Description
Marking the conclusion of Aeschylus’ tragic trilogy, The Furies begins with the pursuit of Orestes by the furies, mythological deities who avenge patricide and matricide. Orestes, having killed his mother in response to her murder of his father, is now tormented by these creatures, who view crimes against blood bonds as more heinous than crimes against marriage bonds. In desperation, Orestes seeks refuge at the temple of Apollo, but Apollo is only able to delay the Furies by casting a drowsy trance over them. As they sleep, the ghost of Clytemnestra, Orestes’ murdered mother, descends and urges them to resume their pursuit. They follow Orestes by smelling the blood of his dead mother in the air and by watching the trails of blood soaking the earth underneath his feet. These horrifying figures catch up with and finally surround Orestes, but at the last moment the goddess Athena intervenes. She assembles a jury of twelve Athenian peers and subjects Orestes to a trial. With Apollo defending Orestes and the Furies defending the slain Clytemnestra, the drama becomes a legal, intellectual one rather than one of violence. But as Orestes’ fate hangs in the balance, it remains to be seen whether the final verdict will appease the Furies and end the cycle of revenge.
Back to top
Opening Lines (Experimental)
_The Scene of the Drama is the Temple of Apollo, at Delphi:
On this her mother's shrine oracular.
Phoebus, who in his own bears Phoebe's name.
Unto this land and to Parnassus' shrine.
The stubborn tract that erst was wilderness.
Gives voice to that which Zeus his sire decrees.
And Zeus most high, ...
Ratings for 'Oresteia: The Furies' by Aeschylus
Oresteia: The Furies
Send 13 installments for free as a gift.
Oresteia: The Furies
Receive installments for free
