Page:Four Plays of Aeschylus (1908) Morshead.djvu/23

Rh Prometheus to the end, and share his fate, literally in the crack of doom. But before the end, the strange half-human figure of Io, victim of the lust of Zeus and the jealousy of Hera, comes wandering by, and tells Prometheus of her wrongs. He, by his divine power, recounts to her not only the past but also the future of her wanderings: then, in a fresh access of frenzy, she drifts away into the unknown world. Then Prometheus partly reveals to the sea-maidens his secret, and the mysterious cause of Zeus' hatred against him—a cause which would avail to hurl the tyrant from his power. So deadly is this secret, that Zeus will, in the lapse of ages, be forced to reconcile himself with Prometheus, to escape dethronement. Finally, Hermes, the messenger of Zeus, appears with fresh threats, that he may extort the mystery from the Titan. But Prometheus is firm, defying both the tyrant and his envoy, though already the lightning is flashing, the thunder rolling, and sky and sea are mingling their fury. Hermes can say no more: the sea-nymphs resolutely refuse to retire, and await their doom. In this crash of the world, Prometheus flings his final defiance against Zeus, and, amid the lightnings and shattered rocks that are overwhelming him and his companions, speaks his last word, "It is unjust!"

Any spectacular representation of this finale must, it is clear, have roused intense sympathy with the Titan and the nymphs alike. If, however, the