Lesson Overview:

The primary focus of this lesson is the close study of the text of Aeschylus’ Prometheus Bound. The lesson initiates with a review of some of the principles of ancient Greek drama found in Aristotle’s’ Poetics and explores some examples of well-known myths used as seminal sources. After offering some reasons why the text has value as a teaching experience and noting aspects that make the play especially provocative, the lesson provides suggested study questions for explicating the discrete segments of the play. Topic suggestions are then offered for writing assignments, oral presentations, and special projects.

Length of Lesson:

Four 45-minute periods

Notes:

This lesson is geared towards Advanced English courses or AP or IB courses.

Instructional Objectives:

Students will:

• acquire knowledge of the central myth of Prometheus.
• consider ways myths are used as the conceptual center of works in other genres of the arts.
• review some of the basic precepts of ancient Greek drama as they are articulated in Aristotle’s Poetics.
• read the play and demonstrate understanding of the narrative.
• formulate conclusions about the internal and large view structural patterns, the themes, and linguistic elements of the play.
• participate in class discussion of various aspects of the text.
• prepare oral presentations and/or write papers on problem-solving aspects of the play.
• draw comparisons to other literary sources built around the Prometheus myth.

Supplies:

• Journal or notebook
• Pencil/Pen

Instructional Plan:

Part I: General Background

Discuss with students that some of the most compelling of all Greek myths are those surrounding the demigod Prometheus. The basic story is that Zeus, having drawn lots with his brothers Poseidon and Hades to divide up the rule of the universe, becomes ruler of the sky and "commissions" Prometheus to create Man. Prometheus, wanting his new creation to have sustained strength and protection, violates Zeus’ orders by stealing fire (and in some accounts, "technology") from heaven to give to Man. This "good deed" infuriates Zeus whose plan was to rid himself of Man.

Prometheus infuriates Zeus even more with other acts of insubordination; one being teaching Man to burn only discarded parts of animal meat for sacrifices to the gods. In addition, the prophecy has been made that Zeus will be dethroned by one of his sons. "Fore-thinker" Prometheus knows the answer but refuses to tell Zeus. In mounting anger at Prometheus’ "transgressions," Zeus punishes Prometheus by having him chained to the highest rock in the Caucasus mountain range (a very desolate, isolated place) and, each day, having an eagle tear out Prometheus’ liver, which grows back each night.

Aeschylus’ Prometheus Bound is the first play of his Prometheus trilogy, and the only manuscript of the three plays recovered intact. The narrative chronicles details of Zeus’ punishment of Prometheus and Prometheus’ response.

To help ready students for moving into a study of the text of the play, consider having them explore the following questions:

1. What is a "myth"?
   (Possible response: a narrative that, through symbolism and allegory, reflects cultural, social, and philosophical attitudes and values of a people. Greek myths reflect major beliefs and practices of Greek religion; the myths usually involve gods and demigods, and/or Greek "heroes," and focus on the interrelationships among gods and/or that of gods and humans.)
2. How does a myth differ from a "legend," "fable," and "parable"?

(Possible responses: a legend is a narrative that may involve supernatural incidents but its main focus is on people. A "fable" is usually a story that revolves around animals that have human traits and the story often projects a moral. A "parable" is an allegory (a prolonged figurative narrative in which actions in the narrative are symbolic of other actions), usually with a moral or religious theme.
3. Are you familiar with any myths? If so, what is your favorite(s)?
   (Share some specific responses and, if time allows, some details of why the choice is appealing to the student.)

If time allows, divide the class into small work groups. Assign each group one of the following myths to research in Web and print media. Have each group negotiate a brief written summary of the basic story of their assigned myth (to be handed in) and to prepare an oral presentation of the basic story.

• Myth of Sisyphus
• Myth of Daedalus and Icarus
• Myth of Atalanta
• Myth of Oedipus and the Riddle of the Sphinx
• Myths related to Odysseus’ wanderings

If time allows, ask students to search out, and share with the class, a poem (or segment of a literary work) that makes direct reference to their assigned myth, explaining the way the myth is used in the source.

