Aeschylus' comedy Prometheus Bound focuses on the struggle between Prometheus and Zeus. Prometheus is an intelligent god who cares about the well-being of others. Zeus is a tyrant who acts recklessly according to his emotions. The two figures clash when Prometheus, a faithful friend of humanity, bestows gifts on humans to make them more independent. Zeus feels this threatens his power and decides to stop it. When Zeus punishes Prometheus, a battle between strength and intelligence begins in which the rational mind will ultimately prevail. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay Zeus' actions are based solely on the desire for power. Prometheus had once been a good friend of his, helping him overthrow Kronos and take his place atop Mount Olympus. However, when Zeus feels that Prometheus is threatening his personal power, he erases all memory of their friendship. By human standards Zeus can be considered amoral because he is disloyal and selfish. His evilness, however, may be better supported by the fact that he does not think logically about his behavior; his actions are based solely on emotion. He never thinks about the future to see the final effect his actions will have; he simply does what he believes will be most beneficial at the moment. Since Zeus has no reason behind his actions, they can be deemed unjust. Prometheus, unlike Zeus, is an intelligent god. He values loyalty in friendship because he understands that relationships are give and take: if he helps someone, they will be more likely to give him help when he needs it. Prometheus pities man because he was given no way to provide for himself. To make humanity a more independent and credible race, Prometheus endows it with many gifts. It is the gift of fire and blind hope that makes Zeus angry with him. At the beginning of the play, Zeus' servants Strength and Violence along with Hephaestus pin Prometheus to a cliff in the Caucasus where he will serve his punishment. Although the sentence is harsh, Prometheus has no regrets. He believes that his actions were good and right and will ultimately make the world better. With their gift of blind hope humans can no longer predict fate, but Prometheus, a god, is aware of the future. During his stay on the cliff, he receives many visitors who take pity on him and all others subject to Zeus' cruelty. One such visitor is Io, a young maiden cast out because of Zeus' lust for her. She was transformed into a cow and must now roam the land. By the time he reaches Prometheus, he has abandoned all hope; she is unhappy and discouraged. Prometheus, however, manages to encourage her with the promise of overthrowing Zeus through his own descendants. It will be the son of Io who will free Prometheus so that he can contribute to the dethronement of the supreme god. The fall of Zeus will come through his own lineage and humanity. This is a promise of the freedom of Prometheus, of Io and of all humanity. Man's freedom will be won through a battle of wits; his physical strength is no match for that of Zeus. The gift of fire allowed humans to become individuals. Up to this point, Zeus has ruled as a master rules slaves, people who do not think for themselves. When man learns to reason and make decisions, he also learns to challenge. He despises Zeus' domineering personality. He is not a child who needs instruction in every movement; he is an adult ready to discover things on his own. With freedom comes responsibility. The man is now responsible for his actions. He is no longer a carefree being; when he does something?
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