Oresteia

Oresteia

Oresteia – The Issue of Justice in Aeschylus' Eumenides



The concept of justice is manifested through the three plays of Aeschylus' Oresteia. The old tradition of justice, the private blood feud, caused an ungoverned succession of violent acts that spiralled uncontrollably. Aegisthus, Clytemnestra's lover, is introduced in Agamemnon; he desires vengeance for the plot contrived by Agamemnon's father (Ag: 1605–1611).1 Neither Agamemnon nor Aegisthus took part in this "plot" and yet as the chorus explains (Ag: 755–6)



'But ancient Violence longs to breed,



new violence comes



when its fatal hour comes,'



The justice system of this period demanded that one avenge the death of a family member, this can be seen in The Libation ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...However, the violent acts of reprisal do not end with Agamemnon. With this act comes a twist within the traditional system of justice. In The Libation Bearers, Orestes must choose to avenge his father's murder. The twist comes in that by avenging his father, Orestes will be committing matricide, a crime revolting to the gods and especially to the Furies. Orestes is placed in a no win situation; he must avenge his father or else be plagued by (Lib: 285–6)



'.................leprous boils that ride the flesh,



their wild teeth gnawing the mother tissue,'



Unfortunately, the same fate awaits him if he commits matricide, thereby avenging his father. Orestes chooses the latter and is besieged by 'the hounds of mother's hate.' (Lib: 1055–6). Through this sequence of murderous events, Aeschylus demonstrates the complexity and futility of the blood feud as a system of justice. There are no winners, and the cycle of violence does not end. Thus, this cycle of vengeance is not justice.



In the Eumenides, Aeschylus manifests a new system of justice for the more civilised times. Orestes, plagued by the Furies, turns to Apollo (Eum: 88–90)



'Lord Apollo, you know the rules of justice



know them well. Now learn

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