How Does Aeschylus Portray Suffering In Oresteia
Ahmed Ahmed 12/04/08
Prof. Staines
Lit 230-02
Oresteia Paper
People suffer for many different reasons, and they cope with the suffering the only way they know how. In addition, sometimes people seek their own justice for their suffering. There is always controversy about what is justified and what is not. In Oresteia, Aeschylus portrays suffering for many characters; however, Clytemnestra suffers the most. Therefore, Aeschylus illustrates Clytemnestra’s suffering when her husband is at war, and then to add to that suffering, the sacrifice of her daughter, so she murders Agamemnon claiming it was justifiable in avenge for …show more content…
her daughter’s death and thinks that it helps put an end to her suffering.
When someone suffers, they sustain a pain or a loss from their suffering. Zeus says “Man must learn by suffering” (Chorus, Agamemnon, 178). Therefore, in order to prevent that pain or loss from occurring again, one must learn from their suffering. One way to learn from suffering is to obtain fear as a lesson from suffering. Fear is what prevents someone from making the same mistake because they do not want to suffer the same consequences. Clytemnestra does not obtain fear as a lesson of her suffering. The first event of Clytemnestra’s suffering takes place when her husband, Agamemnon, is at war. She suffers from the rumors that were being spread during Agamemnon’s absence. Clytemnestra says “These rumors ate away at me, to the point that I had to be released, against my will, from the noose of suicide, more than once.” (Clytemnestra, Agamemnon, 873-875). So by being a faithful wife while he was gone and ignoring all the rumors that were told, she prevented any additional suffering.
Another event of Clytemnestra’s suffering is also when Agamemnon is gone during the Trojan War. Clytemnestra suffers many years from loneliness and being faithful while waiting for her husband to return back home to her. “I will tell you how unbearable my life has been while this man stood under Troy’s walls. To begin with, when a woman sits at home, parted from her husband, her loneliness is terrible, and the rumors she hears spread like a disease.” (Clytemnestra, Agamemnon, 859-863). And the loss that she suffers is the loss of her daughter, Iphigenia, who is sacrificed by Agamemnon. If Clytemnestra had learned from this suffering, she would not kill Agamemnon in revenge for her daughter because it does not justify Agamemnon’s actions. For that reason, violence and suffering does not end for Clytemnestra.
However, Clytemnestra’s decision to kill her husband Agamemnon is what brings more suffering to her. It is a reaction to her suffering. Instead of obtaining fear as her lesson, she reacts with vengeance. The Chorus explains to Clytemnestra’s son Orestes in The Libation Bearers the “terrible” dream his mother had when she bore a snake and wrapped it like a baby. Orestes knows that the snake is an analogy of himself and that he should be the one to “bite” his mother. The Chorus says “She screamed in her sleep and woke shaking with fear. Torches flared up, burning away the blind darkness, and lamps lit the halls to comfort the mistress. She sent these libations to appease the dead, hoping for a cure to cut away her affliction.” (Chorus, The Libation Bearers, 535-539). Clytemnestra now knows that suffering will not end for her. So if Clytemnestra would have obtained fear as a lesson from her prior suffering, she would not kill Agamemnon and she would be free from suffering.
On the other hand, suffering does end for Orestes for the simple fact that he did as he was told by the God Apollo.
Orestes says “He said to kill the way they killed, and claim my birthright like a savage bull, or pay the penalty myself with a life gripped by evil, and full of pain.” (Orestes, The Libation Bearers, 274-277). And to add to that, Orestes does not take any pride for his deed in killing his mother. If he could choose, he probably would not kill his mother for what she did. Orestes tells the chorus of eastern slave women “I grieve for our family, the things that were done, the suffering. But do not envy me, I have won a tainted victory.” (Orestes, The Libation Bearers, 1016-1017). Consequently, Orestes was doing as he was told by the God Apollo, so he would not suffer, because unlike his mother, he did not avenge on his own, but by order of Apollo. Another example is when Athena votes for Orestes to be free from punishment by the Furies when the votes by the jury were tied, which shows you that he was meant to be free from suffering. And when Athena offers the Furies a place in Athens to be goddesses to protect the country from civil wars and bring peace shows that vengeance and violence has
ended.
Unfortunately, Clytemnestra needed to die in order for the suffering to end for her. In a patriarchal society, Clytemnestra did not justify Agamemnon’s actions by killing him. Even though Clytemnestra is Orestes’ mother, and according to the Furies, murder of the same blood is worse than murder of a husband, Apollo says that the father is the only true parent because he is the one who plants the seed “whereas woman is a stranger fostering a stranger” (Apollo, The Furies, 660).
