Unchained

//*//__//**Prometheus***//__

**The Myth of Prometheus** In Greek mythology, Prometheus was the creator of mankind. The goddess Athena taught him architecture, astronomy, math, navigation,and medicine, and he in turn taught them to humans. Zeus, the king of the Greek gods, became angry at Prometheus for making people powerful by teaching them all these useful skills. When the gods chose Prometheus over Zeus in a fight, he fooled the gullible Zeus into picking the worst parts of the sacrificial bull by hiding them under a rich layer of fat. To punish Prometheus, Zeus would not let men have fire. "Let them eat their flesh raw," he declared. In response, Prometheus, snuck up to Mount Olympus, lit a torch from the sun, and hid a burning piece of charcoal in a hollow stalk. He got away with it and thus delivered fire to mankind. Zeus, as revenge, tried unsuccessfully to trick Prometheus' brother, Epimetheus, into accepting Pandora as a gift. Epimetheus, mindful of earlier advice from his brother, refused. Even madder now that his trick had failed, Zeus had Prometheus chained to a pillar in the Caucasian mountains. A vulture ate at Prometheus' liver all day long. During the bitter cold of the mountain night, the liver became whole again. So it went day after day, year after year. Epimetheus married Pandora in an effort to free his brother. Pandora opened the box in which Prometheus had shut up all the evils that might hurtmankind: Old Age, Labor, Sickness, Insanity, Vice and Passion. Only years later, Hercules, did free Prometheus

Frankenstein as Prometheus There are some common elements to the titan and Victor, Like Victor Prometheus goes way too far and does not accept his own limits. victor tries to be God and he fails by making something he hates, But Prometheus makes something he loves dearly and helps throughout the years and then he is punished for trying to be the head god, which was Zeus, The one big difference of the two men are that Prometheus takes full responsibility and punishment for his action of taking fire from mount Olympus, but on the other hand Victor doesn’t take responsibility and refuses to actually and flees from his creature and leaves it to fend for itself just like Zeus was making the humans do before Prometheus gave them fire.

**Why the Promethean theme?** **The Promethean theme is more used to describe Young Victor creating life,it is more used in the second part of the book, and also in the title Mary Shelly has chosen for her story.**

**...........But what should we call the story?**

**Frankenstein //or// The** **Modern Prometheus?** **Lots of people think these two titles are about the two main characters, Victor Frankenstein and the Creature, but, they are actually both about Victor Frankenstein.** **Frankenstein, pertaining to his last name, and The Modern Prometheus in Greek mythology, meaning he is just like Prometheus in creating life.**

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**why Shelley hated Prometheus** **For Mary Shelley, Prometheus was not a hero, she thought of him as a "Devil", and felt very strongly about his guiltyness in Greek Mythology, She did not like fire, because it lead to the killing and eating of animals for health. Though it never said if she was a vegitarian.** **﻿ M ****any people still believe he helped create the Human Race out of clay, which is why Mary Shelly used this god as the muse for the second title of Frankenstein.**

Here is a chart with gothic conventions: These things explain what happens in most Gothic Novels including Frankenstein!
 * = Murder ||= Death ||= Suicide ||= Ghosts ||= Demons ||
 * = Gloomy Setting ||= Family secret ||= Dungons ||= curses ||= tourture ||
 * = Vampires ||= spirits ||= Castles ||= Tombs ||= Terror ||
 * = Darkness ||= wild ||= Mansions ||= struggle ||= Conflict ||
 * = Castles (run down) ||= bloody ||= Crazy ||= Horror ||= Barbaric ||


 * Speaking of Mary Shelley....why not talk about Lord Byron? **
 * Here is a video where someone is reciting his poem titled Prometheus. **

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