Aeschylus EumenidesClosure at Last?

“The woman you call the mother of the child

is not the parent, just a nurse to the seed,

the new-sown seed that grows and swells inside her.

The man is the source of life – the one who mounts.”

Name that quote…

Apollo, Eumenides p. 260

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Agenda

• Recap & Update– From Darkness to Light

• “Strength of Words”– Clytemnestra and Chorus

• Class Discussion– Closure at Last?

Recap & Update

From Darkness to Light

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Intertwined Imagery• Snakes

– “No, no! Women – look – like Gorgons, / shrouded in black, their heads wreathed, / swarming serpents!” (Orestes in LB p. 225)

• Nets– “… she shackled her man in robes, / in her

gorgeous never-ending web she chopped him down” (Apollo in Eum. p. 259)

• Libations– “Our Fury never wants for blood. His (Aegisthus’

blood) she drinks unmixed (i.e., like wine straight up), our third libation to saving Zeus” (Orestes, of Aegisthus in LB p. 203)

Is dikē hubris?

Eumenides: Analysis(numbers = Penguin lines)

• Prologue 1-143– Pythia, Apollo, Or, Clyt,

Furies• 1st parodos 144-175

– Furies mad for the hunt• 1st episode 176-241

– Apollo, Leader• 2nd parodos 241-273

– track Orestes to Athens• 2nd episode

– Or, Leader• 1st stasimon 321-407

– binding song• 3rd episode

– Athena, Leader, Or• 2nd stasimon 506-571

– “Furious” justice

• 4th episode 572-791– Ath, Ap, Leader, Or

• Rage songs 792-888– Athena speaking– chorus singing

• 5th episode 888-926– Ath, Leader

• Blessing song 927-1030– Athena chanting– chorus singing

• Spoken transition 1031-1041– Athena

• Lyric exodos 1042-1057– chorus of Athena’s cult

personnel

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Mythic-political convergence…

Sparta

Argos

AulisDelphi

Troy

Peloponnese

Athens

Athena

Fury

FuryApollo

Orestes

Orestes at Delphi,Athens

OresteiaDramatic Planes

There-and-Thenmythiccosmicjudicial

Here-and-Nowtopicalpoliticaljudicial

Political Context

461Areopagus depoliticized

Radical democracy strengthenedEphialtes murdered

458Oresteia produced.

Oresteia:Structural Oppositions, Progressions

verbal

ambiguous

human

old

dark

earth

female

violence

strife

aristocracy

revenge

Erinyes (Furies)

visual

clear

divine

new

light

sky

male

persuasion

harmony

democracy

judicial process

Semnai (Revered Ones)

dramatic

thematic

“Strength of Words”

Clytemnestra and Chorus

Clytaemnestra: Awake, my Furies, goddesses of the Earth! A dream is calling - Clytaemnestra calls you now.

Chorus muttering

Mutter on. Your man is gone, fled far away. My son has friends to defend him, not like mine.

Chorus louder muttering.

You sleep too much, no pity for my ordeal. Orestes murdered his mother - he is gone.

Chorus moaning.

Moaning, sleeping - onto your feet, quickly. What is your work? What but causing pain? Sleep and toil, two strong conspirators, they sap

the mother dragon’s deadly fury.

Chorus labe labe labe labe phrazdou!

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“Binding Song” (1st stasimon, 307 ff.)

epi de tōi tethumenōitode melos, parakopā,paraphorā phrenodalēs,humnos ex Erinuōndesmios phrenōn, aphor-miktos, auona brotois.“Over the victim’s burning head this chant this frenzy striking frenzy …” (329 ff.)

Class Discussion

Closure at Last?

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Questions…

• Is the decision justified? Fair?• Do the Furies (Erinues)

compromise…– validly?

– bogusly?

• Does the Oresteia achieve closure?

• Is dikē still hubris?

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Discussion Results…• divided

– stopped violence, everyone happy

– cl forgotten• necessary verdict

– yes closure, realist• or’s murder justified

– but no real decision• or justified

– unfair to cl– cycle NOT broken

• in context, a “just” outcome– b/c Athens = misogyny

• trial pointless– not fair

• furies sell out– bribery

• orest wrong– the logic of kinship doesn’t

work– unfair for him to get a trial

• (divided group)– hubristic defense– OR: no remorse, doesn’t

take responsibility