Prometheus Unbound (Act 1) - Percy Bysshe Shelley
A Dramatic Call for Cosmic Liberation
Prometheus Unbound
Act I (Excerpt)
Scene.—A Ravine of Icy Rocks in the Indian Caucasus. Prometheus is discovered bound to the Precipice. Panthea and Ione are seated at his feet. Time, Night. During the Scene, morning slowly breaks.
Prometheus (alone):
Monarch of Gods and Daemons, and all Spirits
But One, who throng those bright and rolling worlds
Which Thou and I alone of living things
Behold with sleepless eyes! regard this Earth,
Made multitudinous with Thy slaves, whom Thou
Requitest for knee-worship, prayer, and praise,
And toil, and hecatombs of broken hearts,
With fear and self-contempt and barren hope.
Whilst me, who am thy foe, eyeless in hate,
Hast thou made reign and triumph, to thy scorn,
O’er mine own misery and thy vain revenge.
Three thousand years of sleep-unsheltered hours,
And moments aye divided by keen pangs,
Till they seemed years, torture and solitude,
Scorn and despair—these are mine empire:—
More glorious far than that which thou surveyest
From thine unenvied throne, O Mighty God!
[Prometheus continues, invoking Earth, the Spirits of the Mind, and recalling his curse on Jupiter. Panthea and Ione attend, lamenting his suffering. The text proceeds with ethereal dialogues between Prometheus, Earth, and phantom voices, foreshadowing the cosmic struggle for liberation.]
Ione:
Look, sister, where a troop of spirits gather,
Like flitting clouds in moonlight wavering;
They bear a robe of light and many a crown.
They speak in wonders—hark! they sing and float
Like starbeams woven in a dazzling drift
O’er the hushed waves of night…
[Text truncated for brevity. “Prometheus Unbound” is a four-act lyrical drama. This excerpt represents a small portion of Act I.]
Percy Bysshe Shelley’s “Prometheus Unbound” is a four-act lyrical drama that reimagines the ancient Greek myth of Prometheus—a Titan who defied Jupiter (Zeus) to gift fire and enlightenment to humankind. In Act I, we meet Prometheus bound to a cliff in the Indian Caucasus, tormented both physically and psychologically by Jupiter’s vengeance. Despite his agonies, Prometheus remains resolute in his moral rebellion, refusing to submit to oppression.
Shelley introduces a cosmic setting filled with spirits, personified Earth forces, and ethereal voices, heightening the play’s sense of grand philosophical conflict. The Titan’s suffering underscores questions of power, tyranny, and the human (or Titan) capacity for endurance. As Prometheus recalls the curse he once pronounced against Jupiter, his awareness of universal suffering deepens—yet he yearns for reconciliation and a higher truth beyond vengeance.
Act I establishes the dramatic tension that will unfold: Jupiter’s oppressive reign stands against the spirit of intellectual freedom embodied by Prometheus. At the same time, entities such as Earth, Panthea, and Ione embody empathy and cosmic connection. This dynamic interplay characterizes Shelley’s vision of liberation: not merely an end to Prometheus’s chains, but the release of all sentient beings from fear and cruelty.
Shelley’s poetic language in Act I reverberates with the Romantic era’s ideals—casting nature, imagination, and the quest for justice in elevated tones. Layers of symbolism surround the characters, from the literal bonds on Prometheus to the intangible realms of thought and elemental energies that swirl around him. His defiance foreshadows the eventual downfall of Jupiter’s oppressive rule, setting the stage for a spiritual and societal emancipation.
Although “Prometheus Unbound” has its roots in classical myth, Shelley imbues it with a radical political and philosophical spirit, championing the notion that tyranny must fail when confronted by unwavering compassion and intellect. In this sense, Act I is both a lament over suffering and a clarion call for cosmic reawakening. The drama thus resonates beyond its mythic scope, suggesting that even the most towering oppression can be challenged by an enduring will to free all creatures from subjugation.
Key points
• Reimagines the Titan Prometheus as a champion of freedom and moral defiance.
• In Act I, Prometheus endures physical and mental torment under Jupiter’s tyranny.
• Emphasizes Romantic ideals—nature, empathy, and the power of creative spirit.
• Lays groundwork for humanity’s (and the cosmos’s) eventual liberation from oppression.
• Shelley’s lyrical drama blends myth, poetic grandeur, and revolutionary philosophy.