Prometheus Unbound (Act 2) - Percy Bysshe Shelley
A Vision of Cosmic Realms and Mysterious Revelations
Prometheus Unbound
Act II (Excerpt)
[Note: “Prometheus Unbound” is a four-act lyrical drama. Below is a selection from Act II, which is quite extensive in full. For brevity, only selected passages are presented. Readers interested in the complete text are encouraged to consult a public domain source.]
Scene I. A Lovely Vale in the Indian Caucasus. Asia and Panthea pass into it.
Panthea:
From all the blasts of heaven thou hast descended;
Yes, like a spirit, like a thought, which makes
Unwonted tears throng to the horny eyes
And beats and soothes the heart even to the core,
Waking a moment to the solemn joy
Of night and loneliness. Asia! thou art come
As over earth the winds and waters are,
From darkness and the storm, and thou hast found
A peace amid the worlds that seek in vain
Their centre. Here thou restest, though the Earth
Is thronged with living furies who have quenched
Its lamps and withered its roses amid dust.
Yet thou alone, like faith in darkness, standest,
To send sweet peace into my soul.
Asia:
Dearest Panthea,
How far have we to journey ere we meet
Our Sister? We have passed the dark ravine,
And now the dark and moonless night is gone,
And far on high the keen stars twinkle bright,
As if to guide us on. Speak, thou whose heart
Is luminous! thou who art as a spirit
By sweet attraction drawn amid these hills!
Is this the path of hope?
Panthea:
It must be so.
Some voice within me speaks to hail the dawn
Of thoughts that were not, yet have long endured,
Like phantoms of a stormy night of fear.
I see some faint illusions fade, and bright
And starry shapes revolve—this is the sign
That love and truth, long prisoned, break their bars,
And walk triumphant over ruin.
Asia:
Look,
In the still moonlight, how the quiet vale
Is starred with many a fragrance—flowers that sleep
At daybreak, now awake with dew, and smile
In silent secrets to the mountain’s hush.
Let us descend with steps of gentleness,
And we shall find Ione—
[They descend into the Vale, and the scene transitions to other locations where spirits, echoes, and phantasms weave a dreamlike atmosphere. Asia eventually meets the spirit Demogorgon in a deep cave, foreshadowing a great transformation that will unfold in later acts.]
Scene IV. The Cave of Demogorgon.
Asia:
O secret Spirit of that Universe
Whose heart is beating in unison with mine,
I come to ask of thee a greater knowledge.
Why does the world still groan beneath the chain
Of falsehood, tyranny, and fear? Reveal
The fated hour when from his throne of hate
Shall fall the Oppressor—tell what womb contains
The seed of that great birth, and whence shall spring
Its dawn upon the Earth.
Demogorgon (in shadow):
Behold the truth
Which rests beyond the veil. A mighty hour
Draws near—its footfall shall be heard by all,
And thrones shall tremble. Time’s unresting tide
Will bear these tyrants to oblivion’s shore.
Shadows of ancient wrong dissolve in day,
As light unbars the mind’s unspoken core,
And freedom’s star leads onward to the way.
[End of excerpt. The drama continues as Asia and Panthea embark on a transcendental journey, culminating in revelations pivotal for Prometheus’s eventual release and Jupiter’s downfall in later acts.]
In Act II of Percy Bysshe Shelley’s lyrical drama Prometheus Unbound, the focus shifts from the Titan’s physical torment in the Caucasus to the cosmic and psychological journey of his beloved, Asia, and her sister, Panthea. Traveling across dreamlike landscapes and celestial realms, these characters seek answers about the force that governs the world and the possibility of delivering all beings from oppression.
This act unfolds in settings that highlight the interplay between external beauty and internal awakening. In the opening scene, Asia and Panthea traverse a serene vale, absorbing the night’s profound stillness, while simultaneously feeling stirrings of renewed hope. Their dialogue reveals a longing not just for Prometheus’s freedom, but for a broader liberation from fear, tyranny, and illusions.
Thematically, Act II introduces multiple Romantic ideals: a reverence for the transformative power of nature, the unity of all things, and the mystical potential of imagination. The sisters witness how reality is riddled with illusions—yet within these illusions lies the seed of a revolutionary change. Shelley emphasizes the collective yearning for freedom, not merely personal salvation. When Asia encounters the enigmatic Demogorgon—a mysterious spirit whose domain remains veiled—she confronts questions about the tyranny of Jupiter and the ultimate fate of the world. Through these exchanges, Shelley signals that knowledge, hope, and a cosmic shift in consciousness are intertwined.
At its core, Act II plants the seeds of the redemption that will come to fruition in later acts. While Prometheus physically remains bound, Asia’s conversations hint at the inevitable crumbling of oppressive powers. Shelley’s language abounds with references to luminous transformations, echoing the Romantic conviction that love and thought have the power to reclaim reality from the jaws of despotism.
In sum, this section serves as a journey of spiritual quest and renewal. The reflective musings of Asia and Panthea about the human (and divine) condition anticipate the culminating triumph of compassion and wisdom. By situating these characters in enchanted landscapes and having them probe the nature of oppression, Shelley crafts a meditation on how forging a new moral order requires both clarity of vision and collective yearning for change. Act II, therefore, is a poetic tapestry weaving together spectacle, prophecy, and a glimpse of the universal liberation that stands at the heart of Prometheus Unbound.
Key points
• Shifts the focus from Prometheus’s suffering to Asia and Panthea’s quest for greater truth.
• Depicts dreamlike landscapes that mirror inner transformation and awakened hope.
• Introduces Demogorgon’s role as a cryptic agent of upheaval against Jupiter’s tyranny.
• Celebrates the Romantic vision of nature, imagination, and cosmic interconnectedness.
• Foreshadows the eventual downfall of oppressive power and the dawn of universal liberation.