Essay Questions

Who or what is the “Thunderer” mentioned in Part II?

The antagonist of the poem standing in opposition to the heroic Prometheus is not mentioned directly by name. He is the embodiment of the “deaf tyranny of Fate” and “ruling principle of Fate” who is responsible for sentencing Prometheus to the cruel and unusual punishment he suffers for daring to steal fire from the gods of Olympus. The most direct allusion to the identity of this power yet petty figure is the nickname “Thunderer” which references the visual image which often accompanies textual description: thunderbolts in hand ready to be thrown recklessly at his enemies. The figure is, of course, the god of gods seated at Mt. Olympus, the insanely jealous Zeus.

Is Prometheus an example of the Byronic Hero?

Prometheus is not just an example of the Byronic Hero, he is one of archetypal figures which stimulated its creation. The Byronic Hero is a term given to an antiheroic figure made popular in the works of Lord Byron. He is a charismatic figure who treads between light and shadow, often infused with a semi-Satanic aspect whom women typically find relentlessly attractive even as romances almost always end tragically. Prometheus was a Titan who rejected his divinity to steal fire to give the man and in so doing was punished by Zeus. It is primarily his rebellious bad boy attitude that defines his Byron Hero status.

What is the connection that Byron ultimately hopes to make between Prometheus and mankind?

As a Titan, Prometheus was empowered with divinity and desire to steal fire from the gods and give it to man is described as a “Godlike crime” borne out of kindness. Though sharing more with Zeus than man in this respect, Prometheus sides the inferior mortals, seeing in his the tyranny of Zeus the failure of the Titans. Thus he becomes by choice a demigod and so “Like thee, Man is part divine.” The story of Prometheus renouncing full divinity to become half-mortal by choice an essential element in making him a symbol of what man see in himself. The phrase “A troubled stream from a pure source” references the concept that a spark of the divine creator exists within all humans. This make our species semi-divine but inherent corrupted so that it is choice which leads to heroic rebellion against tyranny or acceptance or, worst of all, complicity.