Justice In Orestes :: The Oresteia Equality Justice Essays

Justice in OrestesAeschylus is primarily concerned with the nature of justice. In the trilogy TheOresteia, the Akhaians evolve from an older, more primitive autocratic phase angle ofjustice, to a new concept of civil justice devised by Athena. He confronts thecontrast amid the old and new orders, the lives of the members of the Houseof Atreus, and the serious moral questions that Orestes abhorrence presents.The case against Orestes is strong. The son admits to striking down his mother,in violation of the sacred tenant of kinship. But I came back, my years ofexile weatheredkilled the one who fag me, I wont deny it, killed her inrevenge. (Eumenides lines 476-478) This shows that Orestes was fully aware ofthe act he was committing, that he willfully committed it, and that he mustsuffer for it. The bond between mother and child was broken when Orestesmurdered Clytaemnestra. Marriage, arguably, is a tenant of Zeus and theOlympians. In the old order of things, family is by blood only. A husband and wife have no blood relation, yet the son is of the same blood as his parents.The Furies right to vengeance cannot be dismissed.Clytaemnestra is one who upheld the laws of the Furies. Agamemnons murder ofIphegenia at Aulis was excellent outrage. Yes he had the heart to sacrifice hisdaughter , to bless the war (Agamemnon lines 222-223) Agamemnon killed hisown blood relation in order to sail for Troy. This too, is a terrible crime, seemingly of the same weight as Orestes act. Clytaemnestra believed she wasjustified in avenging her daughter, because her husband violated a sacred tenantof the old gods. Here is Agamemnon, my husband made a corpse by this righthanda masterpiece of justice. Done is done. (Agamemnon lines 1429-1431) Thisshows a clear morality behind Clytaemnestras motives. She appears to havejustification for her actions. The curse on the House of Atreus is fulfilled.In the last lines of Agamemnon the chorus foreshadows Orestes refurbishment.Clytaemnestra re sponds by saying to her new husband, We will set the house inorder once for all. (Agamemnon lines 1708) The choruss purpose for suggestingOrestess return is to show that the house is not yet cleansed of the curse..Like his mother, Orestes possesses what he believes to be a just motive forrevenge. Unlike his mother, however, Orestes has reservations about killing. Hedoes not offer to strike down his mother, but realises that he must. The defenseof Orestes is rooted in the fact that Apollo ordered him to do so.