Aeschylus

The Furies Fury In this paper, I will discuss Aeschylus’ The Eumenides. Close reading reveals that while the Furies are angry over Orestes’ actions, their true passion lies more in his punishment than any other part of their speech. This thesis will be demonstrated through the analysis of passages through the lens of the following principles of close reading: temporal order, pronouns, and repetition. On page 243, lines two hundred fifty five to two hundred seventy one, the Furies are talking…

Each God or Goddess in Ancient Greek life had a role. Some provided people with a sense of hope, some provided people with fame, and the Goddess Athena provided a sense of authority for humanity. In The Oresteia, a trilogy written by Aeschylus her power is shown in many ways, stemming from the fact that she is the Greek Goddess of War, a job that requires a person to have a sense of strong authority. In a war zone, authority is necessary to gain and maintain control and to provide structure…

Losing a loved one to another loved one is arguably one of the worst experiences a human can endure, but our reaction to this atrocious betrayal of trust can be enough to convict us. This is precisely what happened to Clytemnestra in Aeschylus’ Oresteia. Before the Trojan war, when Agamemnon was setting sail for Troy, the wind would not allow him to leave so he sacrificed his daughter, Iphigenia, to the gods. He then left Clytemnestra to rule for ten years not including the several years of…

Written by renowned tragedian Euripides in 428 BCE, the Ancient Greek tragedy Hippolytus is the ultimate story of betrayal and desire. Euripides’ style of tragedy is often compared to the works of the other two major playwrights of the era, Aeschylus and Sophocles, yet it differs greatly. His writing style is simple and can be communicated in colloquial speech: Euripides was known for taking a new approach to traditional myths: he often changed elements of their stories or portrayed the more…

Piety and Censorship A major debate in the age of Plato and Aeschylus is whether or not piety should be considered a component of the definition of justice. Aeschylus 's Eumenides centers around the conflict between the old view of justice and piety being intertwined, represented by the Furies, and the new view of justice, where the relationship between the gods and the Athenian people plays a less significant role, represented by Apollo and Athena. Both of Plato 's works, Euthyphro and The…

Aeschylus’ Suppliant Women brings up varying themes of citizenship and membership to a community as well as identity. This play greatly deals with feelings towards foreigners especially considering that Greek identity is being challenged. In the Suppliant Women, the fifty daughters of Danaus have fled Egypt and come as refugees to a sacred grove near Argos. In attempt to attain asylum, they explain their origins and reasons for running from their marriage proposals to their Egyptian cousins. The…

When people speak, it is crucial for others or the audience to grasp what is important about the speaker through first impressions. This allows people to evaluate the speaker and help connect with them so that they can associate with the story being told. Body language, demeanor, and mannerisms allow people to read the speaker’s emotions so that they can get an accurate impression about him. This impression is affirmed by confidence portrayed while a person engages his audience. In literature,…

Salamis under King Xerses. There were several authors reported this battle with different view. Therefore, this essay will establish that, whereas Herodotus portrays the battle of Salamis as though it occurred directly after the capture of Athens, Aeschylus who fought at the battle of Salamis potrays it from the Persian viewpoint and provides different information compared to Herodotus. The battle of Salamis was a naval battle that fought between the Greece city and Persia. The battle of Salamis…

Aeschylus’ trilogy of plays, the Oresteia, deals with gender roles in ancient Athens, particularly through the chorus in the third play, the Eumenides. The expectation of women in Athenian society included caring for and watching over the home and family, and also listening to the men, as they were of higher status. The Erinyes in the Oresteia, however, are female characters independently willed and portrayed as violent and powerful. They later become the Eumenides, hidden underground and…

floods my voice is mine alone” (Aeschylus, 1975, 148). This loneliness is reflective of the fact that females were not to be as virtuous as men, creating an inconsistency. This inconsistency is the potential equality being thwarted by male dominance through the use of strength. Even though Cassandra is a soothsayer, she cannot escape her fate, which is to be murdered by the knife that waits for [her], which will splay [her] on the iron’s double edge (Aeschylus, 1975, 148). Cassandra also…