...Clytemnestra’s Speech In Aeschylus's Greek tragedy Oresteia, shortly before the murder of Agamemnon, his wife, Clytemnestra, makes a stirring speech upon his return. The speech is a deceitful foreshadowing of the events to come, rich in double entendres and images of loss and death. Clytemnestra is able to fool not only Agamemnon, but the Chorus over the course of her dubious speech using many techniques of deceit. Clytemnestra's treachery throughout her speech is evident through the use of images, metaphors, and equivocal and ambiguous phrases she uses to skillfully fool the Chorus in Aeschylus's Oresteia. Clytemnestra cleverly uses the equivocal properties inherent in language for her dastardly purpose. She employs several shrewd images that are misinterpreted by Agamemnon and the Chorus to be a proud and relieved homecoming for her husband’s return. At the beginning of her speech, Clytemnestra said that the "rumors she hears spreads like disease," invoking an image of rot and decay (Aeschylus, 863). Throughout the next few lines, she reports rumors that Agamemnon had "more holes in him than a net" and a "triple cloak of earth", while implying that he was a "second Geryon", or a monstrosity of a man (Aeschylus, 866-872). Clytemnestra says that the rumors that circulated around the city were so unbearable that she “had to be released against her will, from the noose of suicide, more than once” (Aeschylus, 874-875). Clytemnestra also boldly points out that Iphigenia, the "seal...
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...authority. In the Oresteia trilogy which includes, the plays Agamemnon, The Libation Bearers, and The Eumenides. A central theme throughout all three plays was justice. However, through the relative importance of justice in Greek society it permitted the institutionalization of male dominance. The women attempt disrupt the male-ordered society and deconstruct the idea of the “typical” Athenian women when they engage in both their feminine and masculine roles. To most readers, the women of The Oresteia are sinful and vindictive, and a disgrace to all innocent and virtuous women of Athens. This paper will examine the masculine roles taken on by women and how the Greek’s idea of justice enabled the inferiority and...
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...Athens. In Aeschylus’, Oresteia, the acquittal of Orestes provides a just resolution of tragic events through the elimination of violence for violence, the new role of the Furies within the Athenian society and ultimately, the restoration of order through a structured legal system. In the beginning of the play, one is able to recognize the wicked curse that plagues the House of Atreus. The House of Atreus is under a curse that began with a dispute between two brothers, Atreus and Thyestes. Atreus slaughtered Thyestes’s children and served them as a feast. Thyestes unknowingly devoured his own children and in result, condemns a curse within the House of Atreus. One act of violence will foreshadow a continuous cycle of violence and revenge upon the House of Atreus. A sense of fear is evoked through the beginning speech of the watchman as he depicts a clear vision of adversity to arise. In his speech, the watchman portrays his glory in Agamemnon’s return from Troy, however speaks of misfortune that he is not able to express. The watchman describes his fear of future events, “Whenever I find myself shifting my bed about at night, wet with dew, unvisited by dreams-because fear instead of sleep stands at my side to stop my eyes closing fast in slumber- and whenever I think to sing or to hum, dispensing this remedy from music against sleep, then I weep in lament for this house’s misfortune; it is not managed for the best as it was before” (Aeschylus, Oresteia: Agamemnon,...
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...procession is the sign not only that the moral government of the world has been set at last upon a sure basis, but also that this government is alreadt in operation and sanctifying human institutions. This is what Owen means when he says: The story is not the poet's subject; his artistic purpose goes beyond the dramatic development of the legend; that is why his play does not end with the story.5 In each play we have pointed out that Aeschylus was not primarily concerned with the legend, and here, it seems, is sufficient evidence to support our contention. What Owen maintains is the subject of the Oresteia is as follows: The subject of the Oresteia is the creation of a new moral order; Aeschylus depicts the vast chain of events which the death of Agamemnon started in heaven and earth, how it and its results shook the 4 5 Norwood, PP• 114-116. Owen, The Oresteia, P• 442. universe to its foundations and altered the spiritual history of the world; he presents the legend as a turning-point in the destinies of mankind.6 63 If this interpretation is true, which is most probable, than it .is futile for us to look for any similarity between this play ~~d Aristotle's formula. Here is tragedy, yet fund~~entally different from that implied in the definition of Aristotle. Aeschylus was not trying to write a tragedy of pity and fear. As Owen says: •••Aeschylus was not led to his shaping of the Orestes story by the simple desire to bring out the fearful and...
