The Oresteia by Aeschylus
Book Type
Ancient Greek tragic play(s)
Brief overview
Aeschylus tells the story of Agamemnon’s return to his homeland after 10 bloody years of war in Troy. Upon arrival, the king’s life comes to a sour end as his wife, Clytemnestra, hacks him to death in cold revenge. She resented him for the sacrifice of their daughter- Iphigenia -who was killed to appease the goddess Artemis and grant Agamemnon’s army a safe passage to Troy.
The plot deepens beyond the ‘eye for an eye’ debate. Orestes, their son, is faced with a terrible dilemma. The god Apollo orders him to kill Clytemnestra, the very mother that raised him, because divine law declares that family must avenge family. But who could cut down their own mother? Even if Orestes grit his teeth and went ahead with it, he’d be committing a sin just as great as cowering away from revenge.
The final half of the book sees Orestes’ morality in anguish, teetering between two evils. He makes his decision. To find order in this evil mess, a divine trial is held by Athene -justice is tested, goodness is at stake and the folly of blood feuds is held to light.
Context
Aeschylus lived near Athens, in the fifth century BC. This century gifted us with a lot of great history, but as far as our stern-eyed Aeschylus was concerned, it was a period of transformation. Greece got impatient being ruled by tyrants- merchants who paid tribute to Persia -and wanted a taste of full democracy. But change is tough. Revolutions burst up like wildfires, but in the end, a new Greece flourished, one with a youthful energy and an eye for innovation in law and justice.
Here, justice is everything. It’s transformation is the main thread of the play, and in its reading, we ask the same questions a robed citizen would wonder 2400 years before us as they spectated from the stands:
"What is justice?"
"Can vengeance coexist with justice?"
"How does fate and divinity change justice?"
As Greece burst to life with a new political aura, the citizen had to pay more attention to these problems. Thousands of years later, in the digital renaissance, we ought to do the same.
Core themes
Justice (especially its transformation). Fate. Morality. Vengeance.
Writing style
Aeschylus likes a bold, poetic flow. Through the story, he scatters grand monologues, colourful metaphors and dramatic irony. It’s nice to have books inspire you to think, but it’s even better when you’re taken along for a dramatic ride.
Who’s it for?
Justice is one of those big ideas you see pop up in literature time and time again. It won’t slow down either. Not for as long as good and evil exists. When you pick up The Oresteia, you’re looking at the first clue in an investigation that has lasted for millenia, so if you’re interested in seeing how humanity has thought of itself in the past, this is for you.
It sits proudly near the beginning of the "Great Works of Western Tradition" list, and that's a handsome status booster in itself.
What gave me the fizz?
I’ve written over 9000 words worth of notes for this book. Ok, sure, I write too much, but not this much with any old book. It’s damn good. The dilemma Orestes found himself in is one that you can chew over for weeks, and since there is no clear answer, it makes you think. On top of that, I absolutely loved some of the poetry in this. I plucked out many, many beautiful passages that you’ll probably see littered in future newsletters.
Difficulty
The poetic language of the play might pose a challenge if you aren’t used to it, but I’m reaching here. The main point of difficulty lies in your awareness of the context, which sets the scene for the themes in question. Fortunately, most introductions will offer a look into Classical Greek society at the time, which sheds light on why justice was bursting out to the public eye.
It's a great intro to Greek plays. Aeschylus is the father of tragedy and one of the early big dogs of Greek theatre in general, so do check it out if this spotlight excites you.
Have you read it? I'd love to hear your thoughts on it!
Yours,
Odysseas
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