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ARGUMENT
In the beginning, Ouranos and Gaia held sway over Heaven and Earth. And manifold children were born unto them, of whom were Cronos, and Okeanos, and the Titans, and the Giants. But Cronos cast down his father Ouranos, and ruled in his stead, until Zeus his son cast him down in his turn, and became King of Gods and men. Then were the Titans divided, for some had good will unto Cronos, and others unto Zeus; until Prometheus, son of the Titan lapetos, by wise counsel, gave the victory to Zeus. But Zeus held the race of mortal men in scorn, and was fain to destroy them from the face of the earth; yet Prometheus loved them, and gave secretly to them the gift of fire, and arts whereby they could prosper upon the earth. Then was Zeus sorely angered with Prometheus, and bound him upon a mountain, and afterward overwhelmed him in an earthquake, and devised other torments against him for many ages; yet could he not slay Prometheus, for he was a God.
DRAMATIS PERSONAE
STRENGTH AND FORCE.
HEPHAESTUS.
PROMETHEUS.
CHORUS OF SEA-NYMPHS.
DAUGHTERS OF OCEANUS.
OCEANUS.
IO.
HERMES.
Scene—A rocky ravine in the mountains of Scythia.
STRENGTH.
Lo, the earth’s bound and limitary land,
The Scythian steppe, the waste untrod of men!
Look to it now, Hephaestus—thine it is,
Thy Sire obeying, this arch-thief to clench
Against the steep-down precipice of rock,
With stubborn links of adamantine chain.
Look thou: thy flower, the gleaming plastic fire,
He stole and lent to mortal man—a sin
That gods immortal make him rue to-day,
Lessoned hereby to own th’ omnipotence
Of Zeus, and to repent his love to man!
HEPHAESTUS.
O Strength and Force, for you the best of Zeus
Stands all achieved, and nothing bars your will:
But I—I dare not bind to storm-vext cleft
One of our race, immortal as are we.
Yet, none the less, necessity constrains,
For Zeus, defied, is heavy in revenge!
(To PROMETHEUS)
O deep-devising child of Themis sage,
Small will have I to do, or thou to bear,
What yet we must. Beyond the haunt of man
Unto this rock, with fetters grimly forged,
I must transfix and shackle up thy limbs,
Where thou shalt mark no voice nor human form,
But, parching in the glow and glare of sun,
Thy body’s flower shall suffer a sky-change;
And gladly wilt thou hail the hour when Night
Shall in her starry robe invest the day,
Or when the Sun shall melt the morning rime.
But, day or night, for ever shall the load
Of wasting agony, that may not pass,
Wear thee away; for know, the womb of Time
Hath not conceived a power to set thee free.
Such meed thou hast, for love toward mankind
For thou, a god defying wrath of gods,
Beyond the ordinance didst champion men,
And for reward shalt keep a sleepless watch,
Stiff-kneed, erect, nailed to this dismal rock,
With manifold laments and useless cries
Against the will inexorable of Zeus.
Hard is the heart of fresh-usurpèd power!
STRENGTH.
Enough of useless ruth! why tarriest thou?
Why pitiest one whom all gods wholly hate,
One who to man gave o’er thy privilege?
HEPHAESTUS.
Kinship and friendship wring my heart for him.
STRENGTH.
Ay—but how disregard our Sire’s command?
Is not thy pity weaker than thy fear?
HEPHAESTUS.
Ruthless as ever, brutal to the full!
STRENGTH.
Tears can avail him nothing: strive not thou,
Nor waste thine efforts thus unaidingly.
HEPHAESTUS.
Out on my cursed mastery of steel!
STRENGTH.
Why curse it thus? In sooth that craft of thine
Standeth assoiled of all that here is wrought.
HEPHAESTUS.
Would that some other were endowed therewith!
STRENGTH.
All hath its burden, save the rule of Heaven,
And freedom is for Zeus, and Zeus alone.
HEPHAESTUS.
I know it; I gainsay no word hereof.
STRENGTH.
Up, then, and hasten to do on his bonds,
Lest Zeus behold thee indolent of will!
HEPHAESTUS.
Ah well—behold the armlets ready now!
STRENGTH.
Then cast them round his arms and with sheer strength
Swing down the hammer, clinch him to the crags.
HEPHAESTUS.
Lo, ’tis toward—no weakness in the work!
STRENGTH.
Smite harder, wedge it home—no faltering here!
He hath a craft can pass th’ impassable!
HEPHAESTUS.
This arm is fast, inextricably bound.
STRENGTH.
Then shackle safe the other, that he know
His utmost craft is weaker far than Zeus.
HEPHAESTUS.
He, but none other, can accuse mine art!
STRENGTH.
Now, strong and sheer, drive thro’ from breast to back
The adamantine wedge’s stubborn fang.
HEPHAESTUS.
Alas, Prometheus! I lament thy pain.
STRENGTH.
Thou, faltering and weeping sore for those
Whom Zeus abhors! ’ware, lest thou rue thy tears!
HEPHAESTUS.
Thou gazest on a scene that poisons sight.
STRENGTH.
I gaze on one who suffers his desert.
Now between rib and shoulder shackle him—
HEPHAESTUS.
Do it I must—hush thy superfluous charge!
STRENGTH.
Urge thee I will—ay, hound thee to the prey.
Step downward now, enring his legs amain!
HEPHAESTUS.
Lo, it is done—’twas but a moment’s toil.
STRENGTH.
Now, strongly strike, drive in the piercing gyves—
Stern is the power that oversees thy task!
HEPHAESTUS.
Brutish thy form, thy speech brutality!
STRENGTH.
Be gentle, an thou wilt, but blame not me
For this my stubbornness and anger fell!
HEPHAESTUS.
Let us go hence; his legs are firmly chained.
STRENGTH (To PROMETHEUS).
Aha! there play the insolent, and steal,
For creatures of a day, the rights of gods!
O deep delusion of the powers that named thee