Blood Vengeance In The Oresteia
The Oresteia trilogy's first two acts, "Agamemnon" and "Choephoroe", work in conjunction to portray the true ramifications of seeking blood vengeance for past offenses. In order to convey this message, the plays characterized one "character" that appears in both pieces by having them learn the moral that the trilogy portrays. The Chorus learns and changes for the better during the events of The Oresteia because they no longer believe that blood atones for past offenses, but rather creates new tragedies that others will in turn wish to avenge. The Chorus exhibits a proclivity for punishment by blood vengeance beginning in “Agamemnon”. During the confrontation between the Chorus and Clytemnestra that follows Agamemnon’s death, the Chorus plainly
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states their position on how one who committed such an act of murder should be punished. "Ch. The charge is answered with counter charges. / Who shall be the judge between them? / The spoiler spoiled, slaughtered he who slaughtered. / The law abides yet beside the throne of Zeus, / The sinner must suffer. O 'tis ordered" (Aeschylus 298). Through these words, the Chorus states that every offense must be punished by an equal offense, such as slaughter for those who slaughtered, and thus all sinners must suffer by divine law. Judging by the fact that they are saying these words to Clytemnestra, who has just murdered her husband, the chorus is implying that they wish death upon her so that justice may be served. This proves that they at this point believe blood vengeance to be a viable form of justice and they would agree to subject murderers such as Clytemnestra to it. This statement of ideals would later become an explicit statement of what they would have happen to Clytemnestra in this case.
The Chorus, having already implied their desired fate for Clytemnestra, makes an explicit declaration towards the end of “Agamemnon” of the punishment that they would have both Clytemnestra and Aegisthus meet. At the end of their verbal duel with Aegisthus, the chorus wonders aloud whether the punishment they envision for the sinners could come to fruition, stating exactly the fate they desire for them. "Ch..... Oh, does Orestes yet / Behold the light of life, that he may come / Favoured to fortune home, and prove himself / The sovran executioner of both [sic]" (Aeschylus 301). By this, the Chorus wonders aloud whether Orestes is still alive so that he may come and execute both Clytemnestra and Aegisthus. This proves that they directly wish for Clytemnestra and Aegisthus to die at the hands of a murderer in order to avenge Orestes, moving from the earlier statement of ideals to what resembles the beginnings of a plan. This statement of the Chorus’s behalf further proves that they endorse violent revenge as a form of justice as they explicitly state they would have Clytemnestra and Aegisthus be killed to atone for their murderous deed. The Chorus would not forget this idea even in the next part of the Oresteia.
Early in “Choephoroe”, the Chorus demonstrates unchanging judgement by imposing their idea to avenge Agamemnon’s death upon his daughter, Electra. When Electra is sent by Clytemnestra to decorate Agamemnon’s tomb with gifts, she seeks advice from the Chorus of what to say in prayer, to which they respond to wish just death upon her mother and Aegisthus. "Ch. Remember too those guilty of his blood.... ask him to grant that God or man shall come— / El. Shall come to judge them, or to execute? / Ch. Yes, say quite plainly, to take life for life" (Aeschylus 307). In this exchange, the Chorus reminds Electra of those who killed her father and pray that a man will come to deliver justice, and Electra exhibits hesitancy by asking whether the man will judge the pair or kill them. Though Electra is unsure if this is the fate she wishes for her mother (for whom she may still harbor some affection) and Aegisthus, the Chorus takes advantage of her uncertainty to urge her towards the execution of their objective. It is thus revealed that the Chorus feels strongly enough about their ideals that they would ask a girl to pray for the death of her mother, simply because they believe it is the right thing to do. They would not stop with Electra, however, and would soon advance to push these ideas into another child of Agamemnon.
Soon after Orestes reveals himself to his sister, the two are accompanied by the Chorus to engage in the aforementioned prayer, which is where the Chorus takes another step to further its plans.
