Euripides Electra Essay

The Libation Bearers and Hamlet Many of Shakespeare’s plays draw from classical Greek themes, plot and metaphors. The tragedies of Sophocles, Aeschylus, Euripides and Homer have themes like royal murders, assassinations by near relatives, the supernatural, ghostly visits, and vengeful spirits of the dead- themes which reappear in Shakespeare’s tragedies with a difference. Shakespeare’s tragic hero Hamlet and Aeschylus’s Orestes have a great deal in common. Both the plays are set in a time when

07 1 THE BRITISH ACADEMY THE ANNUAL SHAKESPEARE LECTURE 1914 Hamlet and Orestes A Study in Traditional Types By Gilbert Murray, LL.D., D.Litt. Regius Professor of Greek in the University of Oxford Fellow of the Academy New York Oxford University Press American Branch 35 West 32nd Street London : Humphrey Milford THE BRITISH ACADEMY THE ANNUAL SHAKESPEARE LECTURE 1914 Hamlet and Orestes A Study in Traditional Types By Gilbert Murray

Medea as Woman, Hero and God In Euripides' play the title role and focus of the play is the foreign witch Medea. Treated differently through the play by different people and at different times, she adapts and changes her character, finally triumphing over her hated husband Jason. She can feasibly be seen as a mortal woman, Aristotle's tragic hero figure and even as an exulted goddess. Medea's identity as a weak woman is emphasised at the very start of the play. It is made very clear that

Historic playwrights such as Sophocles, Euripides, Aeschylus, and Seneca were described as prolific philosophers and geniuses of their times. These men actively participated in the politics surrounding them, and were respected and revered in their society. Each had their own individual style and portrayed their personalities through each of their noted works. Nevertheless, as with a majority of playwrights throughout history, most fodder for their plays have been adaptations of previous plays written

In The Oresteian Trilogy there is a very apparent theme of injustice throughout the plays. Injustice is unlawful or unethical acts that are not treated or punished the correct way. Integrity and fairness are what I believe have the most impact on the way a person will read and react to injustice. Integrity is the ability to be truthful and honorable to a set of morals that each person grows up to believe. Making a decision without having bias towards a side would considered fair. Clarkson, a prestigious

Henry walks into Jared and steals the most expensive ring for his girlfriend. He believes his actions are justified because he loves his girlfriend and thinks she deserves the best ring even if he can not afford it. Henry will be punished because all that concerns the storeowner is how much the ring costs him. However, what if, for some crazy reason unbeknown to the public, Henry was commissioned by the president of the United States to steal the most expensive ring for Henry’s girlfriend and threatened

trilogy for it is her actions that spark the debate between the Furies and Apollo over whether or not Orestes is just in committing matricide.  Where as Clytaemnestra breaks with female tradition, Electra is the preserver of the status quo.  Because Clytaemnestra is not motherly, Electra who has already lost her father to the depths of Hades, loses her mother to that one's all-consuming hate of Agamemnon as well. And so she seeks revenge towards her mother, the cause of all her misery in

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

Through the three plays of The Oresteia, we are exposed to many opposing forces of power. Elements such as darkness, light, fate, patriarchy, and justice are intertwined to make up Aeschylus’ tragic tale, however all of these elements are directed by one central force: balance. The word balance itself suggests a state of equilibrium or a stable environment. Balance is often looked at as a scale; if one side of the scale is overpowering the other, then it creates a state of disorder, irregularity

home, in consequence he should be the sane, clean bringer of order, but in fact he doesn’t know what to do. His first reaction of hesitation is put to rest by Apollo, his sister Electra, his friend Pylade and citizens, everyone assures him that killing his mother will restore the order and Orestes does it. Though Electra appears shortly, she plays a special role, she is the most important libation bearer, secretly bringing offerings in the memory of her father and in the honor of gods. Caught between