Katarzyna Barbara Parys

Second writing assignment: Is the Oresteia cycle a tragedy?

Oresteia circle is a tragedy. Moreover, not the most orthodox one. The first part of the
circle is about Clytemnestra killing her husband Agamemnon. The second and the third
´s part main character is Orestes. Clytemnestra, even if her crime was related to the
vendetta, is shown in negative way as the one that killed her husband. She is not shown
as a tragic character, but if we follow the story, we can see that her action was related
with faith of Pelopos´ family. Theoretically, she had no other choice, but she had no
problem with killing, so we cannot consider her as a tragic character. In the second part,
Clytemnestra is killed by her son Orestes. He had to kill his mother, because of the law
of vendetta. The third part of a cycle, The Eumenides, is about the court of Orestes who
seeks for peace after too many family crimes.

The Pelopos family had a course starting with Pelopos, Orestes´ great-grandfather. The
history of the family was full of terrible actions caused by hybris of the members of the
family which was offending gods and causing another pointless deaths. The first one
from the family that can be thought as a tragic hero is Orestes. When he discovered that
his father was killed, and by the law of nature he was obliged to proceed to vendetta, he
faced a tragic conflict. As he testifies in Athena´s court, he killed his mother only
because Apollo made him so, he was afraid of tragic consequences of not proceeding
(having a miserable life with a company of Erinyes). On the other hand, he killed his
mother, what is a terrible crime and has to be condemned. In this situation, the most
suitable solution is to ask Athena for justice and to wash his guilt to stop vendettas. The
natural law was the law of vendetta, the one reclaimed by Erinyes in Athena´s court.
Each crime needs its vendetta. If the vendetta is not done, this is another source of the
problems of the family of murdered one. As I understood from the play, the soul of
Agamemnon was disturbing both his wife and his son by sending his Erinyes. The wife
for being a murderer and the son that he needs to proceed vendetta. For this reason,
Orestes was begging on his father grave. On the other hand, Orestes knew that there is
no solution for his tragic situation. Everything is caused by his family´s fatum and he
has to proceed with what dictates the natural law. In this moment, the solution is put by
Athena. She establishes a new, rational law and leaves the solution to the court, that
evaluates claims of both sides, the murderer and the natural law. The court is composed
by wise citizens of Athens and the goddess always puts one vote a favor of the
murderer. The law of court is shown as the new, rational one that can stop infinite,
bloody law of vendetta that obligates the families to proceeds with corresponding
murderers as the reaction to the previous one and at infinitum. The law of vendetta has
no end, because there is always a family or any other person who suffers because of
death of somebody and who has the obligation of vendetta, because the lack of vendetta
will cause terrible consequences of the one who rejects to proceed, the infinite company
of terrible Erinyes. Athena´s rational solution is cleaning the murderer who killed in act
of vendetta of the fault he is bearing and can stop the vendetta process. She also
manages to not offend Erinyes by stopping their nature law, as she promises them to
have part of her glory. In this symbolical moment, the rational law is established, but
always meaning the importance of the law of nature that has to be respected and
understood. The value of not killing is present in every case of murder. Erinyes are
worshiped and so is the rational law.

(sparking water, espresso (chocolate, but not sweet), water)

Bibliography:

1. Ajschylos ([1925]), Oresteja. Trad. Jan Kasprowicz. Ed. Aleksandra Kopeć,

Wojciech Kotwica. Warszawa: Fundacja Nowoczesna Polska.