Prometheus Bound, Alcestis and The Clouds Flashcards Preview

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Flashcards in Prometheus Bound, Alcestis and The Clouds Deck (27)
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1
Q

Gimme a quick summary of Prometheus Bound, and go!

A

Might and Force ministers of Zeus bring Prometheus to be chained to a mountain. Hephaestus, the reluctant god of fire, doesn’t want to harm Prom. Oceanus (chorus) enters and are sympathetic to the hero-god; saying they would intercede w/ Jove on Prom.’s behalf. Io enters, another victim of Jove, and her sad story unfolds. Prom hints at what will happen to Jove if his punishment it carried out, he then tells Io of her fate, wanderings and eventual restoration and one of her descendants will overthrow Zeus and release Prom. Hermes, final visitor, demands to know what marriage will bring the Zeus overthrower. Prom. refuses to tell and then the mountain splits and he is swallowed into a hole.

2
Q

Quick summary of Alcestis, please oh please!

A

Apollo, god and slave to house of Admetus, arranges a deal for Admetus to escape death, if someone will go in his stead. Alcestis his wife, is the only one who agrees. Orcus, a god of the underworld dicusses Alcestis’s fate. Citizens (chorus) bemoan her coming death. ALcestis says that her only condition is that Admetus not marry again after she goes, he agrees. Hercules shows up, Admetus lies about the Alcestis sitch and lets him stay (hospitality is important). When Hercules finds out he plans to rescue Alcestis from Death. Alcestis dies. Admetus cries. Hercules later offers Admetus a woman to let into his house, and after some convincing he accepts her. Surprise, surprise it’s Alcestis, ya’ll. Admetus says, praise the gods.

3
Q

What goes on in The Clouds, gimme a summary!

A

Strepsiades worried about his debt, created by his son’s expensive tastes, tells his son Phedippidies. to go learn logic from Socrates to outsmart the creditors. Pheid. says no and Strep goes instead. He meets a student who tells of “great” discoveries by Soc., then meets the man himself as well as Soc’s deity, the clouds (chorus). Soc. tries to teach Strep, but after no progress refuses to work with him anymore. The chorus advises sending his son. He does so, and Pheid is presented with the option of Just and Unjust Arguments. J. Arg. offers traditional teaching, and U. Arg. offers the easy way out teachings. Pheid. picks U. Arg. Later Strep comes back to get his son and dismisses some creditors he meets along the way. Later his son beats him and then debates his right to do so. Strep is pissed with Soc. and leads an angry mob on Soc’s school, and the students run away and the chorus leaves.

4
Q

What are some observations about Alcestis?

A

similar to the Gilgamesh epic (searches for a way to bring back friend from death, suffers death in life); resembles the third stage of dying, bargaining, as established by Elizabeth Kubler Ross’s “On Death and Dying” study (Admetus bargaining to the god(s) for time)

5
Q

Who wrote Prometheus Bound?

A

Aeschylus (check spelling)

6
Q

Who wrote Alcestis?

A

Euripides (check spelling)

7
Q

Who wrote The Clouds?

A

Aristophanes (check spelling)

8
Q

Who are the protagonist and antagonist in Prom. Bound?

A

P: Prometheus A: Zeus (represented by his servants Might, Force, and Hermes)

9
Q

Who are the protagonist and antagonist in Alcestis?

A

P: Admetus A: Death

10
Q

Who are the protagonist and antagonist in The Clouds?

A

P: Stredsiades A: Creditors, eventually Socrates

11
Q

Who is Strepsiades in the CLouds?

A

the protagonist whose main objective is to outsmart his debtors

12
Q

Who is PHeidippides?

A

son of Strepsiades in the clouds whose horse racing has put his family in a bad position economically

13
Q

Who is Socrates in the Clouds?

A

The philiosopher who attempts to teach Strep and eventually teaches Pheid., based on actual pholosopher who wasdespised by Aristophanes

14
Q

Who is Alcestis?

A

the wife of Admetus who agrees to give up her life so that he may live

15
Q

Who is Admetus?

A

the protagonist in Alcestis, wholoses his wife to save his own and suffers a death in life until she is returned by hercules

16
Q

Who is Hercules?

A

he is a hero who while on a quest visits Admetus and eventually returns Alcestis to him

17
Q

WHois Pheres?

A

Admetus’s father who would not give up his life for his son and blames his son for the death of Alcestis

18
Q

Who is Apollo?

A

the god who killed the cyclops (they make zeus’s lightning bolts) so zeus got upset and made him the slave of Admetus, who was good to him so he works out abargain to save Admetus’s life so long as someone else goes in his place

19
Q

Who is orcus?

A

a god of the underworld who comes to collect Alcestis

20
Q

Who is Prometheus?

A

a titan who gave fire to man and is punished by being chained to a rock, has the power of prophecy

21
Q

Who is Io?

A

victim of Jove’s love who he turned into a cow to hide her from Hera, she travels all over pestered by a gad-fly, Prom. tells her her descendant will overthrow Zeus and free him

22
Q

Who is Hermes?

A

Zeus messenger who demands of Prom. to know who willoverthrow zeus

23
Q

Who are the Oceanides?

A

the chorus in prom. bound

24
Q

Who is Oceanus?

A

god of the sea who wishes to intercede to zeus on Prom’s behalf

25
Q

Who are the clouds?

A

the chorus in The CLouds

26
Q

Who are the citizens of Phebes?

A

the chorus in Alcestis

27
Q

Who is Hephaestus?

A

god of fire, a blacksmith, sympathetic to prometheus