The Prisoner of Chillon: A Fable Themes
Freedom and Confinement
Just a glance at the different symbol clusters (see the "Symbolism, Imagery, Wordplay" section for more) should tell you that "Freedom and Confinement" is a major theme in this poem. There are lots...
Isolation
One of the many problems with being imprisoned in a dungeon is the lack of society. It's easy to lose perspective when you don't have anyone to talk to. In "Prisoner of Chillon," our prisoner doesn...
Exile
The speaker of the "Prisoner of Chillon" is a political prisoner. In other words, he hasn't committed any crimes, in the regular sense – he's been imprisoned for his beliefs and the beliefs o...
Man and the Natural World
There isn't actually all that much nature in "The Prisoner of Chillon" – after all, the whole thing takes place in a dreary dungeon. The middle brother (the hunter/outdoorsman guy) wastes awa...
Principles
The speaker of "The Prisoner of Chillon" is imprisoned, originally, for refusing to back down. Yes, this could look like stubbornness, but it's a trait we're meant to admire: the speaker's father a...