Prometheus (Goethe)

Prometheus is one of the most famous poems of Johann Wolfgang von Goethe.

Formation

"Prometheus" was written 1772-1774. Like the other hymns of Mahomet singing, Ganymede, An Schwager Kronos this work was written in the era of Goethe as Sturm und Drang. F.H. Jacobi printed the anthem for the first time in his essay "On the Doctrine of Spinoza in Letters to Moses Mendelssohn the Lord " unauthorized and anonymously from. Goethe took until 1789 in his newly edited writings and made them appear along with the Ganymede Ode. The shape of the anthem is the lyrical expression that is the Sturm und Drang most justice, because to enter into their mythical figures, which can be considered as representatives of the artists of the Sturm und Drang, and thus embody the dilemma of art and life. A major concern of the Sturm und Drang is the overcoming of traditional authorities, and thus can "Prometheus" as programmatically be seen from this era.

Content

In a hymn it usually is a song of praise; This principle is wrong but here the opposite, because Prometheus praises the gods by no means, but bringing a claim against them, which is characterized by allegations, but also ridicule.

Right from the first verse talks Prometheus Zeus with a most contemptuous, even rebellious sounding " you" of. At the same time it connects Zeus with a child who is carrying out his anger at the world as a boy of " heads thistles ".

In the second verse he not only throws Zeus, but all the gods, the right to feed themselves, " puny " (verse 15) of the victims of the gullible and committed equally offensive: "I know nothing Poorer Use / Under the sun than you gods " (verses 13-14). He, too, had gone astray and in good faith, turned in the hope of a sympathetic ear and help to the gods - but the gods had not helped him, but his own " sacred glowing heart " (verse 34). Prometheus thus arises not only at least as good next to the gods ( he is, as even a God and helped Zeus to his power ), but Goethe also refers to the genius concept of "Sturm und Drang " period, the one under genius a human mind, which is entirely consistent with itself, the over world and nature and has almost divine abilities. ( See, for example, Kant's definition in the Critique of Judgment. )

In the following verses 4 and 5 Goethe makes the Prometheus ask many rhetorical questions with which he only intensifies the allegations. Prometheus now raises before the gods, have not healed yet alleviated, and denied his awe. Not the gods, but the time and fate would have it " forged into a man " ( v. 43). Force of his determination not to respect the gods, he wins in the last verse even the power to shape man in his image. This self-aggrandizement ( hubris ) is with the last words: "Like Me" sealed and support throughout the poem away with different lengths verses and stanzas, the rush to ' appear.

Prometheus dethroned the gods. He sees in them pitiless, schmarotzerische and envious shapes that depend pathetically smoke victims of men.

This content is typical of the era of Sturm und Drang, in which the notion of genius had a slightly different meaning than it is today: the brilliant, creative man blows up - after view at that time - all the shackles and restrictions and gaining strength to misfortunes, which also means that he does not avoid them.

The Titan Prometheus thus stands for a lone creator, divine order ' makes his rebellion against his own creative act possible. Thus, these Goethean Ode refers auto-referential to its own creation, and they heteroreferentiell also says something about the new Sturm und Drang poetics: detached from conventional religious ideas as well as by the now ritualized sensitivity (whose emotionalism Goethe here but assumes ), allows the " Promethean " creative act of the genius people a full replacement of religion. However, the Prometheus -Ode does not have to always be read as a rejection of religion, but can also be read as a projection for the Pantheismusdebatte of that time.

Form

The poem is unrhymed written (except for the third-last and last verse, which are lifted by it) in free verse, which is found in Goethe 's poetry, especially in the Sturm und Drang period. The shape underlines the statement of the poem. The many irregularities in the shape reflects the typical for the Sturm und Drang emotionalism and boldness of the hero. In the first stanza, the poem consists of a total of seven, the imperative is used several times, as well as an uplift of the possessive pronoun 'your' and 'mine'. Verses 4, 5 and 6 are written as a question. Each verse begins with a capital letter.

Comparison with other texts of Goethe

Limits of humanity (about 1776-1781; exact date unknown): In this poem rather outweigh the adjectives (as opposed to "Prometheus", where more verbs come to fruition ). This results in a rather quiet mood. Goethe no longer accuses as in " Prometheus" the gods, but says that you can not compete with the gods. The man should be humble and have respect for the gods.

This poem is thus seen time and content of the border between the Sturm und Drang and the ( Weimar ) Classic.

The Divine (1783 ): This poem is aimed directly at the ( noble) man and says that the people should follow the example of the gods. In addition, the nature plays a role that does not evaluate to humans ( " About Wicked ' and good, And the criminals shine as the best, the moon and the stars "). Furthermore, the person should by other beings that we know, differ by us sending and can decide.

This poem is an example of the ( Weimar ) Classical ( " Noble be man " - The noble man - a classic ideal).

Been uttered by the serpent in Paradise " Eritis sicut Deus bonum et malum scientes " ( 2047 ) ( You will be like God, knowing good and evil. ): In his own tragedy, however, Goethe recalls Mephistopheles by the fact that the set was and that he had the expulsion of Adam and Eve introduced from this. Mockingly commented Mephisto, the devil, then: you will certainly once afraid at thy likeness to God!

What is meant, in Goethe's poem The Sorcerer's Apprentice (1787 ) clearly: The Apprentice calls, in apparent equality with the master, spirits brought about whose work he no longer can control later. Here, as in Faust is the idea that man should God (or the gods or the deity ) are similar, in relative terms.