Prof. Staines
Lit 230-02
Oresteia Paper
People suffer for many different reasons, and they cope with the suffering the only way they know how. In addition, sometimes people seek their own justice for their suffering. There is always controversy about what is justified and what is not. In Oresteia, Aeschylus portrays suffering for many characters; however, Clytemnestra suffers the most. Therefore, Aeschylus illustrates Clytemnestra’s suffering when her husband is at war, and then to add to that suffering, the sacrifice of her daughter, so she murders Agamemnon claiming it was justifiable in avenge for …show more content…
her daughter’s death and thinks that it helps put an end to her suffering.
When someone suffers, they sustain a pain or a loss from their suffering. Zeus says “Man must learn by suffering” (Chorus, Agamemnon, 178). Therefore, in order to prevent that pain or loss from occurring again, one must learn from their suffering. One way to learn from suffering is to obtain fear as a lesson from suffering. Fear is what prevents someone from making the same mistake because they do not want to suffer the same consequences. Clytemnestra does not obtain fear as a lesson of her suffering. The first event of Clytemnestra’s suffering takes place when her husband, Agamemnon, is at war. She suffers from the rumors that were being spread during Agamemnon’s absence. Clytemnestra says “These rumors ate away at me, to the point that I had to be released, against my will, from the noose of suicide, more than once.” (Clytemnestra, Agamemnon, 873-875). So by being a faithful wife while he was gone and ignoring all the rumors that were told, she prevented any additional suffering.
Another event of Clytemnestra’s suffering is also when Agamemnon is gone during the Trojan War. Clytemnestra suffers many years from loneliness and being faithful while waiting for her husband to return back home to her. “I will tell you how unbearable my life has been while this man stood under Troy’s walls. To begin with, when a woman sits at home, parted from her husband, her loneliness is terrible, and the rumors she hears spread like a disease.” (Clytemnestra, Agamemnon, 859-863). And the loss that she suffers is the loss of her daughter, Iphigenia, who is sacrificed by Agamemnon. If Clytemnestra had learned from this suffering, she would not kill Agamemnon in revenge for her daughter because it does not justify Agamemnon’s actions. For that reason, violence and suffering does not end for Clytemnestra.
However, Clytemnestra’s decision to kill her husband Agamemnon is what brings more suffering to her. It is a reaction to her suffering. Instead of obtaining fear as her lesson, she reacts with vengeance. The Chorus explains to Clytemnestra’s son Orestes in The Libation Bearers the “terrible” dream his mother had when she bore a snake and wrapped it like a baby. Orestes knows that the snake is an analogy of himself and that he should be the one to “bite” his mother. The Chorus says “She screamed in her sleep and woke shaking with fear. Torches flared up, burning away the blind darkness, and lamps lit the halls to comfort the mistress. She sent these libations to appease the dead, hoping for a cure to cut away her affliction.” (Chorus, The Libation Bearers, 535-539). Clytemnestra now knows that suffering will not end for her. So if Clytemnestra would have obtained fear as a lesson from her prior suffering, she would not kill Agamemnon and she would be free from suffering.
On the other hand, suffering does end for Orestes for the simple fact that he did as he was told by the God Apollo.
Orestes says “He said to kill the way they killed, and claim my birthright like a savage bull, or pay the penalty myself with a life gripped by evil, and full of pain.” (Orestes, The Libation Bearers, 274-277). And to add to that, Orestes does not take any pride for his deed in killing his mother. If he could choose, he probably would not kill his mother for what she did. Orestes tells the chorus of eastern slave women “I grieve for our family, the things that were done, the suffering. But do not envy me, I have won a tainted victory.” (Orestes, The Libation Bearers, 1016-1017). Consequently, Orestes was doing as he was told by the God Apollo, so he would not suffer, because unlike his mother, he did not avenge on his own, but by order of Apollo. Another example is when Athena votes for Orestes to be free from punishment by the Furies when the votes by the jury were tied, which shows you that he was meant to be free from suffering. And when Athena offers the Furies a place in Athens to be goddesses to protect the country from civil wars and bring peace shows that vengeance and violence has
ended.
Unfortunately, Clytemnestra needed to die in order for the suffering to end for her. In a patriarchal society, Clytemnestra did not justify Agamemnon’s actions by killing him. Even though Clytemnestra is Orestes’ mother, and according to the Furies, murder of the same blood is worse than murder of a husband, Apollo says that the father is the only true parent because he is the one who plants the seed “whereas woman is a stranger fostering a stranger” (Apollo, The Furies, 660).