Aeschylus Greek Justice Essay

Aeschylus Greek Justice Essay

Throughout the plays written by Aeschylus, the characters suffer mightily and all reach their own tragic fate for their actions, however the theme of it being a just fate is shown in the acts. The characters in the acts show their own definitions of justice through their actions and through their explanations of their actions. Their personal beliefs help form the system that is Greek justice. One can show the Greek definition of justice through the text from Aeschylus. The first act of justice that is believed to be done is by the character Clytaemnestra, when she murders her husband, who is the king, because of a crime that his father committed. The text describes the crime in which Clytaemnestra states, "And you, you try me like some desperate woman...Here is Agamemnon, my husband made a corpse by ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...This shows that Clytaemnestra believes that what she has done is just, because she was getting revenge for a crime that Agamemnon's father had committed against her new lover Aegisthus. The text also shows that the one aspect of the Greek justice system revolves around revenge for one's crimes. The next time the text shows an event where someone believes they are engaging in a just act is when Orestes murders Clytaemnestra, who is his own mother. The text describes the scene when it shows the dialogue from Orestes, "This way– I want to butcher you–right across his body! In life you though he dwarfed my father–Die!– go down with him forever! You love this man, the man you should have loved you hated" (The Libation Bearers 890–894), the character Orestes goes on to say, "destiny is handing you your death" (The Libation Bearers 898). These two quotes from Orestes show that he believes what he is doing is just and that is fate that requires him to murder his own mother for her crimes. This once again reveals the theme that justice in this culture, needs to be given in a form of revenge. The final time that justice is addressed in the text is when the

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