Stolen Fire: Aeschylus' Prometheus, Milton's Satan, and Mary Shelley's Frankenstein

The ancient Greeks gave us the myth of Prometheus, an unbowed Titan whose name means "Forethought," bound to a barren crag by the will of Zeus. His crime: fire stolen and given to a human race left otherwise without craft, wisdom, or words. The figure of Prometheus as both benefactor and fallen angel travels through Western thought into Milton's Satan in Paradise Lost and Mary Shelley's Frankenstein. He is a complex figure who forever forces us to consider whether knowledge is a blessing–or a curse. In this course, we will examine three works, one ancient and two more modern, as we grapple with the legacy of the forbidden knowledge Prometheus gave us.
Continuing Education Units (CEU) : 0

You'll walk away with

Familiarity with the myth of Prometheus
An understanding of the myth’s influence on classic literature
A new perspective on Paradise Lost and Frankenstein

Ideal for

Those with an interest in classic literature
The curious and creative