Theme Analysis of The Myth of Prometheus

📌Category: Greek mythology, Literature
📌Words: 437
📌Pages: 2
📌Published: 07 February 2022

'Prometheus' is a myth about the creation of humans. Prometheus created humans and gave them the gift of fire. Elements of mythology and theme are important parts of any myth. Two elements of mythology in the story of 'Prometheus' are 'Explanation of the Origins of Life and the Natural World,' and 'Struggle for Power.' A theme shown in this story is 'People with Power Often Abuse it.'

One element of mythology shown in the story of 'Prometheus' is 'Explanation of the Origins of Life and the Natural World.' One quote that supports this element is in paragraph 3. In paragraph 3, it says, "Prometheus took some clay from the ground at his feet, moistened it with water, and made it into an image, in form like the gods. Into its nostrils Eros breathed the spirit of life, Pallas Athené gave it a soul, and the first human looked wonderingly round on the earth." This quote explains how humans were created. Prometheus formed it, Eros gave it life, and Pallas Athené gave it a soul. Another element of mythology shown in 'Prometheus' is 'Struggle for Power.' A quote that shows this is in paragraph 6. It says, "From his throne on Olympus, Zeus looked down on the earth and saw blue-gray smoke that curled upward to the sky. He watched more closely and realized with terrible wrath that what he saw came from fire, that before had been the god's sacred power." This shows that Zeus felt threatened because his power was given to humans and that he might have gone to war with them. The elements of mythology in this text help the reader to feel more familiar with the story.

One theme in the myth of 'Prometheus,' is 'People With Power Often Abuse It.' A quote that supports this theme is in paragraph 5 of 'Prometheus,' where it says, "Zeus chained Prometheus to the top of a mountain, and every day an eagle came and ate Prometheus's liver. Every night, his liver grew back." This quote supports the theme because it shows how Zeus gave Prometheus a torturous punishment. Another quote to support the theme 'People With Power Often Abuse It,' is in paragraph 7 of 'Prometheus.' It says, "They decided to create a thing that should forever charm the souls and hearts of men and forever be their downfall." This shows that men were given a punishment that would 'be their downfall,' or their weakness. Both these quotes show that people with power often abuse it.

In conclusion 'Explanation of the Origins of Life and the Natural World,' and 'Struggle for Power' are two elements of mythology shown in this myth and an important theme is 'People With Power Often Abuse It.' One thing you can learn from this myth is that it's good to ask permission before doing something.

+
x
Remember! This is just a sample.

You can order a custom paper by our expert writers

Order now
By clicking “Receive Essay”, you agree to our Terms of service and Privacy statement. We will occasionally send you account related emails.