With everyone assembled, the Chorus initiates the prayer with a statement of ideals, wherein they expose Orestes to their plan for justice. “Ch.…Justice doth cry / In a loud voice claiming her payment: / 'For a murderous blow let a muderous blow / Be struck.' Let the doer be done by!—so / In a saying of old it is ordered [sic]" (Aeschylus 312). With these words, the Chorus states that by ancient order, one who does something must be repaid with the same thing, and in this case the murderer must be repaid with murder. Though Clytemnestra already knows this to be the Chorus’s desire, Orestes only just learns of this at this point, and in light of talk of justice and the invocation of his father’s spirit no less. This revelation under such circumstances may very well be a deliberate attempt by the Chorus to convince Orestes of their plan, as it previously stated that Orestes would be the hero that would avenge Agamemnon, proving that they are holding fast to their ideals of and plan for blood vengeance. The Chorus would later ensure that Orestes decided to go through with their plan, effectively laying the final nail in Clytemnestra and Aegisthus’s
coffin.
After the prayer to Agamemnon is done, the Chorus tells Orestes of the nightmares that Clytemnestra experienced and caused her to send gifts to Agamemnon’s grave. Their account of the nightmares (those of her birthing a serpent that would turn against her) lead Orestes to believe that he is destined to avenge his father, and the Chorus hurriedly approves of his conclusion, finally completing preparations to bring their plan to fruition. "Or. ....So she must die a violent death, and I, / The dragon of her dream, shall murder her. / Ch. Your reading of the portent I accept: / So be it" (Aeschylus 321). In this brief exchange, Orestes concludes that he is the snake that Clytemnestra dreamed and is destined to kill her in order to avenge his father’s death, to which the Chorus eagerly agrees to with a sense of finality. Though the Chorus allows Orestes to arrive at a conclusion based on facts by themselves, they still play a part in his decision by agreeing with him so eagerly that he has no opportunity to reconsider his decision. This shows that the Chorus has not changed its stance upon blood vengeance as a medium for justice, as they have successfully arranged for the killing of a mother by her own son in the name of justice, just as they had promised Clytemnestra at the end of “Agamemnon”. Though they seem content with their decision at this point, it wouldn’t be long before they would witness the consequences of the act they brought to fruition. It is only until after the deed is done and Clytemnestra and Aegisthus lie dead that The Chorus realizes that their ideals were mistaken and exhibits growth as a character. Shortly after Orestes slays his mother and emerges from the palace, he begins to be tormented by terrifying hounds that cursed him for killing his own mother, and it is here that the Chorus realizes that blood vengeance does no more than create a cycle of death and misery. “Ch….First came the unmerciful slaughter of babes / And the feast on their flesh; / Next followed the fall of a king, in the bath...the third now present is saviour—or else / Is destruction his name? / O when shall the end come, where shall the rage / Of calamity sink into slumber" (Aeschylus 339). These are some of the final lines of “Choephoroe,” and the Chorus recounts through these words the string of family murder that has been fueled by revenge (first Agamemnon’s father fed the Aegisthus’s sons to Aegisthus’s father, which was followed by the death of Agamemnon at the hands of his wife and Aegisthus, which was in turn followed by the death of Aegisthus and Clytemnestra at the hands of the latter’s son, which was finally followed by Orestes’s punishment at the hands of a curse) while lamenting the tragic nature of such occurrences. It is at this point that the Chorus changes its mindset about the nature of violent revenge, as they now see it as an action that will only cause further tragedy, which is a stark contrast to their ideals moments earlier. It is the event of Orestes’s punishment that triggers an awakening in the Chorus, and it is at this moment that it learns and changes for the better as a character, albeit at a terrible cost. During the first two parts of Aeschylus’s Oresteia, the Chorus exhibits dramatic change for the better as a character because they learn the true ramifications of blood vengeance and thus evolve their ideals. For the vast majority of the pieces, they advocate the use of bloodshed as a method of justice whenever they deem it appropriate, such as is the case in this situation. From the time they see Agamemnon’s corpse in “Agamemnon”, the members of the Chorus react angrily and plot the assassination of the two new masters of his home. They execute their plans in “Choephoroe,” seemingly feeling strongly enough about their objective that they would push aside any affection children may harbor for the parent that they are encouraged to kill as well as their morals regarding children killing their own parents. It is only until they see brutal punishment bestowed upon Orestes that they realize the error in their actions and learn from them. It is safe to assume that the Chorus will never again resort to violence as an easy solution for an inflicted wrong, and they may thenceforth spread that knowledge to others. This concludes their development as a character, which is a subtle but important theme to the Oresteia as a whole.
