Suggestions
Use up and down arrows to review and enter to select.Please wait while we process your payment
If you don't see it, please check your spam folder. Sometimes it can end up there.
If you don't see it, please check your spam folder. Sometimes it can end up there.
Please wait while we process your payment
By signing up you agree to our terms and privacy policy.
Don’t have an account? Subscribe now
Create Your Account
Sign up for your FREE 7-day trial
Already have an account? Log in
Your Email
Choose Your Plan
Save over 50% with a SparkNotes PLUS Annual Plan!
Purchasing SparkNotes PLUS for a group?
Get Annual Plans at a discount when you buy 2 or more!
Price
$24.99 $18.74 /subscription + tax
Subtotal $37.48 + tax
Save 25% on 2-49 accounts
Save 30% on 50-99 accounts
Want 100 or more? Contact us for a customized plan.
Your Plan
Payment Details
Payment Summary
SparkNotes Plus
You'll be billed after your free trial ends.
7-Day Free Trial
Not Applicable
Renews April 4, 2023 March 28, 2023
Discounts (applied to next billing)
DUE NOW
US $0.00
SNPLUSROCKS20 | 20% Discount
This is not a valid promo code.
Discount Code (one code per order)
SparkNotes Plus subscription is $4.99/month or $24.99/year as selected above. The free trial period is the first 7 days of your subscription. TO CANCEL YOUR SUBSCRIPTION AND AVOID BEING CHARGED, YOU MUST CANCEL BEFORE THE END OF THE FREE TRIAL PERIOD. You may cancel your subscription on your Subscription and Billing page or contact Customer Support at custserv@bn.com. Your subscription will continue automatically once the free trial period is over. Free trial is available to new customers only.
Choose Your Plan
For the next 7 days, you'll have access to awesome PLUS stuff like AP English test prep, No Fear Shakespeare translations and audio, a note-taking tool, personalized dashboard, & much more!
You’ve successfully purchased a group discount. Your group members can use the joining link below to redeem their group membership. You'll also receive an email with the link.
Members will be prompted to log in or create an account to redeem their group membership.
Thanks for creating a SparkNotes account! Continue to start your free trial.
Please wait while we process your payment
Your PLUS subscription has expired
Please wait while we process your payment
Please wait while we process your payment
full title Prometheus Bound
author Aeschylus, according to tradition. Many scholars now believe that either an unknown follower of Aeschylus wrote it, or that Aeschylus wrote part of the play and a follower finished it.
type of work Drama
genre Tragedy; mythology
language Ancient Greek
time and place written Believed to be around 456 B.C., give or take a few years. The play was probably written either in Athens or in Sicily.
climax Hermes threatens Prometheus with Zeus's wrath if he does not reveal his secret, but Prometheus defiantly mocks his inquisitor, vowing to reveal nothing
protagonist Prometheus
antagonist Zeus, represented by his servants Kratus, Bia, and Hermes
setting (time) Pre-history—sometime after human invention of agriculture and development of mining.
setting (place) A rocky mountain in the Caucasus
falling action Chorus vows to stay with Prometheus; Zeus conjures up a storm and an earthquake to encase Prometheus in the rock and bury him under the earth
foreshadowing Throughout the play, hints are dropped that eventually reconciliation between Zeus and Prometheus will take place. This is foreshadowed by Prometheus's prophecy, repeated mentions of eventual deliverance, the repeating theme of friendship, and the rising excess of Prometheus's defiance, suggesting that a reversal will occur as in other tragedies by Aeschylus
tone Varying between fearful, sympathetic, and defiant
symbols Fire is the dominant symbol; the tragedy does not rely much on symbols
themes Tyranny, defiance, friendship, force and thought, human progress, excess and moderation
motifs Yoke and harness, deliverance from suffering, time and related notions such as generations, new rule, Fate, and waiting for the right moment
unusual features Characters are almost all divine beings; involves cool special effects
Please wait while we process your payment