Why does Athena side with Orestes?

Athena sympathizes with Orestes because she feels far greater loyalty towards her father than she does for any wife of his. The man wishes Athena and the citizens of Athens the best of luck in preserving themselves against all enemies. Orestes leaves the Acropolis and Athens, not to be heard from again.

Why is Orestes guilty?

Orestes pleaded guilty to the murder of his mother, but it was brought to the court’s attention that he murdered Clytemnestra in retaliation for her murdering Orestes’ father, Agamemnon. Also, Orestes was ordered to avenge his father by the Oracle of Apollo, so he kind of had to do it.

How many judges does Athena bring?

twelve Athenians

Why does Athena remind them that Orestes was acquitted after a fair vote?

Athena tries to calm the Furies down, reminding them they lost in a fair trial and promising them leadership positions in Athens. The Chorus remains angry and vindictive. Athena insists the Furies haven’t lost honor. She reminds them of Zeus’s power, which overrides their own, and requests they ease their anger.

How does Orestes defend himself to Athena?

His first words—a prayer to the goddess Athena, reveal that the scene of the action has now changed to Athens. Orestes prays for Athena to protect him; he points out that he has already been partially purified of his crime, both by Apollo, and by his wanderings over the earth.

What do Apollo and Athena symbolize in the Eumenides?

It is this act that allows the Furies to change into the Eumenides, quite literally transforming destructive divine power into protective divine power. The order and care symbolized by Apollo and Athena spreads to the once-fearsome Furies, creating a feeling of greater divine order in the universe.

What argument does Apollo make in defending Orestes?

When they accuse him of being guiltier than Clytaemestra because he killed someone of the same blood as himself, Orestes asks Apollo to guide his response. Apollo argues with the Furies, implying that Zeus authorized Clytaemestra’s death and describing in detail the way that Agamemnon was murdered.

What happens to the Furies at the end of the Oresteia trilogy?

Orestes, in Greek mythology, son of Agamemnon, king of Mycenae (or Argos), and his wife, Clytemnestra. At the play’s end, Orestes is acquitted, and the Furies are changed into the Eumenides (“Kindly”).

What did Apollo say to Orestes?

Apollo told Orestes that he could put an end to their torment if he went to Tauris, a land of dangerous barbarians, and recovered a sacred statue of Artemis. Orestes and Pylades journeyed to Tauris but were captured by the barbarians.

Why does Apollo want or kill Clytemnestra?

At the urging of his sister, Electra, and the god Apollo, Orestes kills his mom, Clytemnestra, as payback for her murder of Agamemnon, Orestes’ dad.

What was Orestes punishment?

The oracle replied that Orestes must kill his mother and her lover. In others, the crime of matricide—the murder of one’s mother—was seen as a great sin that deserved great punishment. In these stories, Orestes was pursued relentlessly by the Furies, female spirits of justice and vengeance who drove men mad.

Who killed Clytemnestra?

She took Aegisthus as her lover while Agamemnon was away at war. Upon his return, Clytemnestra and Aegisthus murdered Agamemnon. Clytemnestra was then killed by her son, Orestes, with the help of his sister Electra, in revenge for his father’s murder.

Does Clytemnestra kill Cassandra?

She goes on to Greece with Agamemnon where she is promptly killed by Clytemnestra. Clytemnestra (wielding the axe) kills Cassandra on the inside of this drinking cup. To the left of Clytemnestra is Apollo’s tripod, and to the right of Cassandra is his altar with a laurel tree.

What kind of woman is Clytemnestra?

Clytemnestra also adds to the complexity of the final revenge. Electra tells us that Clytemnestra is a cruel, pitiless, woman, a killer of her own husband who deserves to be punished for her actions. According to Electra, Clytemnestra killed Agamemnon so that she could be with Aegisthus.

What is Clytemnestra’s main motive for revenge?

No matter the order in which the motives are listed, it is generally agreed upon that revenge, jealousy, and to further the curse are the three reasons for Clytemnestra’s actions, although Aeschylus seems to make it very clear that he believes she is motivated by motherly grief in his beginning description of …

Are Helen and Clytemnestra twins?

Clytemnestra was the twin sister of Helen and the wife of the “high king” Agamemnon, who lead the Greeks against Troy.

What is the characteristics of Queen Clytemnestra?

Clytemnestra is decisive, resolute, and aggressive, and her femininity is often called into question. However, she is able mask her anger in public moments in order to carry out her revenge plot. The nobility of her revenge is complicated by her affair with Aegisthus.

Is Clytemnestra a hero?

Two of the most famous Greek tragic heroes (heroines) were Medea and Clytemnestra. They share characteristics Aristotle deemed essential for the heroic character in a tragedy. They are both of high rank. Medea is a princess and a sorceress, and Clytemnestra was the de facto ruler of Argos in Agamemnon’s absence.

Does the chorus like Clytemnestra?

The chorus approach Clytemnestra recognising her ‘royal authority; for it is fitting to do homage to the consort of a sovereign prince when her husband’s throne is empty’ (Agamemnon 258-60). The murder of Agamemnon and destruction of his house completes the transference of power (Blundell, 1995:173).

Is Clytemnestra the protagonist?

Clytemnestra. The play’s protagonist, Clytemnestra is Agamemnon’s wife and has ruled Argos in his absence.