Aeschylus Eumenides Essay

Justice and Gender in the Oresteia Justice and gender are put into relation with each other in Aeschylus’ Oresteia. In this trilogy, Greek society is characterized as a patriarch, where the oldest male assumes the highest role of the oikos (household). The household consists of a twofold where the father is the head, and the wife and children are the extended family. The head of the oikos is the only one who possesses the authority to seek justice. This is because the father acquires the authority

In this paper I will discuss Aeschylus’ The Libation Bearers. Close reading reveals that Electra is Orestes’ mirror image of a Fury. This thesis will be demonstrated through the analysis of passages through the lens of the following principles of close reading: anomaly and parallel stories. To prove this theory, the interpreter needs to offer evidence to show that Electra is a mirror image of Orestes, a physical copy of himself meant to display his emotional and ‘Fury-like’ motivations towards killing

and Clytemnestra, Orestes and Electra, who (with some urging from Apollo) avenge the death of their father by killing both Aegisthus and their own mother. The Furies, enraged by Orestes’ violation of the filial bond, pursue his punishment. The Eumenides covers the taming of the Furies, the reconciliation of the dominant opposing forces in the trilogy, the establishment of Athena’s court of law, and, as J. J. Pollitt argues, “brings us out of the earlier dark irrationality into what seems an enlightened

Aeschylus Writing Assignment “The Oresteia” written by the ancient Greek playwright Aeschylus, who showed three events of the play Agamemnon, The Libation Bearers, and The Eumenides. The three plays were performed at the annual Dionysia festival in Athens in 458 BCE. The play highlighted different types of themes but the most important one is the theme of justice and injustice. Both themes were seen in different parts of the play where even the gods played a role in determining the justice and

As Mahatma Gandhi once noted astutely, “An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind.” Gandhi’s assertion challenges this moral code established in both the Odyssey and the Old Testament, just as Aeschylus challenges the validity of vendetta as a successful technique for maintaining societal order in his Oresteia trilogy. The revenge ethic plays a key role in the story because it makes justice the personal responsibility of the person insulted; the killer must be killed, and the act of retribution

In the Oresteia, revenge drives the characters to act. Although they call it justice, it is not. Aeschylus uses net imagery to symbolize faith and destiny. When Clytemnestra murders Agamemnon and Cassandra, the net imagery acts as a symbol of terrible fate. However, then fate reverse. Now, Orestes is caught in Apollo’s net and kills his own mother. Lastly, Athene changes the meaning of the net from one of chaos to that of order and justice. These uses of the net imagery help the reader focus on a

their children. The ironic nature of the rivalry between Apollo and the Furies began at Apollo’s temple in Delphi. They both possess ideals that were similar but sought to establish order and justice in the world in separate ways. In the last play, Eumenides, Apollo takes center stage to defend Orestes against the murder of his blood mother, Clytemnestra. They appeared in a courtroom like setting with the goddess Athena to judge the trial of Orestes for matricide. The prosecution (The Furies) began the

The Aeschylus Trilogy and Sweat by Lynn Nottage, though written thousands of years apart, actually share the same underlying problems especially when it comes the the characters that drive the plot. In both plays, there is this very prominent character trait found in most, if not all, the characters, selfishness. These self centered characters actually create conflict simply by only thinking of themselves. The self-centered and selfish air in both time periods, whether brought up by individual characters

After Orestes avenges his father’s murder, he himself is now involved in the cyclic bloodshed; however, instead of him being killed by kin, he is hunted by the punishers of matricides, the Furies. The last play of Aeschylus I, The Eumenides, marks the change from antiquated Argos to abreast Athens. It also highlights the transition of men from upholding the violent, Lex Talionis tradition to a trial based system of justice. Though by thought this was an achievement, from barbaric to civilized thinking

“how you can swagger so over the butchered body of your husband” (Aeschylus, Agamemnon lines 1596-1597). They continue further saying”, Woman, what foul food nursed deep in the earth, or what drink drawn from the flowing sea could you have tasted to take on yourself so horrible a sacrifice and the people’s curse? You have cast away, you have cut away, and away will you go from the city, under the full weight of the city’s hate” (Aeschylus, Agamemnon lines 1604-1611). She shows the difference in the way