A few suggested sources:

• Sisyphus myth: Ovid’s Metamorphoses; Albert Camus’ The Myth of Sisyphus
• Daedulus/Icarus myth: W.H. Auden’s Musee des Beaux Arts; William Carlos Williams’ Landscape with the Fall of Icarus (both poems refer to Breugel’s painting of Icarus); if students have read James Joyce’s Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man, review the analogy; Edward Field’s poem Icarus
• Atalanta myth: Ovid’s Metamorphoses
• Oedipus myth: Muriel Rukeyser’s Myth (a brief, delightful poem about the relationship of the sexes); if students have read Sophocles’ Oedipus Rex, consider having them review the narrative
• Odysseus’ myths: Margaret Atwood’s Siren Song (This poem was on a recent AP English Literature Exam); W.S. Merwin’s poem Odysseus; Dorothy Parker’s poem Penelope; Tennyson’s poem Ulysses; a segment of Homer’s The Odyssey

Aeschylus’ play, Prometheus Bound, is a forceful dramatization of the central Promethean myth. The play is very manageable in a classroom setting, and I have found it to be a very successful lesson experience. Its value and magnetic draw as a teaching text is many-fold:

1. Because of its structural "purity" in relation to Aristotle’s "Unities", Prometheus Bound provides a starting point for an analysis of the evolution of dramatic structural patterns from Greek tragedy, through Marlowe and Shakespeare (who break with the structural demands of the Unities of time and place) on up through "three-dimensional" Modern and Post-Modern drama.
2. The play offers an opportunity to review (or introduce) allusions that thread through other genres of art and to highlight many images, which are resonated in other ancient myths.
3. It is an outstanding source for studying how tone quality is achieved and characterization is developed through syntax, images, diction, pace, and rhythm.
4. It offers great opportunity for classroom dramatization and activities integrating other genres of the arts.

Many provocative associations emerge from the basic and adjunct myths of Prometheus. Below is a suggested list of associations that seem particularly provocative.

1. The alignment of aspects of the myth with aspects of Christian narratives, for instance:
• Prometheus is a demigod, visible, as was Jesus, in both a "spiritual" world and in the world of Man.
• the idea that when Zeus assigns Prometheus to create humans, Prometheus fashioned them from clay and water.
• the idea of sacrifice and suffering which, by choice, Prometheus undergoes for Man; related to this, the concept of "bound"—one to a cross, one to a rock.
• the idea that Prometheus is all knowing of the future.
• similarities to the Adam and Eve story in the account of "seductive" Pandora tempting Prometheus and, out of curiosity, opening the forbidden jar (box).
• the narrative of an overwhelming flood with only Pandora’s daughter and Prometheus’ son surviving.
2. The concept of fire as a sustaining force of Man.
3. The heroic stature of standing up to tyranny the empathy for the "underdog" (Io).
4. A certain arrogance for authority, an attitude that has modern appeal.

Part II: Experiencing the Play

Preparation

Consider initiating the study of Prometheus Bound by introducing (or reviewing) the nature of Greek Tragedy, particularly focusing on key elements defined by Aristotle in his Poetics. For instance:

1. note that Greek drama is of religious origin, celebrating the worship of the god Dionysus, thus ritualistic in rhythm, pace, and tone.
2. in its original form, a Chorus sang a hymn of praise (dithyramb) while engaging in a ritual dance.
3. as the form evolved, the Chorus leader began to initiate a "dialogue" with the Chorus, eventually assuming another persona (impersonation of a god or a hero or a character in a story about a god) - hence the first "actor". A second and third "actor" would eventually be added.
4. the Chorus, a group of twelve to fifteen men, remained a vital part of the dramatic action. Their statements were chanted or sung, underscored with rhythmic turns (strophes) and counterturns (antistrophes), and dances (three to five dancers in straight-line formation) accompanied by (oboe-like) flute music. Their statements served many purposes: sometimes to provide exposition (explanation of background that brings audience in touch with the status quo); support the dramatic situation of the protagonist and/or lament his predicament; raise questions for the protagonist to answer; challenge the protagonist’s position; reiterate and illuminate the protagonist’s statements, etc. - the strophe and antistrophe divisions sometimes following what is similar to a "call and response" format. As time went on, the Chorus began to assume group personalities such as elders, townspeople. In the evolution of drama, many of the responsibilities of the Chorus would eventually be taken over by minor characters.
5. Greek tragedies were developed for contests related to the annual spring Dionysus festival. Contest "rules" mandated that dramatists’ entries be in the form of a trilogy (three plays revolving around a central situation) and that each play within the trilogy honor the Unities of time (the action takes place within 24 hours), place (one setting), and central action (all elements of plot must revolve tightly around one central action - no subplots.)

