294 The Oresteia by Aeschylus || The 100 Greatest [#72]

We take a look at The Oresteia by Aeschylus. In the Oresteia Aeschylus addressed the bloody chain of murder and revenge within the royal family of Argos. As they move from darkness to light, from rage to self-governance, from primitive ritual to civilized institution, their spirit of struggle and regeneration becomes an everlasting song of celebration. In Agamemnon, a king's decision to sacrifice his daughter and turn the tide of war inflicts lasting damage on his family, culminating in a terrible act of retribution; The Libation Bearers deals with the aftermath of Clytemnestra's regicide, as her son Orestes sets out to avenge his father's death; and in The Eumenides, Orestes is tormented by supernatural powers that can never be appeased. Forming an elegant and subtle discourse on the emergence of Athenian democracy out of a period of chaos and destruction, The Oresteia is a compelling tragedy of the tensions between our obligations to our families and the laws that bind us together as a society.Once Upon a [email protected] Finally on Twitter @KawFee_Haus Read new articles at KawFee Haus Korner on Substack Consider supporting the show on Patreon See what I'm reading on Goodreads Check out my book Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.