As I was reading the Genesis narratives, one thing that stood out to me was the contrast between Christian mythology and what we read in “Prometheus Bound”. The two main characters from what we have read for the past two classes were both very concerned about mortals, but in different ways: Prometheus wanted to help humans by giving them fire, whereas Satan wanted to introduce sin to the humans. This contrast was very striking to me because both Prometheus and Satan are considered to be “fallen from grace” in their respective narratives. Because of Prometheus’s willingness to help the humans, Zeus punished him to suffer a harsh fate. When Satan turned against God, he was stripped of his angelic status. In giving mortals the power of technology, Prometheus was allowing the humans to be more god-like, as fire was previously a tool used only by the gods. In the opposite respect, Satan transformed Adam and Eve, who were previously “perfect” beings, into sinners.
Additionally, I think it’s interesting to see how the environment affected these respective narratives. In Prometheus Bound, the object introduced to humans to help them survive was fire, which is considered to be a natural element. In the Greek mythology scenario, fire allowed humans to live. In the Genesis narrative, however, original sin was brought about once Eve ate an apple. Being that the apple grew in nature, I feel as if the Genesis narrative has a more cynical outlook on nature.