states their position on how one who committed such an act of murder should be punished. "Ch. The charge is answered with counter charges. / Who shall be the judge between them? / The spoiler spoiled, slaughtered he who slaughtered. / The law abides yet beside the throne of Zeus, / The sinner must suffer. O 'tis ordered" (Aeschylus 298). Through these words, the Chorus states that every offense must be punished by an equal offense, such as slaughter for those who slaughtered, and thus all sinners must suffer by divine law. Judging by the fact that they are saying these words to Clytemnestra, who has just murdered her husband, the chorus is implying that they wish death upon her so that justice may be served. This proves that they at this point believe blood vengeance to be a viable form of justice and they would agree to subject murderers such as Clytemnestra to it. This statement of ideals would later become an explicit statement of what they would have happen to Clytemnestra in this case.
The Chorus, having already implied their desired fate for Clytemnestra, makes an explicit declaration towards the end of “Agamemnon” of the punishment that they would have both Clytemnestra and Aegisthus meet. At the end of their verbal duel with Aegisthus, the chorus wonders aloud whether the punishment they envision for the sinners could come to fruition, stating exactly the fate they desire for them. "Ch..... Oh, does Orestes yet / Behold the light of life, that he may come / Favoured to fortune home, and prove himself / The sovran executioner of both [sic]" (Aeschylus 301). By this, the Chorus wonders aloud whether Orestes is still alive so that he may come and execute both Clytemnestra and Aegisthus. This proves that they directly wish for Clytemnestra and Aegisthus to die at the hands of a murderer in order to avenge Orestes, moving from the earlier statement of ideals to what resembles the beginnings of a plan. This statement of the Chorus’s behalf further proves that they endorse violent revenge as a form of justice as they explicitly state they would have Clytemnestra and Aegisthus be killed to atone for their murderous deed. The Chorus would not forget this idea even in the next part of the Oresteia.
Early in “Choephoroe”, the Chorus demonstrates unchanging judgement by imposing their idea to avenge Agamemnon’s death upon his daughter, Electra. When Electra is sent by Clytemnestra to decorate Agamemnon’s tomb with gifts, she seeks advice from the Chorus of what to say in prayer, to which they respond to wish just death upon her mother and Aegisthus. "Ch. Remember too those guilty of his blood.... ask him to grant that God or man shall come— / El. Shall come to judge them, or to execute? / Ch. Yes, say quite plainly, to take life for life" (Aeschylus 307). In this exchange, the Chorus reminds Electra of those who killed her father and pray that a man will come to deliver justice, and Electra exhibits hesitancy by asking whether the man will judge the pair or kill them. Though Electra is unsure if this is the fate she wishes for her mother (for whom she may still harbor some affection) and Aegisthus, the Chorus takes advantage of her uncertainty to urge her towards the execution of their objective. It is thus revealed that the Chorus feels strongly enough about their ideals that they would ask a girl to pray for the death of her mother, simply because they believe it is the right thing to do. They would not stop with Electra, however, and would soon advance to push these ideas into another child of Agamemnon.
Soon after Orestes reveals himself to his sister, the two are accompanied by the Chorus to engage in the aforementioned prayer, which is where the Chorus takes another step to further its plans.
With everyone assembled, the Chorus initiates the prayer with a statement of ideals, wherein they expose Orestes to their plan for justice. “Ch.…Justice doth cry / In a loud voice claiming her payment: / 'For a murderous blow let a muderous blow / Be struck.' Let the doer be done by!—so / In a saying of old it is ordered [sic]" (Aeschylus 312). With these words, the Chorus states that by ancient order, one who does something must be repaid with the same thing, and in this case the murderer must be repaid with murder. Though Clytemnestra already knows this to be the Chorus’s desire, Orestes only just learns of this at this point, and in light of talk of justice and the invocation of his father’s spirit no less. This revelation under such circumstances may very well be a deliberate attempt by the Chorus to convince Orestes of their plan, as it previously stated that Orestes would be the hero that would avenge Agamemnon, proving that they are holding fast to their ideals of and plan for blood vengeance. The Chorus would later ensure that Orestes decided to go through with their plan, effectively laying the final nail in Clytemnestra and Aegisthus’s
coffin.