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...During early Greek times, revenge was a code of conduct, but it came at a cost. In Aeschylus’ The Oresteia, Agamemnon kills his daughter, Iphigeneia, to please the god Artemis. Filled with rage and sorrow, his wife, Clytaemnestra, plots to avenge her late daughter with the help of her new lover, Aegisthus. In Aeschylus' tragedy Agamemnon, Clytemnestra is portrayed as a strong-willed woman. For a woman of her time, this trait is not necessarily seen for a woman of her time. It is a moral obligation not to kill a family member, but Clytaemnestra and Agamemnon went against this. Clytaemnestra is an admirable woman because she avenges her daughter’s death, she stands for her rights, and she is extremely clever. Clytaemnestra is an admirable woman significantly because she avenges her daughter’s death. The death of Iphigeneia leaves sorrow and anger in Clytaemnestra’s heart. For this reason, she kills her husband and feels no remorse. Clytaemnestra says: “Here is Agamemnon, my husband made a corpse by this right hand – a masterpiece of Justice. Done is done” (1429-1431)...
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...Modern Performance and Adaptation of Greek Tragedy Helene P. Foley Barnard College, Columbia University “Leave it to a playwright who has been dead for 2,400 years to jolt Broadway out of its dramatic doldrums” begins a recent New York Times review (December 4, 1998) of a British Electra by Sophocles starring Zoe Wanamaker and Claire Bloom. This fall the Times has repeatedly remarked on the “deluge” of Greek tragedy in the 1998-99 theater season: the National Theater of Greece’s Medea, Joanne Akalaitis’ The Iphigeneia Cycle (a double bill that combines Euripides’ two Iphigeneia plays), a revival of Andrei Serban’s famous Fragments of a Greek Trilogy, and a four-and-a-half-hour adaptation of the Oedipus Rex were announced at the start of the season. Off-off Broadway versions will inevitably follow. The Brooklyn Academy of Music even hosted a dance/theatre piece based on the Eleusinian Mysteries. 1 The Classic Stage Company, an off-Broadway theater group devoted to performance and adaptation of Western classics, currently receives more scripts that re-work Greek tragedy than any other category of drama. 2 From a global perspective, New York is simply reflecting a trend set by important modern playwrights and directors worldwide. Greek drama now occupies a regular place in the London theater season. In the past twenty years, acclaimed productions have been mounted not only in Europe but also in Japan, India, and Africa. Translations are even beginning to proliferate in China, occasionally...
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...character with an important role in the universe, and how they handle it through intense emotions like revenge, lamentation, and suffering. These characters are often presented with a task, either through their own choices or from influence by the Gods. These influences can offer the audience a way that they may safely feel emotions like pity and fear towards the characters, allowing them to be engrossed in a tragic story. Most of our principle characters were given their circumstance by forces out of their control, however a handful of them made their decisions themselves. For example, in The Agamemnon, while Clytemnestra and Aegisthus choose to murder Agamemnon (because he sacrificed Iphigenia), there were more influential circumstances at play. Most of the characters are aware of the curse of the house of Atreus, and mention it themselves several times throughout the Oresteia. They know that Agamemnon is a son of Atreus, he is afflicted by this very curse. Rationally they need not act on the curse, but they feel like they must enact revenge to make up for other loses....
