How Zeus is Portrayed by Aeschylus in Prometheus Bound - Essay Example

How Zeus is portrayed by Aeschylus in Prometheus Bound In the Greek culture, Zeus is considered as a supreme being among Olympian gods. His main duty is to ensure that the will of fate is done. In order to do this, he needs to be neutral and keeps his own desires’ abbey, in order to promote the pathways of the universe. However, in Prometheus bound he is portrayed in a different way. In the start, there is Bia and kratus, both were Zeus servants who were to carry Prometheus to the mountain in Caucasus. There are followed by Hephaestus, whose work is to chain Prometheus to the rock. Kratus says this is a punishment for providing fire to human beings. Though Hephaestus is sympathetic to Prometheus, and lament due to the fact that he must bind him in the rock, the other two urged him to go ahead and insisted that is dangerous and useless, to have pity on Zeus enemy. Hephaestus leaves after finishing his work ( Scully 26) Zeus is portrayed as selfish and one who does not values justice, this is because, after Prometheus helped him in the war against the titans, he punished him for giving humanity fire. Despite them being friends previously, he treated him as a stranger. However, since he was the ruler of the gods, he was the ultimate judge and the justice administer. In addition, he possessed the physical power although he had limited intellectual power and always afraid to lose his throne to gods. He never valued intellectual power as is portrayed when he chained Prometheus, despite him possessing the knowledge of the ways in which Zeus will lose his throne to the gods. By sending, Hermes to learn of the information from Prometheus shows how he feared for his future. More ever, Prometheus had even predicted that his knowledge is the one that will save him. Zeus is also, portrayed as the person who suffered most as shown by his outrage at the Prometheus actions, and the pain in his anger. Furthermore, he has a lot of worries about his fate. In addition, he sends Hemes to get information of who is a threat to his power, from Prometheus. However, after receiving the unsatisfactory answer, he became angrier, and more anxious. In addition, since Io, who contemplated suicide when she suffered mentally the first time, proves mental suffering greater than physical suffering Zeus is the one who suffers most due to his mental suffering. Zeus is also portrayed as not very powerful, but one bounded by fate as. It seems fate constrains him to certain actions and his behavior appears to be hereditary. Zeus father, Cronus supplanted his father Uranus violently, while Zeus over threw Cronus. The three had feared to lose their power, which led them to do certain actions, eventually ruining them. In addition, Zeus was proud and believed he was capable of coercing everybody. His pride caused him to act foolishly by punishing Prometheus since he refused to disclose the identity of the forces, which will destroy him. He is also a tyrant who does not promote justice, as indicated by the way he carried out his judgment and punishment on Prometheus. His sense of justice was very strict and anything that contradicts his will had to punished severely In the play, Zeus does not appear due to the rules that forbid presenting supreme god on stage. However, whatever the actual reason, his absence significantly contributes to his image In the play, throughout its development. In the fast instance, his absence allows him to be represented by two of his servants. The two servants leave an impression that is not favorable. The names like kratus, force, and violence, portray fairly some hints on Zeus. It’s clear that Zeus was a tyrant who ruled through intimidation and severe punishments instead of friend ship and cooperation. It’s clearly indicated that Zeus was ruling by his own rules and was not answerable to anybody for his actions. This enables to make a good view of his rule in relation to justice. As a result the views can be in two possible ways, he is either not just, as he does not follow rules or is a man of justice who gives the standards of what is right or wrong. There is a possibility of Zeus creating justice during his rule and this indicates the second important aspect of his absence. This makes it possible for him to be represented by his servants, who state that Zeus’s law is the only one possible. This is reasonable, as he was the greatest of the gods. However, Aeschylus undermines the faith in Zeus as god of justice as he contrasted the luck of sympathy in Zeus’s servants with the pity experienced by Prometheus’s friends. The suggestion here is that, right and wrong exists but Zeus as anew ruler is yet to realize it. It also portrayed that he is yet to adjust fully in his position as leader. In addition, the luck of fit between him and justice lead to his conflict with Prometheus (Scully 57). It is noted that Zeus’s absence in the play brings isolation feelings, he was experiencing. The nature of his laws makes him unjust and removes him from others. From the evidence by his servants, he seemed to demanded absolute obedience both in mind and in body, and was only capable of having slaves and not friends. This caused isolation from the audience and Prometheus. This isolation shows how impressive was his power, though it could be diminished. . At the same time this isolation made Zeus a very lonely man. This is shown in