Heroism and the appearance of Heroism in Prometheus Bound and Paradise Lost, Mythology, College Term Papers.com


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Heroism and the appearance of Heroism in Prometheus Bound and Paradise Lost

Heroism and the appearance of Heroism in Prometheus Bound and Paradise Lost Heroism, the act of exhibiting noble or self-sacrificing conduct, and the appearance of heroism are two nearly indistinguishable manners. Their difference is the amount of depth contained, in definition. Heroism is an occupation. In determining if a character is heroic, the commentator must know the character’s intentions, manners, and desires. The appearance of heroism is a quality. To determine an appearance, the reader can use one piece of information to decide if a character appears heroic. Aeschylus’s “Prometheus Bound” and Milton’s “Paradise Lost” are comprised of characters that have both heroic and heroic-appearing roles. Two characters that portray and contrast these roles well are Satan and Prometheus. Prometheus is a figure that is given qualities and moral principles that make him a heroic figure. First, his appearance is impressive in size, power, extent, and effect. Prometheus is depicted as a supreme figure to make him an asset to anyone who needs his help. In “Prometheus Bound”, Prometheus uses his great strength and size to provide mortal men with fire; a heroic effort by definition. He is also given great features that emphasize his self-sacrificing beliefs. Prometheus accepted his fate, a punishment that extracted all of his divine traits, because of his devotion to the termination of dictatorship. Prometheus was willing to be bound and preyed upon by an eagle for his noble beliefs. Prometheus’s speeches also contribute to his presence as a hero. He provides extensive and effective speech that makes him the central figure for adoration. Prometheus tells the chorus of his existence as a “knight in shining armor”, which further defines his function as a hero. The chorus’s reaction to Prometheus’s speech (227-270) is one of admiration and devotion. Earlier, Prometheus gave a speech to himself, discussing the legitimacy of Zeus’s inexorable punishment. “I needs must bear my destiny as best I may” (115-116) acts as a promoter of empathy, revealing that Prometheus has pondered and acknowledged the consequence of his actions. An immortal soul with the conscious of a mortal being foreshadows Prometheus’s heroic tale; a narrative presenting inner conflict dealing with love, loyalty, and honor. Prometheus, as a character, encompasses all of the qualities that a hero, by definition, would be composed of. Satan, on the other hand, is a villain that merely possesses the appearance of a hero; an illustrious warrior of great intensity. He is introduced as a character who is taking order against an unreasonable god. As Satan emerged off the lake of fire to deliver a heroic speech about challenging god, the audience is given the impression that he is merely undertaking the task of attainment. Satan wants freedom for the fallen angels. Due to the poem opening “in medias res”, Satan is presented as the principal empathetic character. He is shown as the central figure in battle, a characteristic exhibited by a conqueror. The end result of this presentment is a fallacy of the classification of heroism. Milton’s writing style also contributes to Satan’s appearance as a hero. The writing itself causes Satan’s presentation to appear very confident and noble. Milton’s grand and poetic writing style gives a misleading conception of greatness. Throughout “Paradise Lost”, Satan is increasingly exposed as a vicious, evil creature with immoral motives. He goes through a process of deterioration, going from a glorious character to a less appealing character. This corrosion shows that the more an audience knows about Satan, the less heroic he appears. He begins as a divine figure and ultimately transforms into a snake, a creature that is worthless and treacherous. Satan also attempts to break up the hierarchy of heaven through his rebellion, an act that goes against the basic laws of god. At this point, the audience concludes that Satan’s goal is to get his own way. This conclusion reveals that Satan is a villain disguised as a hero. Satan is introduced as a figure that desires to continue a battle for freedom; whose objective later changes to concentrate on the intervention of god’s plans. His worsening intention further defines Satan’s role as the antagonist. The appearance of a protagonist with the role of antagonism is the ideal blend for a heroic-appearing, villainous character. As described, heroism and its appearance are similar traits that are easily confused. However, assigning these qualities to (Aeschylus’s) Prometheus and (Milton’s) Satan makes these traits appear very different. Prometheus is a heroic character that is comprised of the very definition of heroism. Satan appears heroic; however, he his filled with cruel intentions and egotism that eventually exposes his character as a villain. “Paradise Lost” and “Prometheus Bound” establish and define a clear difference between a hero and someone who appears heroic; due to dominating protagonist roles and access to the characters’ motives. Bibliography:

Word Count: 787