   To quote Aristotle (Poetics):

   The Tragedy "...endeavors, as far as possible, to confine itself to a single revolution of the sun, or but slightly to exceed this limit."

   "Unity of plot does not...consist in the unity of the hero...The plot, being an imitation of an action, must imitate one action and that a whole, the structural union of the parts being such that, if any one of them is displaced or removed, the whole will be disjointed and disturbed."

6. "dramatic irony"—the fact that the audience is "in" on the action, knows the story and what is going to happen beforehand and the protagonist and/or other characters do not know—is a prevailing dramatic force of Greek tragedy.
7. the Greek tragic "hero", as defined by Aristotle (Aristotelian protagonist), is of "noble" birth, has a noble purpose, has a frailty, makes an error because of this "tragic flaw"—often that of "hubris" (excessive pride), has a downfall, recognizes the situation, and accepts responsibility.
8. according to Aristotle, the universality of the "dilemma" of the protagonist, the reversal of his fortune and his recognition and acceptance of responsibility of his part in this reversal—if developed within the carefully balanced framework of the Unities - is what gives Greek tragedy its "magnitude."
9. Aristotle also puts forth the idea of "catharsis:" the purging of the audience’s emotions "through pity and fear." Such "catharsis" is evoked by the universality of the dilemma, the irony in the reversal of the protagonist’s expectations, the nobility in the protagonist’s recognition that he has erred and his suffering because of it, and the integrity of his acceptance of responsibility.

Following a discussion of the basic nature of Greek tragedy, ask for volunteers to research and give a brief class "panel" presentation on:

1. Aeschylus (time period, geographical location in which he writes; any pertinent biographical data)
2. the architectural design of the Greek theater, including the design of its stage (encourage volunteer(s) to make a sketch).
3. costumes, masks, props, level of stage technology (deus ex machina, for instance).
4. the nature of the Greek audience.

Reading and Analysis

Ideally, the entire play should be read aloud in large group format and segments explicated sequentially as the reading goes forward. However, if time is a factor, some segments could be assigned for homework, complete with study questions. A study question could serve as a test or brief writing assignment, to be followed by a class discussion of what the assigned segment(s) contributes to the movement of the play.

Note that the play is structured by a series of encounters. The primary "action" of the play is Prometheus’ response to each of the "visitors" who come to him after he is chained to the rock and the psychological impact each visit has on him. (Aristotle refers to this pattern as "static" structuring—the "weight" of the "action" is within the intellectual and emotional context of the protagonist). Acting out the comings and goings of the encounters, as the play is being read in class, underscores the force of the structural movement and the power of the Unities.

Suggested study questions

The handouts below offer suggestions for ways to open out each of the individual segments of the text of Prometheus Bound and to weave together understanding of the contribution of each segment to the total. The questions could be developed individually or in small collaborative groups. Some could be used for quizzes and/or brief writing assignments.

• The Opening: Hephaestus, Power (Kratos) and Strength (Bia)
  (Note: In some translations, Kratos is designated "Might" or "Force", and Bia, "Violence.")
• The First Encounter: Daughters of Oceanus
• The Second Encounter: As the Daughters of Oceanus bring their "Winged Chariot" to the ground to learn more of Prometheus’ plight, their father, Oceanus enters
• The Third Encounter: The Daughters of Oceanus have alighted from their "winged chariot" and again address Prometheus
• The Fourth Encounter: Io enters, interrupting the exchange between Prometheus and the Chorus
  (Note: This Encounter is particularly effective in class dramatization.)
• The Fifth Encounter: Hermes Visit
  (Note: This Encounter is really a winner for classroom dramatization.)

Note: The handouts under "Teacher Materials" in the left sidebar offer possible answers to the student questions.

Suggested assignment after completion of the play

Select three or four students (or ask for volunteers) to go to the board to participate in an analysis of the structural drive of the central action of Prometheus Bound. Remind students that the focus of the central action is, in essence, a tension between two entrenched wills in conflict over individual freedom and powerful authority, aggravated by Prometheus’ feeling he is being unjustly punished, and Zeus’ determination to break Prometheus’ will for compromising his authority.