the contrast with Prometheus who was with his friends, as the play ends. Zeus character does not change. The benevolence of Zeus is shown in the way he treated Io. There are two ways in which his relationship is central to the play: as the basis on danaids’ claim to protect pelasgos and as Danaids’ present situation mythological precedent. However in the play, Zeus In suppliant is indicated by constantly benevolent towards Io. Even though Io’s treatment is shown through Danaids’ eye and confirmed by pelasgos, there is no indication that the account is partial or distorted. The relationship, which was said to be sexual, was voluntary on Ios part. Hera, who antagonized the original voluntary and harmonious union, brought the disturbances in the relationship. This happened when he turned Io into a cow, set Argos to be her watcher and sent gadfly to drive her from the land. The gadfly tormented, maddened and caused sickness to Io, though Zeus enchanted her, stopped the pains and healed her. The ephaphos gentle touching by Zeus do not represent change but an indication of his previous benevolence as a lover. The Ios story in several aspect shows Zeus played a role in protecting suppliants. Ios arrived in Memphis after a long journey and in her bovine state she was not able to make physical gestures of supplication. However, Zeus rescued and healed her by his hands and acted like accepting a suppliant. By touching io Zeus raised her from an animal to a human and give her the honored role of mothering his son and the dynasty’s ancestress. The Aidos of Io is closely related with her role as Zeus bride. It is said she reacted with it towards Zeus as a sexual partner as it’s an emotion that was appropriate for a bride. The nature of sexual relationship with Zeus is well illustrated by in the Greek idea that the bride is a suppliant. The two ways in through which Zeus impregnates and heals io, by hand and the breath, are significant as well s appropriate. The union of io and Zeus can be described as the prototype of an ideal marriage. In this kind of marriage the wife is a voluntary suppliant, who should be treated with respect, honored and treated gentry. In the relationship between Zeus and Prometheus, Zeus is considered a tyrant and cruel, while Prometheus is portrayed in as not flattering light. In addition, Zeus negativity is straight forward. The case of deception in which Zeus was tricked by choosing bones other than the meat for sacrificing to the god shows why he was infuriated against humanity. How ever, he is depicted as murderous instead of some one who was humiliated. He was not associated with nature gods but had association with untraditional gods. Hs ream is arbitrary hence is described as the only truly free. His justice is described as the one which keeps his own standard and his laws were despot. These are traits of a tyrant, and never trusted his friends. Zeus mistrust is inspired by power. How ever, the limitation of his power by the nature is the center of his contest between him and Prometheus. This limitation also gives limits to his powers and as such, he was not able to overcome weakness in his own nature. As Prometheus stated Zeus’ love for Io combined with Hera’s jealous triggered Io’s ordeal. Zeus eventually turned reluctant to favor fore thought and turned to brutality. As Hephaestus describe, that history is series of cycles and perennial polarity between force and interagency, and the intelligent is the one that enables one to predict nature ability to create some thing new. How ever, brutal force is only repressive and prolongs accomplishments and does not bring new being Zeus is also depicted as one who seduces the females and plans to murder his people in large numbers this is dramatized by the story of io. He destroyed old customs and the constraints of divine rules. He was also running the universe by force. After the war Zeus organized to destroy the race of man and replace it with another species, this where Prometheus intervened and this led him to be chained in the rocks. Prometheus also knew about the woman who was to give birth to a son who will be stronger than Zeus and eventually overthrow him. The mother of the son was Metis and the son Athena. There was Gaia who provides this information about Zeus marriage and its repercussions. Themis also tried to save Zeus from marrying as was aware of that prophecy. By getting this I formation, Zeus was determined to know from Prometheus. How ever, Prometheus refused, making Zeus to increase the punishment. This punishment was an indicator of how dangerous it was to disobey Zeus and how harsh his regime was. So Zeus in this play is portrayed as the bad person and evil master mind in the whole episodes. In contrast with Prometheus, Prometheus was a sable of interagency a rebel and portrayed human progress. He was also fearful and was lamenting about his fate as he was emphasizing his reconciliation with Zeus. He was also boastful of his gift to humanity and insisted that he was the center to the growth and civilization and the survival of the human race. He demonstrated his own value by describing his traveling and proving how much he knew about the prophecies. He emphasized on the prophecy about Zeus’ downfall and his own release. He only talked about reconciliation after being prodded Work cited James Scully, and C J. Herington. Prometheus Bound. New York: Oxford University Press, 1989. Prin Read More