In Aeschylus’ The Agamemnon, the vendetta is the central idea of the play that is replaced by law due to the destruction it was causing to the House of Atreus. The blood feud is replaced by law through the character, Orestes, due to its detrimental effect on society. Aeschylus contrasts Clytemnestra and Orestes’ personalities. It was necessary for Orestes to end the blood feud because it resulted in the deaths of this family. Due to Clytemnestra’s hubris, she believes that she is ending the blood feud by murdering her husband; however, she is entering herself into the vendetta. Aeschylus hints at the idea of law replacing the vendetta to foreshadow the later coming of Orestes. The vendetta had to be replaced by law because it was causing the downfall of the House of Atreus. Atreus began this curse when he murdered Thyestes’ sons, boiled them, and fed them to their father. Cassandra states, “As infants slain by their parents as they appear, their hands full of the meat oh which he ate, whose own flesh it was, carrying, oh pitiable burden! the hearts and inward parts, of which their father tasted” (Aeschylus 40). Thyestes then cursed the …show more content…
The Chorus states, “Oh, does Orestes haply live, that by the grace of fortune he may return to this land and slay the pair victoriously?” (49). The Chorus states that Orestes will return to Argos and they foreshadow Clytemnestra and Aegisthus’ death. The Chorus then says, “Not if heaven guide Orestes back to the land” (50). Heaven in this case refers to divine retribution. Orestes seeks retribution from the gods, especially Apollo. Unlike Clytemnestra, who was an instrument of the curse, Orestes is an instrument of the gods. Orestes acted passively, unlike Clytemnestra. He was divinely directed by Apollo to commit matricide, bringing the vendetta to an end. He then sought purification
... middle of paper ... ... The political as well as religious structures of the time did not reject the vengeful mindset that was prevalent during the age. To many people it was the right of the King or God to extort revenge for the wrongs of others, for they were believed to be the ones who had caused the most offense.
10. And indeed Clytemnestra could be seen as a physical agent of the principle of revenge in her killing of Agamemnon.
In Aeschylus' trilogy, the Greeks' justice system went through a transformation from old to new ways. In the beginning of the trilogy, the characters settle their matters, both personal and professional, with vengeance. Vengeance is when someone is harmed or killed, and either the victim, or someone close to them takes revenge on the criminal. This matter is proven in the trilogy numerous times. For example, Clytemnestra murders Agamemnon as revenge for his sacrifice of their daughter Iphigeneia. Along those same lines, in the second part of the trilogy, Choephoroe, Orestes, who is Agamemnon son, murders Clytemnestra and Aegisthus. He does this in order to gain revenge on them for killing his father. It was by this way that people would deal with conflict, and it was thought to be not only a justice system, but also a honorable and fair. In fact, one of the principal purposes of the first play of the trilogy is to force us to recognize that justice based on revenge creates special difficulties, which in turn cannot be solved. It does not solve the problems that it is meant to, but only causes more problems that are even larger. As the third and last part of the trilogy begins, the system begins to evolve and change from vengeance to genuine justice. Instead of getting revenge on Orestes and killing him, they decide to put him on trial and have a jury decide whether or not he sho...
Justice is generally thought to be part of one system; equally affecting all involved. We define justice as being fair or reasonable. The complications fall into the mix when an act of heroism occurs or morals are written or when fear becomes to great a force. These complications lead to the division of justice onto levels. In Aeschylus’ Oresteia and Plato’s Republic and Apology, both Plato and Aeschylus examine the views of justice and the morality of the justice system on two levels: in the city-state and the individual. However, Plato examines the justice system from the perfect society and Aeschylus starts at the curse on the House of Atreus and the blood spilled within the family of Agamemnon.
As we move on in “The Libation Bearers';, Electra, like the leader and his chorus, also looks to Orestes as a savior or hero. As she sits at the grave of her father Agamemnon, Electra prays to Hermes, god of the dead. She prays for “the one, who murders in return!'; (Aeschylus, 182) Later on in her prayers she says, “ Rekindle the light that saves our house!'; (Aeschylus, 183) and “Raise up your avenger, into the light, my father – kill the killers in return with justice.'; (Aeschylus, 183) All of these prayerful statements refer to one; Orestes. As the trilogy comes to a climax, Orestes finally acts out his revenge and it is not until the end of his trial that his destiny is fulfilled.
Aeschylus’ Libation Bearers was the revenge of Orestes on Clytemnestra and Aegisthus. The chain of bloodshed continued when Orestes plotted to his avenge his father, by murdering his mother. However, everyone in the play wanted justice to be served, as well as the gods who ordered it to take place. Tisis in Greek defines as a play which was filled with revenge. Libation Bearers contains different themes and motifs, that weren't found in Thucydides’ History of the Peloponnesian War and Aristophanes’ Lysistrata. Aeschylus discussed
The most complex and compelling character in the three plays is Clytaemnestra. Clytaemnestra is consumed with thoughts of revenge. She seeks vengeance on Agamemnon for the loss of their daughter, Iphigeneia whose life was forfeited in order to appease the goddess Artemis so that Agamemnon's troops would be allowed passage to the Trojan shore. Clytaemnestra displays more intelligence than any other character in The Oresteia in the way she manipulates the events leading up to Agamemnon's execution in the play "Agamemnon." Her scheming ways and clever word play make her intimidating in the eyes of the people of Argos. She is looked upon with revulsion because of the manly way she acts. The chorus leader states in line 35 "spoken like a man, my lady, loyal, full of self-command." (Aeschylus 116). Odysseus of the quick wits was held in high esteem for such craftiness, yet intelligence and wit, while exulted in a man, are threatening characteristics in a woman. In the kingdom, Clytaemnestra has been having an open affair with Aegisthus. The chorus, who acts as the voice of the common man, and therefore the voice of morality, condemn her for this affair even though it is common practice for men in ancient Greece to have many extramarital affairs themselves. In this way Aeschylus condones the double-standards thrust upon the...
