Monthly Archives: February 2015

Quote from “The Eumenides”:

“But for me to suffer such disgrace… I, the proud heart of the past, driven under the earth, / condemned, like so much filth, / and the fury in me breathing hatred – / O good Earth, / what is this stealing under the breast, what agony racks the spirit?… Night, dear / Mother Night! All’s lost, our ancient powers torn away by their cunning, ruthless hands, the gods so/ hard to wrestle down / obliterate us all.” (848 – 856)

Brief Explanation:  This quote is regarding the strength of Athena’s power. The Furies are crying to Night, their mother, of the unfairness that they have just experienced. They seem to be at conflict with the offer that Athena has given them.

Reading Question:  Why don’t the furies just follow Athena’s orders without hesitation? Why don’t the Furies try to go after Clytemnestra for killing Agamemnon?

Eumenides describes the trial regarding the fate of Orestes for killing, Clytemnestra, his mother. The furies are acting as the prosecutor and Apollo is defending Orestes for matricide, which literally means “the murder of one’s mother.”

Apollo presents his argument on behalf of Orestes in order to justify the murder:

“Eumenides” Lines 665-668

 “Here is the truth, I tell you-see how right I am

The woman you call the mother of a child

Is not the parent, just a nurse to a seed

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

The man is source of life-the one who mounts

She, like a stranger for stranger, keeps

The shoot alive unless god hurts the roots

I give you proof that all I say is true.

That a father can father forth without a mother

Here she stands, our living witness. Look-

Child sprung full-blown from Olympian Zeus

Never bred in the darkness of the womb

But such a stock no goddess can conceive!”

Explanation:

Apollo’s argument is that the paternal rights to have children are one of the fathers’ who plant the seed. The women is not so much the child’s mother and parent, as she is the nurse to a seed implanted by the male who is the true source of life. He further states that a man can have a child without a mother, and there is living proof in this very room. Apollo is referring to Athena, the goddess of wisdom and the daughter of Zeus, who was born from her father’s skull and not her mother’s womb. This argument is given to support that Orestes did not commit matricide because Clytemnestra did not act as his true mother. So when Orestes killed Clytemnestra, he was protecting the guardian of his household, and the true giver of life Agamemnon.

 Based on the details of the play do you think that by killing Clytemnestra that Orestes was in fact committing matricide?

 Additionally, regardless of what you “call” the crime do you think Orestes was justified in the killing of Clytemnestra?

 Lastly, the theme of revenge is pertinent throughout the entire play, how does this trial affect the way the reader sees the evolution of the Greeks society? Is their a greater sense of maturity seen when the murder ends?

“Healing Apollo, soothe her before
her crosswinds hold us down and moor the ships too long, pressing us on to another victim
nothing sacred, no no feast to be eaten
the architect of vengeance”

“Agamemnon” Page 200 Lines 145 – 150

This quote is said by the Chorus who I believe are the witness to Clytaemnestra’s tragedy and sorrow. I think the meaning of this quote is a foreshadowing. Clytaemnestra sacrificed her daughter in order for Agamemnon to win the war. It’s only a matter of time before she feels the aftereffects of losing her daughter and will start to put action forth regarding her emotions.

Do you think this quote is a foreshadowing or just another rant from the Chorus?

Do you think Clytaemnestra is justifiable in her actions?

One quote I wanted to bring up was this quote mentioned by the Chorus in lines 248- 257.

What comes next? I cannot see it, cannot say.

The strong techniques for Calchas do their work.

But Justice turns the balance scales,

sees that we suffer

and we suffer and we learn.

And we will know the future when it comes.

Greet it too early, weep too soon.

It all comes clear in the light of day.

Let all go well today, well as she could want,

our midnight watch our lone defender,

single minded queen.

We can learn many things from the words of the Chorus here. This is at the end of their speech, after complaining to Clytaemnestra, about why she is giving so many sacrifices. The chorus also mentioned what Agamemnon did, by sacrificing their daughter because he believed that was the only way to win the war. We see a clear foreshadow in this quote of what is going to happen at the end of the play. It also questions what everyone wants to know, “What comes next?” We can also tell that Clytaemnestra is going to avenge the death of her daughter, and kill Agamemnon.

Question: Why make such an obvious foreshadow so early in the play? We haven’t even met the characters yet and we know so much about them. Should we have learned what is going to happen a little more into the play, or was mentioning so much information about Clytaemnestra so important, that the pay will not be the same without?