Assign participants the following task: Construct a line graph that reflects your perception of changes, if any, in the psychological and emotional state of mind of Prometheus as he reacts to each visitor, the starting point being his frame of mind just after he has been chained to the rock. In constructing your graph, consider such aspects as: does the first visit make him feel even more dejected? (If so, the line would go down from point zero; does the next visit move him, in any way, in relation to his initial self-pity and dejection? (If not, the line would go horizontal); do the third and fourth visits change his psychological state by moving his focus outside of himself and intensifying his determination to defy Zeus? (If so, the line would go upward, etc.) In other words, the graph should mirror Prometheus’ states of mind from his initial reaction to his predicament to his final determination not to give in to Zeus. It should address the impact on him of the sympathy from others for his reversal of fortune, the recognition that he has erred and that has "error" has caused others great suffering, his psychological and emotional response when confronted with evidence of that suffering, and his reaction to the taunts and demands of Zeus’ "lackey."

Note: Although, at first glance, this activity may seem to be an oversimplified process of analysis, it has value from several perspectives and students have responded quite positively to it. The consideration of the large structural view sends students back through the text. It helps them see how part relates to part and how each part contributes to an all-encompassing dynamic - a thesis if you will (Aristotle’s rule for effective structure in composition.) It helps illuminate the psychological core of the drama and underscore the archetypical role of Prometheus as a champion of freedom and "right" when confronting evidence of the destructive force of tyranny. It can ignite some energetic "arguments" as students explain and champion their graphic vision of the structural drive of the play.

Suggested writing topics

The following topics suggest ways to consider the text of Prometheus Bound from several different perspectives. Students could choose one of the topics as a centerpiece for the development of a three to five page essay of critical analysis.

• What, in your perspective, is Prometheus’ "take" on the kind of relationship that should exist between Divine Authority and Man?
• What do you perceive to be Prometheus’ outlook on the relationship between "free-will" and the pre-destined plan of Fate? (Avoid oversimplification—a "first glance" response).
• What perceptions of women emerge from the text?
• What role(s) does the Chorus fulfill in building the action of the text? Be specific.
• It has been stated that Prometheus is an archetypical representation of the human condition at its finest, of the "true" heroic nature. What qualities does Prometheus possess, as evidenced in various encounters in the play, which would earn him that "title"? Do you agree with that assessment? If not, construct a challenging counter argument, drawing specific evidence from the text of the play.
• Prometheus Bound is the first play of the required trilogy to enter the "contest" of the spring festival of Dionysus. It is the only full manuscript of the trilogy recovered; only fragments of the two remaining plays have been found. The tile of the second play is Prometheus Unbound; the title of the third play is Prometheus, The Fire Carrier.
• Based on research of the fragments of the second and third plays in relation to the first, and the profile of Zeus that emerges in other of Aeschylus’ plays, some scholars argue that it was the playwright’s intent to effect a reconciliation between Prometheus (a symbol of Man) and Zeus (a symbol of the Divine)—a kind of working partnership. Part of this thinking is that the manuscript of the second play would show evolving stages of Zeus from that of an angry tyrant wanting to destroy Man, into a benign sort of Father figure, in control of Man’s destiny, but allowing Man to use his free will within that framework.
• In your perception, why do you think Zeus would want to rid himself of Man?

Keeping this provocative theory in mind, sketch an overview of a hypothetical scene or encounter for Prometheus Unbound and/or Prometheus, The Fire Carrier. Your plan for a segment of one of the "lost" plays could be limited to conversations between and among any of the characters of the first play, or it could also introduce other characters out of Greek mythology, for instance: the heir of Io (Hercules) who is fated to overthrow Zeus or Oceanus who decides, after all, to intervene in Prometheus’ behalf, or Hephaestus who has gained the courage to return to the rock and sever the chains. The Chorus could be made up of a group of lesser Gods who have become sympathetic to Prometheus and gained the courage to confront Zeus. It could involve some ancient Greek all-human hero or heroine who is benefiting from the changed attitude of the "new" Zeus. You could even build an incident in which an emerging "kinder, gentler" Zeus has a change of heart in the way he has been yanking around a modern "hero"- an Olympic contender, for instance.

Note that it is important that, in constructing your sketch, you honor the Unities of Time, Place, and Central Action. Also, give attention to the tone quality of your script. As one critic has noted, Aeschylus’ work has a certain "nobility;" the critic uses the term "quasi-liturgical" to describe the prevailing tone. (If you chose to develop a "modern" sketch, you could consider parodying the tone.)