Atreus tricks his brother Thyestes into partaking of his own children (another possible Hannibal sequel). It is then that Agamemnon, next generation to Atreus and Aegisthus, only surviving son of Thyestes opens up this series of misfortunate events as seen in the trilogy. The series of events takes on a heightened role as Agamemnon is brutally killed by his wife, Clytaemestra and in turn her son Orestes kills her. This series of events would continue if not for the goddess Athenes' intervention and it is through the gods that humanity displays its utter dependence for divine assistance. Aeschylus's Oresteia portrays mankind's frailty through characters such as Clytaemestra, Aegisthus, Orestes and Agamemnon.
In the play, Oedipus the King written by Sophocles, the protagonist Oedipus finds himself in many conflicts, most of which seem to be a result of a combination of the actions he took. The play addresses that Oedipus is his own worst enemy, who is too determined to find out who he is and too proud to listen to the Gods. He thinks he can get out of following through on his own fate. So, because of that he doomed himself.
In the Sophocles play, “Oedipus Rex,” discrepancy between whether Oedipus is the main culprit for murdering King Laius or if Oedipus has become the scapegoat for the cause of the city’s plague that took many lives. The murder of King Laius strikes the interest of many readers and therefore creating the discussion of who would be a culprit for the crime. One side of the argument shows the Greek Gods set a curse upon Oedipus making his destiny one of wrongful conviction for a murderous crime. On the argument’s opposing side the goddesses determine Oedipus’s fate will be to murder his own father unknowingly on his way to becoming King of Thebes. Also, a third argument can be made as to Oedipus did murder his father to save his family from a fate worse than the prophecies set upon the family. Combining these theories makes for an interesting discussion that could aim in many directions. Therefore, these directions of murder may lead to a conclusion that Oedipus has become the city’s scapegoat or his fate was to murder his own father King Laius or another possible conclusion could be Oedipus’s commitment of the crime for the sake of his own family.
Oedipus, the ruler of Thebes, approaches a group of unhappy citizens, represented by a priest, and asks them what is wrong. They answer that the city is dying and that they are sick and poor. Oedipus sympathizes and tells them that, as their ruler, he is also troubled by the sickness of the city, and has already taken steps to see that something be done about it. The first step he has taken was to send Creon to Apollo's shrine to see what the god recommends they do. As Creon appears, he tells them that the god, Apollo, said that there is bad blood in Thebes, and that until this blood is expelled Thebes will be a sick city.
The Dilemma that Orestes is facing is deciding whether to obey Agamemnon or Clytemnestra. With whatever Orestes decides might or not affect his fate. If he decides to kill Clytemnestra, he will be hunted down by the furies who are out to kill him. Orestes decides to obey the God of Apollo, which he will then sacrifice himself in order to keep the peace.
“We are most unwilling to accept mystery, what cannot be reduced to other and more intelligible forms. Yet that is what we find here: something irreducible, therefore perpetually to be interpreted; not secrets to be found out one by one, but secrecy” (Kermode 143). In the play Oedipus the King, written by Sophocles, we see the difference between secrets and secrecy that Kermode talks about. In the play we see that those who pursue the truth, corrupt the uncovering of the hidden unknown with their assumptions and perceptions. When confronted with the mystery of Oedipus’s past, both the reader and Oedipus seek the truth, but come to a resolution that is tainted with their supposition rather than the truth. Oedipus and the reader evince the innate illusion of human thinking when encountering secrecy: forcing ones own preconception onto the truth. Through reading the play Oedipus the King, written by Sophocles, the reader can determine that seeking the answers to secrets with the basis of human reasoning induces the resentment of secrecy: no truth stands today that has not been corrupted with some part of self-assumption.
In Aeschylus’ The Agamemnon, Agamemnon and Clytemnestra have to make tough decisions throughout the play, decisions they believe are justified. The actions of Agamemnon and Clytemnestra are not justified because they are caused by their blinding hubris and desire for power. Agamemnon makes the choice to kill his daughter just so he could lead his troops to Troy. Clytemnestra kills her husband, not just for revenge, but for his position and power as king of Mycenae. They make selfish choices and do not believe they will be punished for them. By exposing their true motives, Aeschylus makes it clear they are not justified in their actions.
In the drama Oedipus by Sophocles, the determination of the main character leads him to recognize his whole life has been nothing but a lie. Although Oedipus is concerned for the well being of his city, he can’t help but also be concerned for his reputation and how the city of Thebes will look at him. Ultimately, the way Oedipus reacts to events in the play leads to his downfall. Sophocles uses the play to argue that when an individual is too prideful and quick to anger, it can result in ignorance and eventually, as the individual learns of their ignorance they will experience pain and self-destruct.