Justice in Aeschylus The Oresteia Essay -- Aeschylus Oresteia

Justice in Aeschylus The Oresteia How can an endless and violently soul-destroying cycle be just? The concept appears in places along the benignant timeline as diverse as the Bible and West Side Story. why do people have a determination to amplify and buy out violence through a cycle of murder and revenge, and how can this annihilating process be called justice? In The Oresteia, the cycle is a old(prenominal) one, but is also interweaved with gender issues and a sense of justice that changes deep down the cycle itself. Instead of focusing on one book of the trilogy, I think it will be to a greater extent worthwhile to see how these patterns light through all three books. The first chapter of the trilogy is the story of Agamemnon, the war triggerman of Troy who returns home plate after 10 years. The King had left on a rather sour utterance, having murdered his daughter Iphigenia to appease the Gods in order for the fleet to sail for Troy. Clytomnestra, the Queen, cannot understand the sacrifice. This is the first occurrence of the alleged(prenominal) gender battle in the trilogy. Agamemnons actions are typical of the simple Greek male point of view. He is mostly concerned with issues of war, keep an eye on and the welfare of the city. Clytomnestra, in contrast, is more concerned with female issues, such as the welfare of the family. The Queen, during the Kings absence, becomes obsessed with her daughters death, and takes a new lover to the exclusion of her remaining children in an attempt to purloin control over the city. When Agamemnon returns, instead of a faithful wife he finds a quick death at the hands of Aegithus. It is interesting to note that another person is also killed, an innocent. Clytomnestra kills Cassandra, a prophetic girl brought home from Troy, on a whim... ...ause it would only allow him to act out more injustice. Still, the idea of making him a better person relative to the set of society is somewhat anti-Socratic. Socrates would rather there be an absolute ideal, without populate for human opinion or emotion. Unfortunately, practical situation often foreclose the actualization of his ideal. His logic still entails to the idea of relative justice. In redbrick terms, this would be akin to sentencing criminals to time in therapy or mental wellness institutes rather than incarceration. This is not so radical a departure from what proponents of smashing punishment suggest. But is society ready for a justice dodging where the guilty are not punished? I dont think so. As sad as it may seem, the human tendency for hate overrides true justice. Works CitedAeschylus. Oresteia. Trans. Peter Meineck. Indianapolis Hackett, 1998