Prometheus Bound Compassion and Forgiveness Quotes

How we cite our quotes: (Line)

Quote #7

CHORUS. I learned this from seeing your wretched fortune, Prometheus, and this song that has flown to my lips is very different from the wedding-song I sang in honour of bath and bed on the occasion of your marriage, when you wooed and won my sister Hesione to be your wife and bedfellow. (553-560)

All right. The Chorus is sympathetic for Prometheus and sad for him. They and their father Oceanus are bound to him by family ties. Got it already? It's just a big hotbed of incest up there—no wonder the gods are so crazy.

Quote #8

IO. Then why are you waiting, instead of telling it all to me?

PROMETHEUS. Not from any ill-will, but I am reluctant to disturb your mind.

Here, we see that Prometheus is holding tight to his info because he's afraid that it's going to hurt Io. We guess this is supposed to be compassionate? Except we really wish he'd just tell her already.

Quote #9

PROMETHEUS. It is for you, Io, to do this group a favour, especially since they are sisters of your father. It is something worth while to weep and lament thoroughly over one's misfortunes, in circumstances where one can expect to wring tears from the listeners. (630-639)

Okay, hilarious: Prometheus is saying that Io is doing everyone a favor by making them cry. Fun fact: this crying-at-others'-misfortunes is the whole point of Greek tragedy. It's catharsis!