The Eumenides: The Revenge Cycle

The Revenge Cycle In ancient Greece, retributive justice served as both a strict societal code and an expectation of the cosmos. In The Eumenides by Aeschylus, the Furies serve as the defenders of this justice, which is explored in depth during the Furies’ monologue as they pursue Orestes for his matricide. In order to understand this passage fully, the reader must first grasp the Furies’ sense of justice. To these beings, justice is rooted in the ancient laws that require equal retribution for crimes that one commits. Unlike the contemporary view of justice, this perception favors strict punishment over understanding both sides of the argument, and once the Furies deem the offender guilty, there is no hope for him. The offender’s deed is this system’s only concern; the circumstances surrounding the act are of little …show more content…
Their clear declaration that “none can shake [their] hold” may have been a slight at the Olympian gods, who held no previous authority in the retributive system (337). This line shows the root of the rivalry between the two classes of gods. The Furies, since their creation, have held on to this duty of protecting justice in the way that they understand it. The Olympian gods are now a threat to this system with the Orestes conflict, and the Furies refuse to release their hold on this part of their dominion. If they concede, the result will turn their entire system into chaos. The Furies hold no interest in usurping on the territory of the Olympian gods, going as far to declare their disinterest of the Olympian gods’ “pious white robes” (350). The Orestes conflict is seen as a blatant disregard for the Furies’ authority, and the Olympian gods should “keep their hands far off” of a matter that is not in their dominion (349). For the moment, the Furies still hold the power and exercise it