Shelley, Prometheus Unbound

Shelley's Prometheus Unbound is an amalgam of the message of Paradise Lost with a more benign view of Prometheus than that of his wife Mary in her work Frankenstein.
Whereas Mary Shelley likened the modern scientist in his endeavours to a Prometheus doing illicit things to human nature, Shelley portrayed Prometheus as something akin to a Christ figure.
There is a bit more to it than that though. Shelley's lyric drama largely takes place within the mind of the suffering Prometheus. It manifests Shelley's own ideational conception of life and language, as we see by first looking at his essay 'On Life'. The same can be seen in his conceptualization of good and evil merely as ideas. And it accordingly reflects his reworking of Milton's conception of a 'paradise within' away from the knowledge of what Christ has done to atone for mankind's sin to what humanity itself can do by feeling the right feelings and sentiments in response to being wronged.
Rather than Aeschylus's tragic drama Prometheus Bound, then, in which Prometheus the Titan is a criminal who suffered justly for the monstrous act of stealing fire from the gods to pervert mankind, Shelley recasts Prometheus as a heroic figure - a liberator, a martyr, and even as a saviour whose thoughts reflect Shelley's view of love (Cf. his essay 'On Love).
In the end, Shelley's Prometheus forgives the tyrant who wrongly oppresses him.
In this, for all of Shelley's announced hostility to Christianity, we can see a figurative representation of its central event, that enacted by Christ on Good Friday: Christ’s passion on the cross, his forgiveness of his enemies, and his atonement for their sins. In place of God as the agent of suffering, of forgiveness, and of salvation, we have the figure of Prometheus, whose suffering seems as ideational as his act of love.
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[@Raptorcdxx]

Again, extremely important info presented beautifully and succinctly. Many thanks 🙏🏻 More people need to hear these lectures that’s why I am attempting to proselytize these to Christians and Profane alike. My thanks to you!

[@khalafhussein674]

Deep thanks, big benift I gained. Im an Iraqi M. A. Literature postgraduate, we are studying romantic poetry in first semester. I hope you support us with such benefitial info.

[@none377]

I'm currently an MA student studying English literature and this is helpful. Thank you Dr. Scott!

[@LitProf]

You're very welcome!

[@none377]

Dr. Scott it is possible for me to communicate with you if I have a question? If so, where?​@@LitProf

[@PoetryETrain]

Dr Scott Masson I enjoyed this video, and subscribed.

[@anton7862]

It's all very good more light on the poetic meters

[@Damozel_shorts07]

Sir, your explanation is really helpful to me. But I have a different question that why Shelley's Ode to the West Wind and to a Skylark published in Prometheus Unbound. Is it also an anthology? I'm in my first year and have such weird confusion. Sir, I found your video helpful so I thought you could clear off my confusion too.

[@LitProf]

Ode to the West Wind was originally published in 1820 by Charles Ollier in London as part of the collection Prometheus Unbound, A Lyrical Drama in Four Acts, With Other Poems.

[@Damozel_shorts07]

@@LitProf Sir, accept my sincere thanks for your reply. You clarify my doubts.

[@S.ABINAYA-M.AENGLISH-Veena2286]

Sir, what is the title for Act 1 & 2 in Prometheus unbound?

[@LitProf]

No title

[@S.ABINAYA-M.AENGLISH-Veena2286]

Thank you sir for your clarification.

[@Wetcamerainc]

Thank you