The Oresteia: Agamemnon, Choephori, Eumenides - Reflections on War, Revenge, and Reconciliation
The Oresteia trilogy delves into themes of war, revenge, and reconciliation through the story of Agamemnon, Clytemnestra, and the chorus. It explores the aftermath of the Trojan War, highlighting the cycles of violence and the quest for justice. Through vivid imagery and powerful storytelling, the plays provoke introspection on the consequences of conflict and the possibilities of breaking free from vengeful cycles. Clytemnestra's actions, the chorus' reflections, and the men's stories all contribute to a rich tapestry of human emotions and struggles.
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The Oresteia: Agamemnon Choephori Eumenides
Coming home stories Fall stories Revenge stories Reconciliation?
Clytemnestra: Chorus: Agamemnon Clytemnestra: Chorus: Choephori Troy s held by the Greeks So provided they don t give Troy s gods provocation and leave unmolested their sacrosanct seats There s a chance that the victors will never be victims Let disaster stop at the place it s reached so far, the cycle be broke and hope start to happen. * * * Choler for choler, bloodgrudge for bloodgrudge, while Zeus the high he-god is still the gods clanchief, the law for the living is killers get killed. * * * no more blood-letting. There s been enough. Enough We did what we had to. Let it rest there. * * * This, the third stormblast to buffet this bloodclan. One: the banquet of babes, the bane of Thyestes. Two: the Achaean warlord hacked down in his bath-trough. Three: the deliverer or new doom in disguise? When will the blood-grudge be weaned off blood, when will it sleep, the fiend?
Repeated imagery: as metaphor, as literal presentation Fire Net / Trammel Blood Dream / Prophecy
Mens story: Agamemnon: They raped one woman. We razed the whole city. Ground it to powder. Made mincemeat of Troy. Now Troy s god shrines are shattered, her altars all gutted. Fruitful earth scorched into futureless dustbowls. But male triumphalism problematised?
recruiters refuse, too old to join the expedition, shrivelled leafage left to wither. We go doddeering about on sticks. Neither the nurseling nor the senile have juice enough to serve the Wargod. Wargod sfodder s prime manhood. Argos geezers, back to bairnhood old men, dreams abroad in daylight.
Geldshark Ares god of War Broker of men s bodies usurer of living flesh corpse-trafficker that god is Whisper mutter belly-aching the people s beef and bile: this war s been Agamemnon s our clanchief s making, the sons of Atreus and their cause . give to WAR your men s fleshgold and what are your returns? kilos of cold clinker packed in army-issue urns Where s my father husband boy? where do all our loved ones lie? six feet under near the Troy they died to occupy. wives mothers sisters each one scans the dogtags on the amphorae which grey ashes are my man s? they sift the jumbled names and cry: my husband sacrificed his life my brother s a battle-martyr aye, for someone else s wife Helen, whore of Sparta!
Womens Story: They re asking for blood it s right what they re asking a virgin s blood only will calm the wind s bluster so be it then daughter! There s no other way so a Father can take his own she-child take her and kill her his she-child his own flesh and blood The war-effort wants it the war effort gets it Her shrillings beseechings her cries Papa Papa Iphigeneia a virgin a virgin She bends herself double beseeching Papa Papa wraps her clothes round her making it harder up up she gets hoisted like a goat to the godstone a gag in her mouth curbed like a horse s so that this bloodclan s not blasted by curses her garments stream groundwards cloth drifting she darts them all glances What came next didn t see so can t tell you.
To stop his blood grudge in its tracks she hacked off his cock, his hands and feet cleavered the king with her man axe and jointed him like butcher s meat.
Necessity he kneels to it neck into the yokestrap the General harnessed to what he can t change And once into harness his whole life-lot lurches Towards the unspeakable horror the crime so men get gulled get hauled into evil recklessness starts it then there s no stopping