Suggestions for Special Projects

• The sub-title of Mary Shelly’s novel Frankenstein is "The Story of a Modern Prometheus." A provocative oral presentation or formal paper could be built around an explanation of a student’s perception of the implication of the sub-title in relation to the character, Frankenstein. Some possibilities for analysis:

Frankenstein, a mortal, presumably created by a Divine power, assumes the role of "Creator." Using science, he dares to break through the "Divine" barrier. Did he go too far? Are recent scientific "breakthroughs" such as discovery of DNA and, especially, genetic engineering, "pushing the envelope" too far? Or is it Man’s destiny to develop his creative self, in essence, taking on the powers of a "demigod," becoming a "modern Prometheus"? Such a line of thought could lead students into rethinking several things: one, the fact that many of the ancient Greek mythological "heroes" were part "Divine" and part mortal (Hercules, born mortal, through his extraordinary athletic achievements, was brought into the Olympian fold); two, the 19th century Romantics, drawing on ancient Greek thought in constructing their metaphysical concepts, argued that there is part of the "Sublime" (divine essence) in all living things; three, the unsettling results of Frankenstein, the scientist, breaking the barrier by creating life in Shelley’s development of the Frankenstein story.

• Some students may want to explore excerpts of Percy Bysshe Shelley’s dramatic poem, Prometheus Unbound and give an oral presentation or build a paper explaining Shelly’s portrayal of what happens when Prometheus is set free and why Shelley’s poem became a rallying cry for 19th century revolutions and a weapon of rebellion (and still is) against tyranny.
• Students interested in art could research the many paintings of Prometheus, especially that of Reuben’s, and/or the beautiful gold sculpture of Prometheus in Rockefeller Plaza, and explain, in oral or written format, the background and craftsmanship of selected pieces. The explanation could also include analysis of why artists are so drawn to Prometheus as a subject of art, particularly why a statue of Prometheus would be selected as the centerpiece of a celebrated modern plaza in New York City.
• When the steel industry crashed,the big Bethleham Steel Foundry that had furnished, for generations, most of the nation’s steel (for skyscrapers, big bridges, etc.) closed, leaving Bethleham, Pennsylvania a ghost town and hundreds of people without jobs. In an effort to restore the town and create jobs, many community activities were developed,among them a Cultural Arts organization that included a theater group. One of the first performances of the group was a modern version of Aeschlus’ Prometheus Bound. The play was staged in the huge iron works factory on the Foundry’s site. The bitter modern Prometheus was chained to a giant, 27-foot tall iron ladle. An interesting special project assignment could be to give students the challenge of tracing the analogous threads in the modern play, titled Steelhead, that draw from Aeschlus’ play, Prometheus Bound and explaining the reasoning behind the author’s vision that the modernized Prometheus Bound would serve as a forceful protest against the closing of the Bethlehem Steel plant.
• Students who have read Jonathan Edwards’ famous sermon, "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God" might find a comparison of the Puritan (Calvinistic) God that emerges from Edwards’ text with the image of Zeus that emerges from Aeschlus’ text to be a provocative topic for a paper.

Assessment:

Assess students by the following criteria:

• serious participation in the reading and explicating of the play
• substantive contributions to class discussion, reflecting serious engagement in completing assignments
• range and depth of analysis; evidence of growth in skills of analysis
• quality of organization, rhetorical skill, and poise in oral presentation
• quality of creative thinking and evidence of serious effort in preparing written and oral assignments
• evidence of achievement in "best practices’ of the writing process
• willingness to take on special projects
• level of engagement in all class activities

Extensions:

John Milton’s play, Samson Agonistes is an outstanding sequel of a study of Aeschylus’ Prometheus Bound. It is, in essence, a clone of the Aeschylus play, using a biblical Christian "hero" instead of a Greek "hero." John Milton deliberately crafts his play in the patterns of Prometheus Bound, emulating the structural patterns of "encounters" (visits), using the protagonist’s psychological and emotional "core" as the central action of the play, and exploring the same compelling themes: the relationship between the Divine and Man; the agent of "free-will" in relation to predestination; sacrifice of self for a bigger cause; the "true" nature of the "heroic". Students enjoy dramatizing the script, particularly the segment involving Delilah.

Authors:

• Jayne Karsten, English, Grades 9-12
  The Key School
  Annapolis, MD US