthistory/c17th-mid19th/romanticism.htm

A further look into Hesiod Works and days

Hesiods Works and Days is a didactic poem. Hesiod is one of the most famous poets of antiquity.[1] There are no exact dates for when this was written but it can be placed in the late 8th century BC.

I will be focusing on lines 42&108 it concentrates on Zeus’s anger towards Prometheus, so as a result takes fire from men. Prometheus however hides it in a fennel-stalk, leading Zeus to create the first woman (Pandora) as a punishment. Men need the fire to work and harvest. ‘The fields works by ox and sturdy mule would run to waste’.  This highlights that their work would be pointless without fire. This is why Zeus takes it away from them as he knows how important it is. Prometheus didn’t have to trick Zeus by giving men the better part of the ox, because as it states in works and days ‘the gods keep hidden from men the means of life.’ This shows that men did not have or experience the luxuries that the Gods received. Thus even if the men received the white bones that were dressed to deceive they would have just accepted them. The question of why Prometheus tried to trick Zeus comes up. Was he looking out for mankind by trying to better their way of life? Or was he simply trying to outsmart Zeus and present himself just as sharp.

Zeus’s punishment to mean and Prometheus is the creation of Pandora, the first woman. Zeus describes her as an ‘evil thing’. ‘in which they may all be glad of heart’ shows that Pandora may seem beautiful and elegant on the outside, thus being a good thing not a punishment, but Zeus knows she will eventually be the destructor of man, pushing men into ‘their own destruction.’ This portrays women as evil and life sucking creatures. Pandora was created as the counterpart of fire.  Both women and fire are very useful but highly dangerous to work with. The punishment shows that both gods and men can not try and outsmart Zeus and get away with it, as a punishment will always come of it. In the works and days Hesiod expands upon Zeus’s reaction to the theft of the fire. By hiding the fire from men he is hiding away their means of life. Taking away fire from the men is taking away their civilisation and the means of living. Simple tasks such as cooking and building would become impossible to do.

Prometheus is described as ‘crafty’ and ‘noble’. The word crafty instead of sly presents him as smart and witty instead of malicious and evil. As a result he is shown in a better light.

‘In the anger of his heart’ leads the reader to believe that Zeus as truly angry, with Prometheus trying to undermine his authority.

Aeschylus version of Prometheus is slightly different as “mankind does not only receive the fire from the fennel stalk, but also the subtler fire of reason and wisdom from which all aspects of human civilisation are derived”.[2]

Pandora can be compared to Eve from the biblical story of Adam and Eve. Both were beautiful but troublesome. They have both shaped the perception of female sex throughout history. “It has characterised women as being gifts for men”[3]. This contrasts with Hesiod’s view on Pandora and women, because even though she was seen as beautiful, she was a punishment as she would eventually lead men to their own destruction. Pandora’s and Eves identities are so similar that it is said that Pandora was used in creating the Biblical story.

---

[1] M. L. West Hesiod Theogany Works and Ways, Worlds Classics Paperback 1988

[2] Journal of the Warburg and Courtauld Institutes, The Warburg Institute page 45

[3] http://www.arthistory.sbc.edu/imageswomen/papers/tyreepandora/pandora.html

Politics in Myth

Mythology can mean many different things. Having a knowledge of mythology in ancient Greece like in ancient Rome where u were known to have ‘culture capital’ showed you to be intelligent. Peisistratus was a tyrant in Athens in 560 BC. He achieved success in the war against Megara and managed to gain control of the whole of Athens.

He demonstrated knowledge of mythology to further his career. He usually associated himself with the Greek hero Herakles. Herakles was a strong powerful god and was seen as someone between tyrant and hero. Thus by associating himself with Herakles Peisistratus is presenting himself as strong and humble. However historian Cook says that Herakles was a “notoriously violent and aggressive hero”. This would not have been a suitable match for a leader that wanted to show himself as peaceful and loving. Herakles made a lot of mistakes and many a time killed the wrong people. Is this really the image Peisistratus wanted to the Athenian people to see? However my sowing himself to be as ‘strong’ and ‘humble’ as Herakles but not as violent, Peisistratus is showing himself to be better that Herakles. Also to stay on top and stay in power sometimes leader have to be ‘aggressive’ Boardman also states that Herakles was “notoriously violent and aggressive hero”, thus this image would have been acceptable to Peisistratus.

