An analysis of how dikh (‘justice’) and its associated values are

An analysis of how dikh (‘justice’) and its associated values are

presented and translated in two passages from Sophocles: Electra.

What broader issues are raised and how would these be investigated

further?

The concept of dikh, or ‘justice’ has many subtle meanings and

variations in Ancient Greek ranging from the primary definition given

in LS (Liddell and Scotts, ‘Greek-English Lexicon’, Intermediate,

1889, page 202) of custom to right, judgement, lawsuit, penalty and

vengeance. The OCD (Hornblower S, Oxford Classical Dictionary, 1996,

Page 469) reference to Likh describes it as the, ‘personification of

justice’ and the daughter of Zeus that, ‘reports men’s wrongdoing to

Zeus’.

Sophocles’ rendition of the tragic play Electra forms a useful focal

point for the analysis of how dike and its associated values are

presented and translated. As Kitto (Kitto, H.D.F, ‘Greek Tragedy’,

1997, Routledge Page 131, Section 4) pointed out, this play’s,

‘central problem is a problem of ‘dikh’ (‘Justice’). The play itself

examines both the desire for justice by the children of the murdered

Agamemnon as well as the arguments of justice by his wife

(Clytaemnestra for his murder). All of this takes place under the

watchful eye of Apollo, the God of both reason and prophecy, both of

which play a part in the story that is told.

The first extract is that of the argument between Clytaemnestra and

Electra (Sophocles, Translator Watling, E.F., ‘Electra and other

plays’, pg 84-56, lines 518-543) concerning her justification for the

murder of Agamemnon. In this extract we are presented with a

selection of references to justice and how Clytaemnestra explains how

she was right in her murder of her husband. At line 518 (Ibid.,) she

complains at her portrayal as ‘an unjust tyrant’, presumably implying

that she was not within her right or custom to kill him. Between

lines 524-526 (Ibid.,) she says that justice and duty are tied

together and that her duty was to seek justice whilst Electra failed

in this area. At line 535 (Ibid.,) she says, ‘why should he not be

brought to justice for killing what was mine?’. In modern terms this

could be considered simple revenge, or dikhn. She is does not justify

her action because of tradition or precedent, purely because he took

something of hers. In lines 539-541 (Ibid.,) she argues that

Agamemnon love might ...

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... study ties in perfectly with the idea of moral dilemmas, duty and

especially justice. In ‘Electra’ we find our idea of our own values

and those of the period to be challenged, this study may assist here.

Williams. B, ‘Moral Luck’, 1981, Cambridge

Williams. B, ‘Problems of the self’, 1973, Cambridge

Williams. B, ‘Ethics and the Limits of Philosophy’, 1985, Cambridge

Williams’ work covered a wide range of ethical and morals areas and

his research is relatively recent. ‘Moral Luck’, though not directly

related will almost certainly have a few useful ideas concerning fate

and possibly justification.

Plato, Translator Guthrie, W.K.C. ‘Protagoras and Meno’, 1956, Penguin

Books

Plato discusses the idea of virtue in great depth in the ‘Protagoras’

and this could shed further light on the ideas of virtue, honour, duty

and possibly justice.

Aeschylus, Translator Fagles, R, ‘The Orestia’, 1977, Penguin Books

Euripides, Editor Ferguson, J , "Medea and Electra", 1987, Bristol

Classical Press

Another version of the story of Electra would be of great use,

especially by another tragedian, in this case Euripides. This version

is written as more of a melodrama.