The Promethean myth in romantic literature with particular reference to Byron and Shelley

Abstract

This dissertation intends to explore the way that the Promethean myth developed in the Romantic era, and particularly, the way that Byron and Shelley developed it. The idea of rebellion appealed to Byron and Shelley, who both lived through a turbulent time, due to the French Revolution. Whilst they were excited about the possibilities that the French Revolution brought about, and completely in favour of the changes it promised, they were disappointed with the outcome. Prometheus was the perfect embodiment of this sense of rebellion that they felt was necessary, as he symbolised the fight against tyranny, which is what they felt the French Revolution should have resulted in, considering it was meant to destroy the monarchy. Prometheus was a promising symbol for the unrest that they felt because he was also a character in Greek mythology, and the Romantics, Shelley in particular, were in awe of the cultural legacy that the Greeks left behind in terms of philosophy, literature and art. It was only natural for them to attribute this myth to the Greek War of Independence, which was looming over the horizon. Through their texts, they argued that the Greeks needed to rebel against their subjugation by the Ottoman Turks, and become independent so that they might return to creating literature and art as they once did, which is what the first chapter argues. The second chapter deals precisely with this idea of a positive apocalypse through the unbinding of Prometheus. Shelley’s Prometheus Unbound uses Plato’s ‘Theory of Forms’ in order to bring forward the idea that through the unbinding of the Greek population from the shackles of their Ottoman subjugation, there might be a positive apocalypse and they will once again create as they did. My third chapter directly contradicts this as Byron’s Prometheus holds no such promise. Byron depicts a Prometheus who has no hope, rather one who continue to rebel silently against his subjugation, whilst humanity continues to suffer, and to foresee its own eradication. It shows this new Byronic hero’s unwavering defiance in subjugation, and this relates to the Greeks in that the Greeks must also show unwavering defiance in opposition to the Ottoman Turks. Finally, I will conclude with a short comment on the importance of the Promethean myth throughout history, and how both Byron and Shelley were, in themselves, Promethean figures.