Analysis Of Aeschylus Oresteia

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The son of the King Agamemnon and Queen Clytemnestra of Mycenae. After Agamemnon returned from the Trojan War, he was killed by his wife and his cousin Aegisthus. Orestes, a young boy at the time of his father's murder was smuggled to safety by Electra, his sister and taken to stay with their father's old friend King Strophius of Phocis. Strophius raised Orestes with his son Pylades, they became close friends. Upon manhood, Orestes killed Clytemnestra and Aegisthus, since it was the best way to avenge his father's death said the Oracle of Apollo. Orestes was pursued by Erinyes, chthonic deities of vengeance who drove men crazy because of patricide, matricide, betrayal of parents and family, murder, manslaughter, the breaking of oaths and crimes …show more content…
Through the oracle, Apollo instructed Orestes to go to Athens to present his case to the Aeropagus, an ancient court of elders, along with Athena as one of the judges. During the trial, Athena voted for his acquittal and the Erinyes were worshipped as the Eumenides (Kindly Ones) to satisfy both parties. In Euripides' play "Iphigenia in Tauris" in order to escape the Erinyes' persecutions, Orestes was ordered by Apollo to go to Tauris to carry off the statue of Artemis (fallen from heaven), and bring it to Athens. He went to Tauris with Pylades, they were imprisoned to be sacrificed, since it was custom to sacrifice strangers to Artemis. The priestess of Artemis, Orestes' sister Iphigenia performs the sacrifices. She offered to help one of them escape, if they deliver a letter to her brother in …show more content…
She and her brother Orestes plotted their revenge against their mother and Aegisthus, the mother's lover. In Euripides' play, Electra was cast out of the royal house and married off to a farmer, a kind man that never took advantage of her or her family. Disguised as messengers, Orestes and Pylades, they arrived at Electra and her husband's house. Electra told them her sorrowful story and expressing her wishes for Orestes to avenge Agamemnon without realizing who they are. Afterwards, the two siblings recognize each other and conspired together against Clytemnestra and Aegisthus. An old servant lured Clytemnestra to Electra's house with news of a baby as Orestes and Pylades set off to confront Aegisthus. Orestes stabbed Aegisthus after the sacrifice he was hosting, he returns to Electra's house with Aegisthus's dead body. Orestes wavers on the decision to kill his mother, but Electra pushes him to do so. When Clytemnestra arrived, Electra taunted and blamed her for everything. Then Orestes stabbed Clytemnestra by pushing a sword down her throat. In Sophocles' play, Orestes and Pylades announced that Orestes was dead to gain entrance to the palace, carrying an urn filled with his ashes. Electra and Orestes didn't recognize each other at first, but after belated realization, Electra's excitement almost betrayed his identity. Orestes and Pylades entered the house and slain Clytemnestra, while Electra watch for

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