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Justice for All Essay example

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Justice for All The word “justice,” is a difficult word to define. Looking thru a number of definitions one can find the word “just” included to explain the word justice. Just means to be fair and ultimately we can say that justice has the characteristic to be fair or right. Keeping this definition in mind while reading Agamemnon and The Libation Bearers one can see that the characters within both plays took justice into their own hands and believed that they were doing the “right” thing. Based on the ancient law of the Furies, they state that blood should be compensated for with blood and an unending cycle of calamity. Both plays depression carries a sense of looming doom and makes it clear that each character has a different view …show more content…

In Libation Bearers, Orestes, Agamemnon’s son is sent to avenge his father’s death by killing his mother, Clytaemnestra and her lover, Aigisthos. Orestes was sent by the god Apollo to kill his mother and her lover and is assured that if he carries out this murder then he will not have to pay for his crimes. Orestes is visited by an oracle and then says to himself, “Apollo will never fail me, no, his tremendous power, his oracle charges me to see this trial through…’Gore them like a bull!’ he called, ‘or pay their debt with your own life, one long career of grief.’”(ll.272-281). Orestes is faced with a difficult choice. Like many of his ancestors before, he ultimately decides to take on this task and carries it out with the help of his sister, Electra.
Electra does not like her mother but agrees to take libations to her father’s grave on her behalf after Clytaemnestra was awakened after being disturbed by a horrible dream. Clytaemnestra nightmare was that she had given birth to a snake, and the snake nursed from her breast drawing out both milk and blood. Seeing the blood and being fearful of revenge. Clytaemnestra decided to send Electra to pour libations over Agamemnon’s grave as an act of penance. However, Electra meets her brother at their father’s grave. Upon hearing of the dream, Orestes sees himself as being the snake. Envisioning himself as the snake along with the message from Apollo,

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