Much like Richard II, this is my second time reading Prometheus Bound, but unlike Richard II I did not get much more out of it this time. Which is not to say that I got nothing at all, as Prometheus Bound is one of my favorite Greek plays and definitely one of my favorites of Aeschylus. Philip Vellacott, the translator, in his lovely introduction, explains how Prometheus Bound was part of a trilogy of plays, and therefore the moral of the story becomes murky, as it would have been greatly expanded upon later. I.e. Prometheus opens the play getting brutally chained to a wall by the gods Bia, Cratus, and Hephaestus, the only reluctant member. The play follows Prometheus siding with the humans he created and stole fire for, saying that Zeus cannot kill him because Prometheus can predict the future and is therefore the only man who can prevent Zeus’ foredoomed downfall. Prometheus, being the character we are following, seems like the one in the right, as we can easily sympathize with his plight. Even despite some references by the chorus calling Prometheus prideful and overly stubborn for not obeying Zeus’ command, Prometheus seems like our moral protagonist. However, that would most likely not have been the case for the whole trilogy, and Prometheus’ pride and ability to forgive Zeus would have been tested, which is massively interesting, but unfortunately unprovable. Additionally, that also makes Prometheus Bound feel somewhat incomplete. Nevertheless, Prometheus’ influence as a character resounds throughout the western canon, as seen from figures as diverse as Jesus in the Gospels, Satan in Paradise Lost, and Captain Ahab in Moby-Dick. Prometheus Bound is definitely worth a read and I highly recommend it!