After the prayer to Agamemnon is done, the Chorus tells Orestes of the nightmares that Clytemnestra experienced and caused her to send gifts to Agamemnon’s grave. Their account of the nightmares (those of her birthing a serpent that would turn against her) lead Orestes to believe that he is destined to avenge his father, and the Chorus hurriedly approves of his conclusion, finally completing preparations to bring their plan to fruition. "Or. ....So she must die a violent death, and I, / The dragon of her dream, shall murder her. / Ch. Your reading of the portent I accept: / So be it" (Aeschylus 321). In this brief exchange, Orestes concludes that he is the snake that Clytemnestra dreamed and is destined to kill her in order to avenge his father’s death, to which the Chorus eagerly agrees to with a sense of finality. Though the Chorus allows Orestes to arrive at a conclusion based on facts by themselves, they still play a part in his decision by agreeing with him so eagerly that he has no opportunity to reconsider his decision. This shows that the Chorus has not changed its stance upon blood vengeance as a medium for justice, as they have successfully arranged for the killing of a mother by her own son in the name of justice, just as they had promised Clytemnestra at the end of “Agamemnon”. Though they seem content with their decision at this point, it wouldn’t be long before they would witness the consequences of the act they brought to fruition. It is only until after the deed is done and Clytemnestra and Aegisthus lie dead that The Chorus realizes that their ideals were mistaken and exhibits growth as a character. Shortly after Orestes slays his mother and emerges from the palace, he begins to be tormented by terrifying hounds that cursed him for killing his own mother, and it is here that the Chorus realizes that blood vengeance does no more than create a cycle of death and misery. “Ch….First came the unmerciful slaughter of babes / And the feast on their flesh; / Next followed the fall of a king, in the bath...the third now present is saviour—or else / Is destruction his name? / O when shall the end come, where shall the rage / Of calamity sink into slumber" (Aeschylus 339). These are some of the final lines of “Choephoroe,” and the Chorus recounts through these words the string of family murder that has been fueled by revenge (first Agamemnon’s father fed the Aegisthus’s sons to Aegisthus’s father, which was followed by the death of Agamemnon at the hands of his wife and Aegisthus, which was in turn followed by the death of Aegisthus and Clytemnestra at the hands of the latter’s son, which was finally followed by Orestes’s punishment at the hands of a curse) while lamenting the tragic nature of such occurrences. It is at this point that the Chorus changes its mindset about the nature of violent revenge, as they now see it as an action that will only cause further tragedy, which is a stark contrast to their ideals moments earlier. It is the event of Orestes’s punishment that triggers an awakening in the Chorus, and it is at this moment that it learns and changes for the better as a character, albeit at a terrible cost. During the first two parts of Aeschylus’s Oresteia, the Chorus exhibits dramatic change for the better as a character because they learn the true ramifications of blood vengeance and thus evolve their ideals. For the vast majority of the pieces, they advocate the use of bloodshed as a method of justice whenever they deem it appropriate, such as is the case in this situation. From the time they see Agamemnon’s corpse in “Agamemnon”, the members of the Chorus react angrily and plot the assassination of the two new masters of his home. They execute their plans in “Choephoroe,” seemingly feeling strongly enough about their objective that they would push aside any affection children may harbor for the parent that they are encouraged to kill as well as their morals regarding children killing their own parents. It is only until they see brutal punishment bestowed upon Orestes that they realize the error in their actions and learn from them. It is safe to assume that the Chorus will never again resort to violence as an easy solution for an inflicted wrong, and they may thenceforth spread that knowledge to others. This concludes their development as a character, which is a subtle but important theme to the Oresteia as a whole.