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...signal that will announce Troy’s capture, and all is not well within the house. He sees the beacon at last and will tell Clytemnestra, Agamemnon’s wife. He rejoices at the news for it means his master will be coming home. Parodos or Entry of the Choros, who are Elders of Argos, counsellors to the Queen Regent. They chant about the expedition against Troy. The sons of Atreus (Agamemnon and Menelaus) are seen as birds whose nest has been robbed by the stealing of Helen. Par is who stole her thereby offended against Zeus, the God of the host and guest. With legal images the old men say that Paris will be punished. They themselves were too old to go to war ten years ago; like the old man in the Sphynx’s riddle they lean on staffs. Clytemnestra enters with slaves to make sacrifice at the altars; the choros ask her why sacrifices are being made but she ignores them and does not answer. The choros continue with the first Ode, a song about Aulis and what happened there, The omen of the pregnant hare attacked by the eagles: Calchas the prophet interpreted it to mean that Troy would fall but that the goddess Artemis will try to prevent the destruction of Troy. The sons of Atreus, he said, must not annoy the gods. There will be ominous sacrifice; the refrain to this Ode is “Sing sorrow, sorrow, but may the good prevail!” (Almost a summary of the Oresteia). Hymn to Zeus: A special appeal to the god who, as the third in succession of father gods triumphed over a more primitive...
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...signal that will announce Troy’s capture, and all is not well within the house. He sees the beacon at last and will tell Clytemnestra, Agamemnon’s wife. He rejoices at the news for it means his master will be coming home. Parodos or Entry of the Choros, who are Elders of Argos, counsellors to the Queen Regent. They chant about the expedition against Troy. The sons of Atreus (Agamemnon and Menelaus) are seen as birds whose nest has been robbed by the stealing of Helen. Par is who stole her thereby offended against Zeus, the God of the host and guest. With legal images the old men say that Paris will be punished. They themselves were too old to go to war ten years ago; like the old man in the Sphynx’s riddle they lean on staffs. Clytemnestra enters with slaves to make sacrifice at the altars; the choros ask her why sacrifices are being made but she ignores them and does not answer. The choros continue with the first Ode, a song about Aulis and what happened there, The omen of the pregnant hare attacked by the eagles: Calchas the prophet interpreted it to mean that Troy would fall but that the goddess Artemis will try to prevent the destruction of Troy. The sons of Atreus, he said, must not annoy the gods. There will be ominous sacrifice; the refrain to this Ode is “Sing sorrow, sorrow, but may the good prevail!” (Almost a summary of the Oresteia). Hymn to Zeus: A special appeal to the god who, as the third in succession of father gods triumphed over a more primitive...
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...ILLUSTRATION OF JUSTICE AND VENGENANCE IN CHOEPHORI (THE LIBATION- BEARERS) ‘The Choephori’ (the libation – bearers) is the second of the three linked tragedies which make up “The Oresteia” trilogy written by the ancient Greek playwright Aeschylus, preceded by “Agamemnon” and followed by “The Eumenides”. The trilogy as a whole, originally performed at the annual Dionysia festival in Athens in 458 BCE, where it won first prize, is considered to be Aeschylus’ last authenticated, and also his greatest, work. “The Libation Bearers” deals with the reunion of Agamemnon's children, Electra and Orestes, and their revenge as they kill Clytemnestra and Aegisthus in a new chapter of the curse of the House of Atreus. Some years after the murder of Agamemnon, Clytemnestra (who now shares both her bed and the throne of Argos with her lover, Aegisthus) has a nightmare about giving birth to a snake which then feeds from her breast and draws blood along with milk. Concerned at the possible wrath of the gods, she orders her daughter, Electra (now reduced to the virtual status of a slave-girl) and the Chorus of slave women - the libation bearers of the title - to pour libations on Agamemnon's grave as an offering to the gods. The Chorus, captives from old wars and loyal to Orestes and Electra, are strongly opposed to Clytemnestra and Aegisthus, and they play a crucial part in explaining the unfolding conspiracy. At her father’s grave, Electra meets her recently returned brother Orestes (who had been banished...
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...The Dominance of Fate Fate was of great concern to the Greeks, and its workings resonate through many of their myths and texts. We see countless characters who go to great lengths in attempts to alter fate, even if they know such an aim to be futile. The inability of any mortal or immortal to change prescribed outcomes stems from the three Fates: sisters Clotho, who spins the thread of life; Lachesis, who assigns each person’s destiny; and Atropos, who carries the scissors to snip the thread of life at its end. These three divinities pervade all the stories of Greek myth, whether they be stories of gods, goddesses, demigods, heroes, or mortals and regardless of the exploits recounted. Nothing can be done to alter or prolong the destiny of one’s life, regardless of the number of preparations or precautions taken. This inflexibility applies just as much to Zeus as to the lowliest mortal, as we see in Zeus’s hounding of Prometheus to divulge the name of the woman who will bear the offspring that one day will kill him. Though this lesson is somewhat consoling—the way of the world cannot be bent to match the whims of those in authority—it is also very disturbing. The prospect of free will seems rather remote, and even acts of great valor and bravery seem completely useless. The myths provide an interesting counterpoint to this uselessness, however. In virtually all the stories in which a character does everything in his power to block a negative fate, and yet falls prey to it,...
