Orestes

told Aegisthus to not “murder the man [or] court his wife” (1.47). Clytemnestra and Aegisthus succeed in killing Agamemnon, only to pay the ultimate price. These exact events perfectly mimic Hermes’ warning to Aegisthus that “revenge will come from Orestes” (1.48). This story is brought up a lot throughout the poem because it relates to many women in The Odyssey, including Penelope. There is a chance that Penelope will marry one of the suitors to keep power over the kingdom of Ithaca. If…

Both siblings are enraged and devise a plan to kill their mother, but Orestes comes to the realization that killing his mother, is one of the highest offenses to commit and refuses to slay her, yet Elektra refuses to back down and takes her brothers sword and stabs Clytemnestra in the chest. Yet Elektra does feel a pang of…

Agamemnon is the first play in the Oresteia trilogy, and Oedipus the King is the second play in the Oedipus trilogy. These ancient Greek plays are full of prophesy, fate, free-will, and tragedy. There are two oracles, Cassandra and Tiresias, who try throughout the plays to warn people of their actions, but the fates of these people are sealed. Agamemnon and Oedipus both have similar tragic flaws, hubris and impulsiveness, that appear to aid in their downfalls. Free will plays a part as the…

absolute law. Law can be simple as it stipulates, but justice can ever so gray. The reason why the Furies were held back by Apollo from pursuing Orestes and the reason why there is a trend in extrajudicial killings is because the law is meant to be broken and justice will never be fair. If not all will end up dead, much like how no one will be left if Orestes would have died and the cycle of the family curse would have continued. The Furies are a testament to how difficult it is to be the…

story and help set the theme of the play. In Eumenides the play starts of prologue with Apollo and one of his priestess (Aeschylus’s Eumenides 1-55). The sets the stage for the whole play, that Clytemnestra set the Furies out to get justice against Orestes. In the Theseus play it will also set the stage by letting the audience know that Theseus has made the long and hard journey to Athens while completing the six labors after retrieving his father’s sword and sandals. To help create the unity of…

In both ancient and modern narratives, recognition scenes have proven to be some of the most emotionally charged moments in a story. Choephori is no exception, as siblings Electra and Orestes’ recognition of each other after a long separation and multiple familial tragedies stirs up a strong emotional reaction in the audience. This popular narrative device has persisted over time, and is still present in modern fiction. The Spanish film La Piel que Habito closes with a powerful recognition…

Identity is something that can be clearly defined and redefined but never conquered. The ancient Greeks sought to forge their own identity in a world of chaos by not limiting themselves to one definition. As a result, several different sources of spirituality and free thought contributed to the never-ending quest of the Greeks to find what’s worth keeping as everything else shifts around them. Beliefs and reason went hand in hand over time to fabricate the universal truths that the Greeks valued…

a more objective and rationale method of determining punishment over the furies determining punishment as they see fit. Evidently, the Oresteia demonstrates the dangers of a system based on revenge because it illustrates through Clytemnestra and Orestes that revenge creates and incentivizes a pattern of violence. Thus, trials in democratic Greece tackle the problem of citizens taking justice into their hands because it constructs a system built on reason rather than immediate…

crops growing. Demeter had one daughter whom she loved dearly named, Persephone. One day Hades, god of the underworld, kidnapped her daughter. Demeter was devastated without her daughter. As a result, crops stopped growing and humanity was bound to die. Zeus told Hades to leave Persephone, but Hades said he claimed her. Zeus and Hades came to an agreement that Persephone could go home to her mother but she had to spend five months with him. This is the creation of seasons. In summer, Demeter is…

The Oresteia, by Aeschylus, is a collection of three tragedies written about the events that occur relating to the House of Atreus. The main story revolves around the mission of Orestes, who travels great length to avenge his father 's death. Orestes’ father, Agamemnon, was murdered upon returning home from battle, by his wife Clytemnestra. Throughout the play, woman are used to demonstrate how traditional gender roles can be rejected and highlight the sexist nature of traditional greek society.…