Peisistratus overall was seen as good leader. He did not impose any heavy burdens on the people and generally preserved peace abroad and at home. Is time in power has come to be known as the ‘golden age’. Athens situation eventually deteriorated when his sons took over.[1]

---

[1] Plato Statesman (271c-72c) and Laws (713b-e)

Gender and Myth

Women in mythology seem to have an insignificant role. They are usually neglected except for characters such as Medea, Helen Phaedra, Clytemnestra and Electra. Goddesses off course always have a significant powerful role.[1] The Prometheus myth represents women as evil, life sucking creatures. This is a contrast with most other mythical woman such as Athena, Aphrodite and Medea where women are presented as strong, beautiful powerful women. In the Prometheus there sole purpose of existence is to destroy the mortal men’s lives. Zeus creates Pandora as a punishment for Prometheus hiding fire in the fennel stalk. “The price of fire an evil thing.” The comparison between fire and women is that they are both dangerous. Women were created as counter part to fire, as they would eventually lead men into “their own destruction.” I do no think that the Prometheus play is only a representation of women; it is also a representation of the stupidity of men. Men will be ‘glad at heart’ when they first see Pandora, which shows how easily they are fooled and manipulated. The word ‘heart’ is used to present the idea of men fall in love with Pandora just because of her appearance. It presents them as unintelligent as they lose all their senses just because they see a beautiful woman.

Pandora is described to have a ‘sweet lovely maiden shape’. The word shape shows that it is just the exterior that is sweet and lovely. By comparing her looks to an immortal goddess she is presented as something men would be lured and attracted to. She is given good traits by the gods such as needlework by Athena and grace by Aphrodite. However she is also given bad traits such as a shameless mind and deceitful nature. Women in this myth are presented alien like.[2] They are not seen to be made from his world as she is crated by the Gods and they bless (or curse) her with different traits. I think that women in this myth although are shown to be deceitful and selfish are shown to be more powerful than men. They were made by the gods and can easily destroy the mortal men just by existing. Each gift she receives from the gods is a plague to man.

In Hesiods Theogony the oxymoron ‘beautiful evil’ shows the complexity of Pandora. It also shows the confusion she would have to men as they see her as beautiful and want her but she is not good for them. ‘Bright eyed daughter’ also presents the idea that Zeus her creator is her ‘father’, thus once again making her seem more godlike and extraordinary compared to man. This is further proved in the line ‘wonder took hold of the deathless Gods and mortal men’. This shows that it is not only mortal men that find her fascinating but the Gods too.

Women and Pandora are presented as selfish and greedy beings. Hesiod plays on the fact tat the men go out to work and leave the women are home to eat away the food ‘into their bellies’. He fails to mention to vital other role women have which is the mother role. Bu feeding their bellies they are not feeding only themselves but their children. Hesiod completely ignores women’s role in society and the house and dismisses the good they do for men.[3]

Historian Doherty whilst analysing Vernats article on the Prometheus myth comes up with some interesting points on Pandora. Both fire and Pandora ‘burn’ men with desire and worry. Both fire and women are dangerous to men. However even though they are dangerous, like men need fire they also need women to live. Women and the portion of bony meat that is dressed in bony fat are linked. They are both attractive on the outside but on the inside bad.

---

[1] http://www.arthistory.sbc.edu/imageswomen/

[2] Zeitlin, F (1996) Signifying the difference: The Case of Hesiods Pandora in playing the other, Princeton

[3] Zeitlin, F (1996) Signifying the difference: The Case of Hesiods Pandora in playing the other, Princeton

Freud on Prometheus

Freud is best known for his unusual theories in the unconscious mind. He is famous for his ‘Oedipus theory’ stating that all mean want to marry their mother and kill their father. However his theories on Prometheus are less celebrated and less known. Could this be due to the fact that it is too bizarre and odes not actually make complete sense?

He believed there were three parts of the psychic apparatus; these were the id, ego and superego. In simple terms the id has been described as our ‘animal instinct’, the ego as our reality and the superego as our morals and conscience. He believed that the id is based on our pleasure principle and drives us to meet our basic needs. The ego understands that other people have needs and desires and that sometimes being impulsive or selfish can hurt us in the long run. Whereas the superego develops due to the moral and ethical restraints placed on us by the people around us and the expectations in life. Many associate the superego with our right and wrong.[1]

---

Freud’s interpretation of the Prometheus myth is not his most famous and is disregarded by many psychologists. He likes to emphasize the fennel stalk. He interprets it as a phallic signal to represent man. Prometheus hides the fire in a fennel stalk (penis). Thus this may show the strength of man. Freud believes that the gods are not gods, but just an embodiment of the human unconscious desire like the id. Zeus wants to take fire away from man, thus wants water on the fire. Freud believes in our unconscious mind men also want water on the fire thus want to urinate on the fire. Prometheus is the ego to Zeus’s id. Fire can also be seen as sexual desire. Freud plays with the idea that one penis wants to pee on the fire and another wants to create it trough this he shows the homosexuality desire.[1]

There are many flaws in Freud’s interpretation of the Prometheus myth. He misses out the creation of women and Prometheus tricking Zeus. This may be because Freud’s previous research on women and the penis envy do not fit in with the Prometheus myth. I do not agree with Freud’s interpretation of the myth as he tries to find comparisons that do not exist.

---

[1] Armstrong, R H (2005) A compulsion for Antiquity: Freud and the Ancient World, Cornell

[1] http://allpsych.com/psychology101/ego.html

Myth, religion and Ritual

Hesiod was very popular in the Ancient world. His texts were very influential to the ancient citizens of Greece.

