Aegisthus

Back home, one of my former classmates awaits his sentencing after recently being found guilty of capital murder. He has a calm temperament, a few friends and ability for genius endeavors. No one thought anything of him, until he killed a elderly man and attacked the man’s wife in the couple’s own home. He chose the house because it “felt right” and the day because the “weather was beautiful,” He came to school the next day and aced his chemistry test. The following day, police arrested him and found a hit list including one of my dance teammates, other fellow students and his adoptive parents. The punishment phase perseveres to find justice for the elderly couple, deciding between a life sentence and execution. But what about the justice for …show more content…
This differs from normal virtues where the masses have a common definition and know its apparent portrayal in actions of themselves and others. For example, the Argive elders praised the honor of the men following their ruler to fight in Troy and called Aegisthus, who stayed behind “a coward” (Ag. 1644) and Orestes emasculated him by calling him a “woman at heart” (Cho. 305). Although the people describing Aegisthus had different experiences with him, they saw the same lack of a quality in him in comparison to the honored and glorified men that protected Argive. Virtues such as honor are apparent but justice is more obscure as most everyone has their own view on how justice should work. Apollo represents a type of justice that also extends mercy to those who did wrong with right reasoning and describes the Furies’ type of justice that “slaughters men for their crimes,- where heads are cut off and eyes gouged out” where no mercy is shown (Eum. 186-187). These types of justice often conflict and cause chaos when disagreements arise. The pursuance of these different justices leads one man to be loved as a merciful, good, just man, whereas the other man is cruel, unjust and unforgiving. This results even though each of them actively pursues the same virtue of justice, but carries it out in different ways. Not only are there different types of justice, but different justice occurs for different …show more content…
Being just can lead to a prosperous life. The Furies recommend all to “freely embrace Justice- and you will surely prosper,- you will never know destruction” (Eu. 550-552) This is similar to other virtues that can lead to, but does not guarantee, a good life. In fact, Furies warn men to “respect Justice, never kick away her alter for the glimpse of wealth” just ten lines before they promise prosperous lives as award for justice (Eu. 539-540). These conflicting views show the complex results of being just and pursuing justices. Even though one is just, they may not necessarily live comfortably. Even those who are just struggle with temptations to chase after wealth. Likewise, possessing other virtues does not lead to a certain wealth. Furies also state that in order to have justice, one must be in fear of the consequences to their own actions, for “how can the man or city that has no fear to nourish the heart ever have respect for Justice?” (Eu. 522-525). The Furies believe that fear is the root to justice and that a person can not be just without fear. This differs from other virtues that do not require fear; many virtues, such as courage, criticize fear. Additionally, justice is constantly changing which person or group is being favored, as “the scales of Justice tilt suddenly,- for those who bask in the light,- for those who dwell in the shadows,- for the powerless shrouded by the night” (Cho. 61-65).