Aeschylus was born in Eleusis, in a Greek city near Athens, in 525 BC. e. He was the first of the great Greek tragedies, the forerunner of such writers as Sophocles and Euripides, and many scholars recognize him as the creator of the tragic drama. Unfortunately, only seven plays that Aeschylus wrote, “Chained Prometheus,” “Oresteia,” “Seven Against Thebes,” and others, survived the modern era. Before him, plays as a genre were in an undeveloped state - with one actor and a choir that offered comments. In his writings, Aeschylus added the “second actor” (often more than one), creating a series of new opportunities for dramatic art.
He lived to 456 BC. e., fighting in the wars against Persia, as well as achieving great recognition in the world of Athenian theater. This article will examine the trilogy that Aeschylus wrote, Oresteia. A summary of the cycle will be disclosed separately for each tragedy.
What does the trilogy include?
“Agamemnon” is the first play from Aeschylus’s “Oresteia” trilogy, the other two parts are “Hoephors” and “Eumenes”. This trilogy is the only one that has come down to us in full form from Ancient Greece. According to many critics, it is the greatest Athenian tragedy ever written because of a kind of poetry and strong characters.
Aeschylus “Oresteia”: a summary of the tragedies
"Agamemnon" describes the attempt by Clytemnestra and her lover on one of the main characters, whose name was named the first tragedy. The tragedy of “Hoephora” continues the story, describing the return of the son of Agamemnon - Orestes, who kills his mother, and thereby avenges another parent. In the last work, which is included in the trilogy - “Eumenes” - Orestes is persecuted by the Erinis as a punishment for swearing, and finally finds refuge in Athens, where the goddess Athena frees him from persecution. Let us consider in more detail the summary of Oresteia Aeschylus presented in this article.
A brief overview of the first part of the trilogy
Before us is a detailed description of the return to the homeland of Agamemnon, king of Argos, from the Trojan War. In the palace he is expected by his wife, Clytemnestra, who planned to kill him, firstly, as revenge for the sacrifice of their daughter, whose name was Iphigenia, and secondly, because she entered into adultery during the ten-year absence of Agamemnon with Aegisthus, cousin of her husband. The latter is the only surviving brother, deprived of family property and determined to regain the throne, which, he believes, should rightfully belong to him.
Aeschylus of Oresteia: Agamemnon (summary)
“Agamemnon” begins from the moment when the guard on his duty, while on the roof of the palace in Argos, awaits a signal that would mean the fall of Troy in front of the Greek army. The lighthouse flashes and he joyfully runs to tell the news to Queen Clytemnestra. When he leaves, the choir, consisting of the old Argos, tells the story of how the Trojan Prince Paris stole Elena, the wife of the Greek king Menelaus, which led to a ten-year war between Greece and Troy. Then the choir recalls how the husband of Clytemnestra, Agamemnon (brother of Menelaus), sacrificed his daughter Iphigenia to the goddess Artemis in exchange for a favorable wind for the Greek fleet.
The queen appears, and the choir asks her why she ordered a thanksgiving service. She tells them that the lighthouse system brought the news that Troy had fallen the previous night. The choir praises the gods, but then wonders if her news is true; the messenger appears and confirms everything, describing the suffering of the army under Troy, and thanks for the safe return home. Clytemnestra sends him back to Agamemnon to return quickly, but before he leaves, the choir asks about the news about Menelaus. Herald replies that a terrible storm captured the Greek fleet on the way home, so Menelaus and many others were missing.
The choir sings about the terrible destructive power of Elena’s beauty. Agamemnon appears in a chariot with Cassandra, the Trojan princess, whom he made his slave and concubine. Clytemnestra invites him, openly demonstrates his love, which actually is not, and organizes a bright reception for him, spreading a purple carpet in front of him. Agamemnon treats her coldly and says that walking on the carpet would be an act of arrogance or excessive arrogance; she insists, begging to walk on the carpet, and he enters the palace.
The choir portends trouble; Clytemnestra goes outside to invite Cassandra inside. The Trojan princess is silent, and the queen leaves her in despair. Then Cassandra begins to speak, uttering incoherent prophecies about the curse on the house of Agamemnon. She tells the choir that they will see their king dead, and she will also die, and then predicts that the avenger will come to them. After these bold predictions, the soothsayer seems to be resigned to her fate and enters the house. The choir’s fears are growing as he hears Agamemnon cry in pain. While they are discussing what to do, the doors open and Clytemnestra appears, towering over the corpses of her husband and Cassandra. She claims that she killed him to avenge his daughter, and announces her relationship with Aegisthus, her lover. The choir declares that Orestes will return from exile in order to avenge his father.
A brief overview of the Hoofory tragedy
The Hoephors is the second work of the Aeschylus Oresteia trilogy. It refers to the reunion of the children of Agamemnon, namely Orestes and Electra, and their revenge. Orestes takes the life of Clytemnestra to avenge the death of Agamemnon, his father.
