Agamemnon, Orestes, and Electra
One day when Agamemnon, the Greek general and chief, was away, his wife, Clytemnestra had an affair. Clytemnestra and her lover, Aegisthus conspired to kill Agamemnon and his son Orestes. When Orestes’ sister, Electra, found out about the conspiracy, she sent him to live with their uncle, Strophius. Orestes’ sister kept reminding him about the conspiracy, so eventually Orestes went to go see Clytemnestra. Orestes pretended to be a messenger for Strophius to announce Orestes’ death to Clytemnestra. Orestes was torn between avenging his father’s death and saving his mother, considering it is a sin to kill one’s own mother. Orestes did end up killing Clytemnestra and Aegisthus, and when he did this he was then followed by Furies, the goddesses of vengeance, forever. Orestes tried to fix everything by getting rid of the Furies and by going to Greece. He went to Greece to get acquitted from his crimes and be forever free from the Furies.
Theme:
The theme of Agamemnon, Orestes and Electra is showing that sometimes we are faced with impossible decisions. In this case, the impossible decision would be whether or not Orestes should kill his mother, which is considered a sin, or to avenge his father’s death. Usually, there is no glaringly apparent right or wrong answer, causing a dilemma. One must choose a decision that has both positive and negative outcomes.
Allusions to Agamemnon, Orestes, and Electra:
One example of this theme in other literature would be the when Odysseus had to choose between Scylla and Charybdis. Odysseus had to choose whether to hit large rocks or to go into a whirlpool, and he ended up choosing Scylla. Both options had possible positive and negative outcomes, although it was an impossible decision to make because both options were outrageous. Another example in literature would be when Pandora opened the box. Pandora had to choose whether or not to surrender to her curiosity about what is inside the box, or leave the box alone, but she ended up opening the box releasing evil. In her attempt to put the evil back, she closed the box again, enclosing hope inside. Again, both options had possible positive and negative outcomes, although it was an impossible decision to make because both options were outrageous. The third example with both positive and negative outcomes would be Antigone. Antigone had to choose between following the law, or having a respectable burial for her brother, who was a traitor. Antigone ended up trying to bury her brother. These examples all have the same theme as Agamemnon, Orestes and Electra, showing that people are sometimes faced with impossible decisions.
Works Cited:
Sources:"Agamemnon." About.com Ancient / Classical History. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Feb. 2013.
"Agamemnon, Orestes, and Electra." Mythology Guide -. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Feb. 2013.
"Agamemnon, Orestes, and Electra." Pantoday. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Feb. 2013.
"Electra (Greek Mythology)." Encyclopedia Britannica Online. Encyclopedia Britannica, n.d. Web. 12 Feb. 2013.
"Myths Encyclopedia." Orestes. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Feb. 2013.
"Orestes (Greek Mythology)." Encyclopedia Britannica Online. Encyclopedia Britannica, n.d. Web. 12 Feb. 2013.
Orestes: Orestes and Electra Killing Aegisthus. 5th century bc. Photograph. The Mansell Collection/Art Resource, New York, New York City. Web.
Theme:
The theme of Agamemnon, Orestes and Electra is showing that sometimes we are faced with impossible decisions. In this case, the impossible decision would be whether or not Orestes should kill his mother, which is considered a sin, or to avenge his father’s death. Usually, there is no glaringly apparent right or wrong answer, causing a dilemma. One must choose a decision that has both positive and negative outcomes.
Allusions to Agamemnon, Orestes, and Electra:
One example of this theme in other literature would be the when Odysseus had to choose between Scylla and Charybdis. Odysseus had to choose whether to hit large rocks or to go into a whirlpool, and he ended up choosing Scylla. Both options had possible positive and negative outcomes, although it was an impossible decision to make because both options were outrageous. Another example in literature would be when Pandora opened the box. Pandora had to choose whether or not to surrender to her curiosity about what is inside the box, or leave the box alone, but she ended up opening the box releasing evil. In her attempt to put the evil back, she closed the box again, enclosing hope inside. Again, both options had possible positive and negative outcomes, although it was an impossible decision to make because both options were outrageous. The third example with both positive and negative outcomes would be Antigone. Antigone had to choose between following the law, or having a respectable burial for her brother, who was a traitor. Antigone ended up trying to bury her brother. These examples all have the same theme as Agamemnon, Orestes and Electra, showing that people are sometimes faced with impossible decisions.
Works Cited:
Sources:"Agamemnon." About.com Ancient / Classical History. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Feb. 2013.
"Agamemnon, Orestes, and Electra." Mythology Guide -. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Feb. 2013.
"Agamemnon, Orestes, and Electra." Pantoday. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Feb. 2013.
"Electra (Greek Mythology)." Encyclopedia Britannica Online. Encyclopedia Britannica, n.d. Web. 12 Feb. 2013.
"Myths Encyclopedia." Orestes. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Feb. 2013.
"Orestes (Greek Mythology)." Encyclopedia Britannica Online. Encyclopedia Britannica, n.d. Web. 12 Feb. 2013.
Orestes: Orestes and Electra Killing Aegisthus. 5th century bc. Photograph. The Mansell Collection/Art Resource, New York, New York City. Web.