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 crucial theme in the play: the superiority of a formal justice system to one based on the individual quest for revenge by progressively altering the nets meaning and its affect on those around it.
Clytemnestra’s use of the net imagery focuses the reader on the drawback, that is, collateral damage, of a justice system that is based on the individual quest for revenge by emphasizing the collateral damage associated with revenge. As she stands over the bodies of Agamemnon and Cassandra she says: “I wrapped in a great net- not a fish could have slipped from the shoal” (69). Involving the shoal in Clytemnestra’s speech explains that with every revenge quest there are innocent people who suffer the repercussions. An avenger does not consider the bystanders surrounding the guilty person. Clytemnestra states that the net was so large that the fish could not escape the shoal. If the fish’s fate is to be caught in the net yet it cannot escape the shoal, that means the shoal suffers the same
In his play Antigone, Sophocles makes extensive use of religious and cultural allusions in order to develop ideas. Through the use of allusions to Zeus and other moral figures, he reinforces accepted moral standards, heightening the conflict between Antigone’s earthly morals and those of her religion. Sophocles also shows the dangers of hubris through his allusions to the downfall of Niobe, and Creon’s references to Nemesis. The motif of fate within Antigone and the rest of the Theban plays is developed through his allusion to Danae, as well as his references the Oedipal prophecy and to the Fates themselves. Through his use of allusion, Sophocles gives great insight into aspects of the human condition, the moral ambiguities of our world, and
Our Constitution was written to be the backbone of our government but with the task it's given not everything can be written word for word but must be interpreted. Its there to establish our national government and fundamental laws and guaranteed certain basic rights for its citizens. With ideas such as amendments and the Elastic Clause our Constitution can cover all bases and be able to adapt to the situations at hand.
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, and even chaos. Aeschylus meddles with the scales of balance but, in the end, reinforces the equipoise of power. I would argue that, not only does The Oresteia include balance as a critical underlying theme and is strategically used in determining the outcome of the play, but that the role of Athena is vital in creating this balance.
Everyone is going to die. This is no secret to the audience of the Greek play Agamemnon. Rather than surprising us with the murders that befall at the hands of vengeance, the Greek playwright uses this common story to display the underlying theme that one must first suffer before they can reach the truth. To understand the significance behind the story of Agamemnon, one must understand the passions and how they relate to the human person, Zeus’s law of suffering into truth, and Aeschylus’s motives for writing Agamemnon and how he reflects Catholic teaching.
In ancient Greece law of retaliation was similar to the eye for an eye concept. Because Clytemnestra killed their father, it was only fair for Orestes to kill her. This is idea is imposed in the final play of the trilogy
Ridgewood High School is not exactly the perfect school. The school is full of delinquents, guns, and drugs. Lunch period was the prime time for trouble. The sound of the glass shattering from the window awoke the whole school. The people started to gather around the three boys creating the commotion. One of boys Douglas, a big, mean bully was heaving rocks at two boys Glen and Taylor. Glen is a smart fella who wants absolutely zero trouble. His only desire is getting into MIT. Taylor is the starting wide receiver for the football team and tries to protect Glen. During Lunch, Douglas pushes Glen to the ground and Taylor steps in front of Douglas in attempt to stop him. In the end, there were a couple bloody noses and several broken windows. On the other end of the school, Davis is waiting to sell Kevin marijuana. Davis really needs the money and Kevin has nothing going for him. He cuts class, abuses drugs and flat out does not care. After their exchange, behind them stands the school narcotics officer.
The female characters portrayed in Aeschylus and Sophocles’ works have considerably different personalities and roles, yet those females all have the common weaknesses of being short-sighted and stubborn. They intensify the conflicts within their families while being inconsiderate of the impacts that they may bring to their nations and societies, which leads to consequences that they are incapable of taking responsibilities for. Clytemnestra and Antigone, two major characters in their respective author’s works, possess different motivations for their deeds in the stories. While Clytemnestra is driven by the desire of revenge to murder her husband Agamemnon, Antigone acts against Creon’s will and strives to properly bury her brother. Despite having different motivations and personalities, Clytemnestra and Antigone both commit
Justice in the Oresteia Justice is often taken for granted in the world we live in today with a judicial system that gives fair punishment for most crimes. In the Oresteia justice works much differently, where there are no judges or a court system to resolve disputes, instead there is revenge. Revenge is very messy because somebody will and has to get hurt first to desire revenge, and it leads to a cycle that cannot and will not end until everybody is dead. Justice does not and cannot only be revenge because in the end nobody would be left in that system. Aeschylus' Oresteia focuses on revenge as justice, with the old system that no longer works and that someone must fix, and a new system that has
In Aeschylus' trilogy, the Greeks' justice system went through a transformation from old to new ways. In the beginning of the trilogy, the characters settle their matters, both personal and professional, with vengeance. Vengeance is when someone is harmed or killed, and either the victim, or someone close to them takes revenge on the criminal. This matter is proven in the trilogy numerous times.
In one of his last strides before he leaves office to push for an immigration reform, President Obama urged congress on Saturday’s weekly address to pass a previously agreed upon immigration bill that would “bring more undocumented immigrants out of the shadows so they can get right with the law.” [1] But in many cities across America, undocumented immigrants live as everyday citizens without fear of deportation nor dire necessity to embark in the long and often times complicated immigration process.
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.
Justice is essential, for with a lack of justice, chaos would be brought about in society. In The Eumenides, the Furies value justice without truly being just. Throughout the play, the Furies, protectors of the law, pursue Orestes because of the crime he has committed. They yearn to "trace him by his
The bad actions of Clytemnestra are immediately seen in a negative way but she, at first, has avenged her daughter’s murder. What the chorus thinks of her is that she is an imposing figure, she is not noble and her information is unreliable. She is kind of underestimated and misjudged. She is presented as the bad woman but it is clear that the aim of Clytemnestra is taking her revenge. Aeschylus’ portrait of Clytemnestra can be seen as negative and positive; on one hand she seeks justice for her daughter, on the other she is completely incurable for the act of murder. She does not hide from her actions, instead she freely admits her murder and embraces the power and authority. It is through the inversion of traditional gender roles, adopting masculine speech, behaviors and activities, that she achieves her revenge for the sacrifice of Iphigenia. On one hand Clytemnestra’s revenge may have been seen as an upsetting act but on the other hand it let people (the audience) reflect on the traditional gender role of women in society. The power of Clytemnestra can be also seen through the chorus speech. It highlights her authority even if the chorus
In the first play, Agamemnon, Clytemnestra murders Agamemnon to retaliate for the sacrifice he made of their daughter, Iphigenia. Clytemnestra did this out of revenge, since the code of getting even demanded that someone’s murder must be avenged by their close blood relative. This called for torment at the hands of the Furies, who were female divinities of a terrible frightening aspect, that came upon anyone who murdered a close blood relative. In the second play, The Libation Bearers, Orestes kills Clytemnestra to avenge the murder of Agamemnon. This act is still maintaining the revenge principle, but it is committed primarily at the instigation of Apollo. Apollo takes center-stage in the third play, The Furies, to argue in defense of Orestes in a trial supervised by Athena. This ultimately leads to the end of revenge killing and the establishment of a new order of justice based on the laws of the
The Aeneid is based on the fate of Aeneas, who will find the finest city, Rome. But, there seems to be a argument about the high forces that rule the world and the elements that control the lives of men, or whether fate is the will of the gods. In the Aeneid several situations and occasions of the use of fate are presented. The directions and destinations of Aeneass course are inevitable, and his various sorrows and glories in battle, and the sea over the course of the epic merely postpone his unchangeable fate.