The second part of the trilogy
A brief summary of Aeschylus Oresteia ’continues with an account of the events of the second tragedy - Hoephor’, in which the main place is given to such concepts as revenge and murder. Orestes arrives at the grave of his parent, accompanied by his cousin Pilad, son of King Phocis; there he leaves a few strands of hair. Orestes and Pilad are hiding because Elektra, the sister of Orestes, also comes to the grave accompanied by a female choir to perform the act of liberation (part of the sacrifice process) on the grave; they were sent by Clytemnestra in order, in her words, to “repel harm”. As soon as the ritual activities are over, Elektra sees locks of hair on the grave that remind her of her own hair. At this moment, Orestes and Pilad leave the shelter, and Orestes gradually convinces her that he really is her brother.
The time has come for the most difficult part of the Greek tragedies that have come down to us , when the choir, Orestes and Electra try to call the spirit of the deceased Agamemnon to help them take revenge. Orestes wonders why Clytemnestra sent to commit an act of liberation, which led to her decision. The choir replies that Clytemnestra woke up a nightmare from a dream: she dreamed that she gave birth to a snake, which is currently fed from her breast and feeds in this way not only with its milk, but also with its blood. Concerned with this possible sign of God's anger, the woman sends Elektra to the grave of her late husband to perform a ceremony to calm her. Orestes believes that he is in the form of a snake in the dream of his mother and, together with his sister, is making a plan to avenge his parent, planning to kill Aegisthus and Clytemnestra herself.
Orestes and Pilad pretend to be strangers and inform the queen that Orestes is already dead. Delighted with such news, Clytemnestra sends a servant for Aegisthus, and he arrives. Clytemnestra later sees Orestes standing over Aegisthus's body. Then Orestes was put in a difficult situation: in order to avenge his father, he must kill the one who gave birth to him. A woman bares her breasts, asking him for mercy and declares: "Be ashamed, child." Orestes turns to his close friend Pilad, the son of King Phocis, and asks: “Should I be ashamed of the murder of my mother?”
Riddle of the question
There are a lot of moments that require reflection in the trilogy Aeschylus wrote, “Oresteia.” The analysis of one specialist can radically differ from the opinions of others. Many interpreters believe that Orestes 'question is connected with a broader topic: a person sometimes encounters difficulties that cannot be resolved, for example, Orestes' family obligation to one parent is fundamentally opposed to a family obligation to another. There is another point of view. This may not seem to be much more than a rhetorical question, because Orestes willingly accepts Pilad's advice on the correctness of what he is doing. Many scientists studied the trilogy, such as G.Ch. Huseynov. Aeschylus Oresteia ’is one of the objects of his research.
Pilad begs Orestes not to forget his duty to Apollo. Orestes, after the murder, hides bodies under the clothes that his father wore. As soon as he leaves the house, the Erinis begin to plague him. Orestes runs away in a painful panic. The choir predicts that the violent cycle cannot be stopped by the killing of Clytemnestra.
A brief overview of the tragedy "Eumenes"
The final part of Aeschylus' Oresteia trilogy is the tragedy in which Orestes, Apollo and the Erinis come to the Areopagus. Athena arrives with the judges; they decide whether Orestes is guilty of killing his mother.
Summary of the third part of the trilogy
Orestes is tormented by the persecution of the Erinis (furies), who are deities engaged in revenge for unjust acts. Thanks to incitement from the outside, he committed the murder of his mother. At Apollo in Delphi, Orestes finds peace, and God, who is unable to save him from the inconsolable wrath of the Erinis, sends him on the road, and himself, using spells, tries to detain the Erinis.
Clytemnestra appears as a ghost, but how and from where is unknown ... Her appearance was like a dream. She encourages the sleeping furies to continue their hunt for Orestes. As soon as one of the Erinians begins to awaken, the ghost departs. The appearance of erinia permeates the sense of pursuit: they hum in unison, wake up quickly and bewitching, and intend to find the smell of fragrant blood that will bring them to Orestes. Legend has it that the premiere of the play written by Aeschylus (the Oresteia trilogy was then successful) caused so much horror among the audience that one pregnant lady had a miscarriage and died on the spot.
Decisive moment
Having tracked, the furies capture him. Athena and the Athenians intervene in order to judge Orestes. Apollo becomes the protector of Orestes, while the Erinis side with the dead Clytemnestra. During the trial, Athena, under the pressure of Apollo, agrees that a man is more important than a woman. Counting occurs, and it turns out that an equal number of votes has been obtained. She then persuades the Erinis to accept the verdict, and they eventually agree. In addition, they will now be part of the citizens of Athens and will ensure a good position for the city. Athena also states that the accused must be acquitted, since mercy must always rise above cruelty. This is the idea that the author of the trilogy wanted to convey.
Instead of a conclusion
Aeschylus Oresteia ’, a summary of which was presented above, is the only surviving example of the trilogy of that time. At the festival in Dionysia 458 BC. e. she won the first prize. Initially accompanied by the satirical drama "Proteus", which, however, was not preserved. In all likelihood, the term Oresteia originally applied to all four plays.