The+Oresteia

**﻿The Oresteia **

Chance Covillon & Nicholas Popkey



The Oresteia is a Greek trilogy of tragedies written by Aeschylus which dates back clear to 458 BC. The plays details Agamemnon and his family, and how ancient Greece evolves from the natural law of revenge to a system of litigation. The trilogy is made up of //Agamemnon, The Libation Bearers,// and //The Eumenides//, which all feature several archetypal characters.

**Agamemnon** Agamemnon returns from the Trojan War after ten years. He returns to his wife Clytemnestra with a concubine named Cassandra. His wife has been having an adulterous relationship with his cousin Aegisthus, who plans to gain the throne by way of Clytemnestra’s planned murder of Agamemnon. She wants revenge on Ag for sacrificing their daughter, Iphigenia. Clytemnestra convinces Agamemnon to enter the palace. Meanwhile, Apollo curses Cassandra with clairvoyance and the disbelief of her predictions by others. She ends up entering the palace as well. They are both chopped to death by Clytemnestra’s axe. She proclaims and ends to the violence, but the chorus reminds the new king and queen of the probability of Orestes, Ag’s son, avenging his father.

**Examples** : Caesar

**The Libation Bearers** Clytemnestra has slaves (the chorus) pour libations on Ag’s grave. Orestes and his friend Pylades meet up with Electra, Orestes’ sister at the grave site. The chorus tells them of a dream that Cly had, in which she gave birth to a snake that sucked milk and blood from her breast. Orestes thinks he is the snake, and resolves to kill his mother and her new husband. He kills Aegisthus, and then faces a tough decision as he stands over his body, his mother begging him not to kill her too. His friend reminds him of the pact they made with Apollo, and Orestes kills his mother. The Furies haunt him as he flees, and the cycle of violence is proclaimed by the chorus to continue.

**Examples** : Pouring out liquor, Electra-born in Greece; her father’s name is Orestes.

**The Eumenidies (or) The Furies**

Orestes is chased by the deities of the Underworld who avenge partri- and matricides, the Furies, and Apollo casts a drowsy spell on the Furies, so that Orestes can escape to Athens under the protection of Hermes. They catch him, and Athena steps in. Athena chooses eleven judges from the community of Athens to hold court on whether Orestes should be guilty of murder for killing his mom. Apollo acts as Orestes’ attorney, while the Furies serve as the prosecution for Clytemnestra. The jury announces a tie, and Orestes is acquitted. Athena convinces the Furies to be satisfied, and proclaims that all henceforth tied juries should fall to mercy, and in the defendants favor.

**Examples** : Casey Anthony

**Tip-Offs**

Gods, libations, trial, Furies, adultery, incest, etc.

**Relevance**

The Ancient Greeks were the first civilization in the world to employ a trial by jury justice system, and the Orestia is their myth explaining its origins depicted in the form of theater. Thematically, the story as a whole shows the power of heritage and how violence can often breed a snowball affect that ultimately decimates an entire family.

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