Prometheus Unbound (Act 3) - Percy Bysshe Shelley
A Cosmic Turning Point Toward Liberation
Prometheus Unbound
Act III (Excerpt)
[Note: “Prometheus Unbound” is a four-act lyrical drama. Act III culminates in a pivotal confrontation that reshapes the cosmos. Below is a selection from the original text—due to the act’s length, only key passages are provided. Readers seeking the full version should consult a public domain source.]
Scene I.—Heaven. Jupiter on his Throne; Thetis at his Feet, and the other Deities assembled.
Jupiter:
Ye congregated Powers of Heaven, who share
The glory and the strength of him ye serve—
Rejoice! henceforth I am omnipotent.
All else has been subdued to my intent;
My wrath alone remains—vengeance and ruin
Shall close the feast, and grace the murmuring song
Of victory. Behold an hour of dread!
Prometheus, once supreme in scorn of me,
Is mine, and shall be torture’s willing prey.
What shall be done? For day by day and hour by hour
His soul defies the chain… Let me decide.
[He proclaims new tortures for Prometheus, believing the Titan must bow at last. But ominous signs gather—thunder, shifting skies—heralding that Jupiter’s power is at risk.]
Scene II.—The Car of the Hour. Demogorgon appears rising from below; Jupiter falls.
Demogorgon (rising):
Tremble! no might can crush the mind which gave
My being birth. Hear now the far-off thunder
Proclaim the downfall of the tyrant’s throne.
His hour is come. With doom upon his brow,
He sinks before the spirit’s boundless force,
And from the ruin springs a brighter morn.
Thus ancient wrong shall vanish. Truth awakes,
And fear and falsehood fade.
Jupiter (sinking):
What power is this?
What shape of darkness or of light divine
Dares hurl me from my seat? Eternal orbs,
Aid me! I feel the infinite unbind
My sceptre from my grasp. All fades—I fall!
[Jupiter vanishes, cast down by the ascendant power of Demogorgon, who represents the ineluctable force overthrowing tyranny. The cosmic order shifts, freeing Prometheus from his ancient chains.]
Scene III.—The Earth. Prometheus unbound; Asia, Panthea, Ione, and other Spirits gather around.
Prometheus:
I stand a Titan—free at last from thrall.
The Earth is changed; a subtle harmony
Pervades the air, as though some hidden chord
Were struck in unison with liberty.
O my beloved Asia, and ye sisters,
Panthea, Ione—whose faithful hope
Sustained me through the centuries of night—
Look on this dawn! The tyrant’s throne is dust,
And I am free, and all that breathes is free.
Now Love can flourish where fear reigned before,
And Mind may soar beyond oppression’s snare.
Asia:
Dear Prometheus, the golden light of morn
Grows brighter on each hill and teeming plain.
All nature sings for joy, as if the Earth
Were waking from a wounded dream to find
It nevermore shall wear the chain of woe.
Let us unite, for truth and union stand
Against all forms of tyranny. Our bond
Shall be the lamp that guides the world to peace.
[Triumphant lyrical choruses swirl around them, sung by spirits and voices of nature, celebrating the fall of Jupiter’s despotism and the new era of possibility. The act concludes with a resounding sense of promise and renewed harmony, leading into Act IV’s vision of universal regeneration.]
In Act III of Percy Bysshe Shelley’s lyrical drama Prometheus Unbound, the long-awaited confrontation occurs, marking Jupiter’s downfall and Prometheus’s release. This act is the crucial pivot of the four-part work, as it shifts from the burden of oppression to the dawn of freedom.
The drama begins in the celestial realm, with Jupiter exulting in his apparent victory. However, the sudden rise of Demogorgon—an enigmatic force representing fate or necessity—reveals that Jupiter’s tyranny is neither absolute nor eternal. With a stunning reversal, Jupiter’s power collapses, symbolizing the fragile nature of oppressive authority.
As Jupiter vanishes, the cosmic balance quickly tilts in favor of liberation. Prometheus, once in chains, is unbound. By extension, Earth and all living things shed the grip of fear, stepping into a new age of harmony and enlightenment. Shelley’s notion of cosmic revolution combines Romantic idealism with political subtext, suggesting that all tyrants, whether heavenly or earthly, must inevitably fall if the human (or universal) spirit remains vigilant.
Throughout Act III, Shelley weaves lyrical passages with symbolic action. Demogorgon’s rise to prominence underscores the poet’s belief in a hidden, inexorable force that topples injustice. Meanwhile, Prometheus, Asia, and their companions embody empathy, imagination, and moral courage—virtues that oppose Jupiter’s cruelty. The language soars, befitting a transformative moment meant to resonate well beyond mythic boundaries.
In the final scenes, the newly unbound Prometheus and his beloved Asia envision a world brimming with love and creative potential. Their reunion signals that freedom in the physical realm must pair with the awakening of compassion and intellectual clarity. Thus, Act III not only dramatizes the defeat of an omnipotent tyrant but also heralds a broader spiritual metamorphosis. This sets the stage for the culminating vision of Act IV, in which Shelley imagines a universe guided by the principles of love, wisdom, and unshackled possibility.
Key points
• Act III marks the pivotal downfall of Jupiter and the liberation of Prometheus.
• Demogorgon’s mysterious intervention represents fate’s ultimate power over despotism.
• The unbinding of Prometheus signals a universal release from fear and oppression.
• Shelley blends myth, politics, and Romantic idealism to depict the inevitable triumph of freedom.
• The stage is set for Act IV’s fuller vision of humanity’s moral and imaginative regeneration.