Consider these questions as you write a paper reflecting on the Western religious mythos of Prometheus:
1. What impact does Persian religion have on the rise of Prometheus as a major figure
of Greek tragedy? Why is it significant that Aeschylus is the author both of The
Persians and the trilogy about Prometheus (from which Prometheus Bound survived)?
2. Why, according to Kerényi, is Prometheus an “existential archetype”? How does
Kerényi interpret the mythic significance of the titanic? In what sense are the titans
earlier than the gods? How does this relate to our being created in the image of
Prometheus and the innovative spirit of science and technology in general?
3. Why is Prometheus punished? Relate this back to the Bible and the Koran. What,
archetypally, makes Prometheus an Antichrist figure and the Satan of Islam? Reflect
on the message of Zarathustra and the Islamic conquest of Zoroastrian Persia. Who
do you find to be the more compelling benefactor of humanity, Prometheus/Lucifer
– the Western light-bringer deity – or the Jewish messiah Jesus? For what reasons?
4. How do Percy and Mary Shelley adapt the Prometheus mythos in Prometheus
Unbound and Frankenstein, or The Modern Prometheus? Once again, consider the
Promethean/Luciferian spirit of scientific exploration and discovery in this context.
The grading rubric (also listed on the syllabus) consists of four criteria, each 25%: 1)
constructive citation of assigned texts; 2) attentiveness to in-class lectures; 3) internal
consistency and coherence; 4) creativity, or insightful originality.Remember not to plagiarize in any way, to any
extent, and under any circumstances! Submit only your original work! Papers should be 5 pages in
length, double-spaced with a standard 12-point font and standard margins. Please number
the pages and staple your papers!