Justice in Agamemnons Family in the Oresteia - Essay Example

JUSTICE IN THE AGAMEMNON’S FAMILY IN THE ORESTEIA. Introduction The play is starts with the announcement of victory of king Agamemnon over Troy as a revenge mission for Paris Alexander kidnaping Helen while he was a guest of Menelaus. Upon their arrival, there is celebration among the people though short-lived as the king is killed by Clytemnestra and Aegustus. In the play, justice is served in two ways; supernaturally and by the humans themselves. The gods are the Supreme Being in meting out justice to the people. There are several unwritten rules the people have to follow, including not comparing themselves to the gods and being humble before them. Everything the people do is monitored by the gods and any deviation or disobedience is punished. Human beings are also able to judge among themselves and punish whom they deem wrong. In the play, however, the most common form of punishment was death. Many cases arose from previous actions where an aggrieved individual took matters into their own hands and acted as they pleased. Agamemnon attacked Troy so as to avenge the kidnap of Helen. He was also killed because of his father’s role in the death of Thyestes’ children. In this essay, I will demonstrate the different cases of justice in the play and how they were carried out. I will also show how humans overcame the gods in the end when they decide to punish Agamemnon themselves. Justice of the gods The gods play an important role in meting out justice to the society. When the play starts, the chorus reminds us that Artemis had demanded the sacrifice of Iphigenia- it was her that was taken away their wind for the ships, and the priests Calchas stated to them what their goddess needed. As much as the decision was hard for Agamemnon to take, it was needed to appease the gods for the sake of his army. As the general, he did not want to disappoint neither his crew nor the gods. The decision, to sacrifice his child is very unpopular with the people as indicated in the chorus, clearly indicates that the gods were the final authority in terms of justice. “My fate is angry if I obey these” “But angry if I slaughter” “This child, the beauty of my house…….” “How shall I fail my ships?” “And lose the faith of the battle” When Troy is conquered by Agamemnon and his army, Clytemnestra as the ruler in charge, is quick to thank the god Hepthaus. However, she also prays that the passion of the Greek should overwhelm them and disrespect the gods. Moreover, she asks that their men not to plunder the gods alter or assault any of the women of Trojan. The fear Clytemnestra exhibits clearly show the gods are ready to punish anyone who disobeys them. After returning from the war, the king of Argos owes his success to both the soldiers the gods. In the end, the gods turned against Troy and the city was destroyed for the sake of Helen. The queen, Clytemnestra, offers Agamemnon the red carpet for him to walk on when he leaves the chariot, because she thought he had earned special recognition. According to the play, the gods punish the people who compare themselves with them. Agamemnon thinks that by stepping on the red carpet he will be lifting himself high, yet he just wants to remain humble. After much persuasion and daring from his stubborn wife, he gives in to her demand and walks on it full of regret and shame for dirtying the fine cloth. His death at the end of the play can be attributed to the punishment he feared from the gods for his disobedience. After Cassandra is done with her “prophecy”, the Chorus is sure something terrible will happen. They pray to the gods for avoidance of the uncertain disaster and comfort. Their desperation clearly demonstrates that the gods are the supreme authority in meting out judgment. The gods are displayed as being incomparable to humans, and that their mercies lie on them (line 992-1000). The Chorus of Elders, moreover, mentions a case where someone tried to resurrect people and was punished, by making him impotent, for his pride (line 101-1027). Revenge The play revolves around revenge as a means of fulfilling justice. At the start of the play, Agamemnon and his army are out to conquer and defeat Troy. The son of the leader of Troy, Paris Alexander, had taken Helen away from Menelaus when he had visited the Greeks. Agamemnon’s absence, Clytemnestra is in charge of Argos. She announced the victory of their army after ten years when she was informed of the smoke by the watchman. The chorus of Elders changes their tune and starts to sing praises because they believe justice has been served, finally. However, the elders believe that it as the gods who played a big role in the victory. Even though he was a prince of Troy, he could not hide from the justice the Greeks had shown for kidnapping the host’s wife. On his return, Agamemnon says that law and order will be restored and that the disloyal would be punished and killed and the loyal rewarded. The order displays the authority the king was bestowed within the kingdom. He could order a punishment or an execution based on his judgment alone. Clytemnestra is quick to explain her actions while she was in charge, including sending their son, Orestes, to stay with a friend and how she tried to commit suicide due to the stress she had while he was away (www.BookRags.com). Cassandra, who was taken as a hostage during the war by Agamemnon, reveals what Argos did to the children of Thyestes’ children. Agamemnon father killed, cooked and fed Thyestes’ children to him. She says that there were vengeful spirits in that house due to the injustice done to Thyestes. She blames Clytemnestra for killing her own children and compares her to Scylla who was turned into a snake monster. Agamemnon and Clytemnestra are destined to die. Soon, the Chorus would be standing over her dead body. Cassandra prophesies doom to Agamemnon’s family. She says her death would be avenged by Clytemnestra’s’ son who will also avenge his dead father. When she enters the palace, she compares its smell to that of a “slaughterhouse” and an open grave. Her murderers, says will feel revenge one day (www.BookRags.com). As her final words, she asks Apollo, the god of light, to strike her killers and avenge for her. On her death, Clytemnestra is to be reminded by her killers that it is Cassandras’ death that they are avenging (line 1324-1326). Cassandra describes how Agamemnon will die. He will be bathed in “bright with water” and nearby there is a murderous woman that will deliver a “monstrous death to her husband”. Clytemnestra will bind him in a net and stab him until he dies in the bathtub. “Caught in the folded webs” “Entanglement she pinions him and with the black horn” “He crumbles in the watered bath” (Line 1125-1129) Conclusion In the end, revenge overcomes the will of the gods. The actions of both Clytemnestra and Aegisthus are both driven by the need to avenge for Agamemnon’s past action. When the play ends, Agamemnon is killed by Clytemnestra and Aegisthus, the son of Thyestes. Clytemnestra justifies the murder, saying it was payback for killing and sacrificing Iphigenia (Line 1417). She alleges to execute justice for Iphigenia through fate and the avenging spirit. Moreover, she speaks spitefully of Cassandra, who had been taken captive by Agamemnon during the conquest of Troy. Clytemnestra speaks highly of Aegisthus, whom she sees as her shield and loyal (line 1498). In contrast to her initial statement, she then blames Agamemnon for his own death. She says it is because of the deific spirit of retribution that took over her, that killing him with a vengeance for Atreus killing Thyestes’ children. The change of mind is when the Chorus alleges the presence of a demon that has afflicted the house of Atreus. As much Agamemnon’s death was prophesied by Cassandra, the actual motive of his death were Clytemnestra under the excuse of punishing him for his actions, including killing their child and being unfaithful in their marriage. Had the gods been in charge of punishing king Agamemnon, he would have been given an ‘unnatural punishment’, just like one who was turned into an enormous snake or the one who was made impotent. By killing the king Agamemnon, Clytemnestra believes she has ended the cycle of revenge. However, only an impartial force, like the gods, could end the bloodshed and feud in the kingdom. References Aeschylus, Alan Shapiro, and Peter Burian. The Oresteia. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2003. Print. www.BookRags.com,. Agamemnon Summary. N. p., 2014. Web. 27 Jul. 2014. Read More