The Orestia

A detailed Summary of The Orestia


In the last portion of "The Orestia", titled "The Euminides", Aeschlyus describes the trial of Orestes, who is brought in front of a jury on the charge of matricide. The jury hands in a tied verdict and the goddess Athena casts the deciding vote in favor of Orestes. This of course begs the question: Was Athena's decision fair? I believe that this decision was in the best interest of fairness because Orestes was motivated by Apollo, enraged by the murder of his father, and aggrieved by the vicious cycle of antisocial behavior that was running rampant in his family.

Often, jurists, counselors, judges, politicians, and citizens alike are called upon to distinguish the difference (and subsequently choose) between the interests of fairness and justice. While Athena's decision might not have carried out the value of justice, it upheld the advantages of reasonable fairness.

The supporting rationalization, I listed above might not have been taken into Athena's consideration of this matter; however, one must consider the practical application of the verdict


Athena, while snubbing justice, smiled upon an act of fairness. The death of Orestes would not have accomplished anything, but to reinforce a long running pattern of death in the house of Atrius. The decision was fair.

Orestes was by no means innocent of matricide. No person of reason would challenge the fact that his mother perished at the hands her son; however, most would not contest that Orestes was not of sound mind when he reconciled the death of his father. Apollo's overwhelming influence weighed over an already disturbed Orestes. This fact alone would have inspired the murder. Cast into exile, fatherless, and confused, Orestes was vulnerable to any outside interpretation. Apollo's advice sowed the seeds of extreme murderous contempt.

One might even be able to defend Orestes behavior on the destiny set forward by the curse placed on the house of Atrius. This curse seemed to have a profound effect on the longevity of the house's inhabitants. Whether or not one may place credence on a household curse, between the abandonment of Orestes and the caustic environment of the h

Some common words found in the essay are:
House Atrius, Agamemnon Clytaemnestra, Euminides Aeschlyus, Argos Orestes, People Orestes, house atrius, murder agamemnon, athena's decision, reasonable doubt, decision fair, orestes homicide,

Approximate Word count = 734
Approximate Pages = 3 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: English

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