Orestes Killing Research Paper

Question Regarding the Question of Whether Orestes is deserving of the punishment of death administered from the furies for killing Clytemnestra, here is my answer.
Response
No, in my opinion he should not be killed.
Statement of Facts The events that led up to the current disagreement between both parties are as follows. Both sides agree that Orestes did physically kill Clytemnestra. However, the question of who is the individual who is responsible for the murder has been changed. At first Orestes was declared to be guilty. The blame then shifted to Apollo (Aeschylus, The Eumenides, p. 140). It is also agreed that Apollo definitely had influence in her death and that Apollo’s desire for her death occurred when she killed Agamemnon. Apollo has defended Orestes, claiming that no one is at fault
for her death while the furies continue to press on explaining why it is necessary for him to die.
Discussion
The main argument of the Furies, that one must die if they kill their own mother because they are connected by blood is a valid argument. Taking the life of one of an individual would usually warrant the death of the killer. The severity of the punishment would also increase if the deceased was the parent of the murderer, which is exactly what happened here. However, when other facts and accounts were presented, this argument no longer held up well. If Orestes had acted solely under the influence of anger or hate for what his mother did to him and Agamemnon, then death at the hands of the Furies would be perfectly reasonable. In reality, however, his intentions, and other factors that influenced him to make the decision allow his actions to be acceptable. It may be argued that avenging Agamemnon may not have been the morally superior choice due to the fact that Orestes could have sought to live peacefully and not get involved. It may also be argued that his choice was still justifiable. This was proven when the Furies attempted to make another argument against him. They claim that are going to “win [their] right upon this man and hunt him down” (p.
132). By claiming that it is their right, they are implying that it is against the very nature of things to go against them. However, by making this claim they inadvertently create an argument for Orestes. In nature, the process of cause and effect is constantly occurring. A predator-prey relationships and competition among members of the same species are obvious examples of this. The fact that we are human and intellectually superior to animals is not something that allows us to transcend this law of the universe. The action of Orestes was really the reaction to what Clytemnestra did. It was his “right” to avenge his father. Considering what he lived through, his reaction was perfectly reasonable regardless of bloodlines which seem to be more important to the Furies. Another point that defends Orestes is that he is not the person who “acted first”. Apollo did send Orestes to do the physical labor in their forced agreement. Forced because the cost of not complying with Apollo’s demands would have resulted in the suffering of Orestes. The fact that it was forced brings me to my next
point. It would have been an injustice to Orestes if he had been punished for choosing the “morally correct” decision. Previously his hands were free of blood and he had been casted into exile which he did nothing to deserve. To punish him for choosing to not kill his mother points blame at Apollo and helps dismiss the claim that Orestes should die. My final argument for Orestes concerns the manner in which this trial is being conducted. Both parties have agreed to let you decide how the fate of Orestes is to be decided (p. 139). Every individual here is a citizen of Athens and is in a way a representatives of the wiser opinions that the people would have. Now consider how Orestes arrived here. The journey was long and he certainly could not have done it without the aid of your citizens, whom I partially represent. They have shown that they have already absolved him of any wrongdoing by helping by helping him get here safely and fully rested (p. 141).

Conclusion Yes, I understand Orestes did physically kill his mother. However, his intentions and the circumstances that he was in allow him to justifiably escape any punishment from the Furies. Their bias that bloodlines are more important than marriage have caused this entire conflict to occur. It will hopefully end with Orestes being allowed to leave and with the Furies learning their mistake.