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...The Olympians Zeus - Roman name: Jupiter or Jove. The sky-god Zeus rules Mount Olympus. His weapon is the thunderbolt, and his bird is the eagle. The central figure of the myths, Zeus epitomizes their complexity. At times he is divine and represents a pure, eternal sense of justice; at other times, he is capricious and cruel. Hera - Roman name: Juno. Zeus’s wife and sister, Hera is a very powerful goddess known mostly for her jealousy. She is often vicious and spiteful, and it is usually Zeus’s infidelity that incites her. Many unfortunate mortals endure hardships by provoking Hera’s wrath. Poseidon - Roman name: Neptune. The god of the sea, Poseidon is Zeus’s brother and second only to him in power. Poseidon holds a decade-long grudge against Odysseus. The often cruel and unpredictable violence of the seas is assumed to be a result of his anger. Hades - Roman name: Pluto. The brother of Zeus and Poseidon, Hades rules the underworld, the realm of the dead, with his wife, Persephone. Pallas Athena - Roman name: Minerva. Usually just called Athena, this goddess emerges from Zeus’s head fully-grown and armed. Associated with war, cleverness, and wit, it is no surprise that she favors Odysseus. Athena is the goddess of Wisdom, Reason, and Purity and is chaste, like Artemis and Hestia. Phoebus Apollo - Usually just called Apollo. A son of Zeus and Leto and Artemis’s twin, he is the god of Light and Truth, the master of Poetry and Music, and the god of Archery. His Oracle...
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...MYTHOLOGY IN MODERN SOCIETY [pic] [pic] [pic] |Mythology is everywhere! Daily you run across instances of words, city names, companies, | |literary allusions - and even planets and constellations - that take their name or borrow | |their theme from myths. Because of your many requests, I've provided a couple of thousand | |excellent examples to help you get started in your research. Remember, you're surrounded | |by mythology in today's society, whether you realize it or not! | Mythological Influence on Modern... |[pic]Companies & Groups |[pic]Planets & Constellations | |[pic] Words & Expressions |[pic]Literary & Pop Culture | [pic]American Cities Named From Mythology [pic] COMPANIES & GROUPS |Mythology is everywhere! There are hundreds of companies, groups and corporations that take their name, logo or theme from ancient mythology. | |I've provided a variety of examples to help you in starting your research. Some are well-known international companies, others are of a more | |local nature. | |Aegis - Zeus and Athena's protective shield; modern group of insurance companies (The Aegis Group). | |Ajax - Greek warrior in the Trojan War, who "cleaned up" in...
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...The Gift of the Magi Themes Love "Gift of the Magi" is the story of a poor, young couple whose love for each other is the most important thing in their lives. Such is their love that they're led to sacrifice their most valuable possessions to find Christmas gifts for each other. The warm home they make together contrasts with the drabness of their poverty and the dreary world outside. Their love seems to know no bounds, though Della (the wife) worries about how her sacrifice will affect her husband because of how it affects her looks. If ever there were a story with the message that all you need to be happy is love, this is it. Sacrifice The two main characters in "Gift of the Magi" are a husband and wife who give up their most precious possessions to be able to afford gifts for each other on Christmas Eve. The story seems to be all about sacrifice. We watch Della go through the process of deciding to make the sacrifice and going through with it, only to discover that her husband has made the same sacrifice. The story's narrator assures us that in their willingness to give up all they have, they have proven themselves the wisest of all gift-givers. It might remain unclear, though, exactly what their sacrifice has accomplished, or how it has affected them. Wealth In many ways, "Gift of the Magi" is a story about what it means for something to be valuable. Does something's value lie in how much money it is worth? Or are other things more valuable than money? The main characters...
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