I will be focussing on the ritual part of the myth were Prometheus tries to trick Zeus during the banquet between the Gods and mortals at Mekone. Prometheus is in charge of dividing the great ox up for the Gods and the mortals, but instead of giving the Gods the good meat he tried to give them the bony parts dressed up with shining fat. When Zeus discovers Prometheus attempt to trick him he punishes both men and Prometheus.[1]

Prometheus is shown to be just as smart as Zeus as he is said to have ‘matched himself in wit’.  By truing to fool and mock Zeus, Prometheus wants to throw him from power and show that Zeus is not almighty.

His attempts to trick Zeus are described as cunning; ‘cunning art’ and ‘cunning trick’ instead of sly and mischievous. This shows him in a positive light and makes him sound smarter and less troublesome. He is also described as the ‘noble son of Iapetos outwitted him’. Noble presented him as righteous and good and by outwitting Zeus he is shown to be smarter that the almighty God.

Throughout Hesiods Theogony Zeus wisdom, knowledge and intelligence are highlighted. ‘Wisdom everlasting’ is repeated three times, which makes the reader think that trying to trick Zeus is just foolish and dangerous.

The punishment against mortal men is seen to be is cruel and ruthless as men didn’t actually do anything wrong or even ask for any favours from Prometheus. We the readers of course being ‘mortals’ ourselves will sympathise with them as they are being punished due to Zeus’s embarrassment and shame of being tricked. Is Zeus being too harsh? Was Prometheus doing this to try and help men or was he using men as a device to overthrow Zeus?

Prometheus ‘stole the far-seen gleam of unwearying fire in a hollow fennel stalk’ before Zeus could take fire away from the mortals. This brings up the idea that Prometheus knew he and men would be punished and somehow knew the punishment already and was one step ahead of him. Again this shows his courage and foolishness to try and outwit Zeus twice.

In hindsight taking away fire does not seem like a big deal, but when you look deeper into it taking away fore is like taking away mans civilisation. Fire is used for cooking and work and without it mortals would not be able to survive.

Zeus of course is hurt and angry at being tricked and is ‘stung in spirit’. Thus he creates an evil thing for the price of fire.[2]

Without fire men wouldn’t be able to cook, work or live. Now with women on top of that to look after, life would have been made even harder as they have to provide for them as well as themselves. Women are presented as life sucking selfish animals and a burden to men. They are also shown as alien and not an actual human more like a creature as they are formed from the earth.

In Hesiods Works and Days it is shown that the Gods did not wish men t have the luxury of life they had, so they kept it hidden ‘For the gods keep hidden from men the means of life Else you would easily do work enough in a day to supply you for a full year even without working.’ This emphasizes that of they had the same life men would learn not to work and would end up expecting food and comfort handed to them. This way there is a clear difference between the gods and the mortals. The necessity and importance of fire is shown in the line ‘rudder over smoke’. Without fire things would go to waste. Zeus’s anger once again is emphasised in Hesiods works and Days as he felt the need to take away something from man to punish both mortals and Prometheus.

‘He planned sorrow and mischief against men’ the idea that Prometheus just caused men more harm by trying to ‘help’ them is shown in this text as the mortals are being punished for his actions. ‘Sorrow’ against men does not make it sound like an evil or bad punishment, but makes it sound like Zeus wanted men to feel the sorrow he felt when he was deceived by Prometheus.

Prometheus’s want to fool Zeus is shown with the emphasis on the word ‘again’. He wants to show himself as more powerful and intelligent than Zeus and wont stop until he eventually is punished.

In both the Theogony and Works and Days he is described as ‘cunning’. Zeus eventually confronts Prometheus. He knows that Prometheus wants to show himself as almighty and powerful, by showing a downfall to Zeus’s power. Thus Zeus does not let him get away with it’.

Zeus may have initiated the punishment but its Prometheus that is responsible for it. Is it fair that men should be punished for Prometheus’s foolishness? They were just a tool in Prometheus’s plan to weaken Zeus’s perceived almighty power.

The evil punishment of Pandora is given to men. At fist ahe will make men glad at heart but eventually lead them to their own destruction. Women are described as an evil thing. ‘...as the price for fire’ shows that that even though men managed to keep fire to work and cook and live, women will take away their hard work just by existing. The idea of men going out to work and bringing home the food, while the women just sit at home and eat everything is presented. They suck away all the man’s hard work just by being alive.

Again the idea of being creature like is presented ‘mix earth with water’ like in the Theogony.

Pandora is presented as evil as she tricks men wither beauty. On the outside she looks like a ‘sweet, lovely maiden’ with the face of an immortal goddess, but that’s just to trick men into falling for her, so she can eventually destruct them in the end. Thus it would be like man caused his own destruction by letting a woman into his life and trusting her. Both works and days and the Theogony show the importance of Athenian rituals and religion.

---

[1] Morales, H (2007) Classical Mythology

[2] Doherty, C (2005) Prometheus, London Routledge