Written sometime in the decade from 450-460BC, the Oresteia, along with much other Greek tragedy, coincides with a time of great success for Athenian democracy. As such, it is not unreasonable to assume that the portrayal of democracy in the Oresteia was intended as a charter myth to validate the power structure in place at the time, and to give democracy a seal of approval from a dramatic perspective. Despite the prominence of the goddess Athena, the Oresteia is additionally heavily patriarchal in its message. There is some evidence that supports the view that Athenian democracy was not at its root patriarchal, however, the Oresteia can easily be said to be essentially a charter myth for Athenian democracy and patriarchy.
Clytemnestra is portrayed in the Oresteia as a heavily emasculated character, with male traits such as ambition, cunning and strong manipulation of language, and a lack of the traditional female traits of submissiveness and modesty. She seeks to defend
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herself as an almost androgynous character, telling the Chorus that they test her as if she was a ‘witless woman’, implying that she thinks that this is something she is not. At this point, however, it is worth noting that in Agamemnon, Clytemnestra is frequently treated by the Chorus as a ‘mad irrational housewife’ showing that her self-emasculation is not as convincing as she would perhaps like to believe. She seems to utilize her femininity and role as a woman only when it suits her, for example when Orestes is about to kill her and she beseeches him to remember how she nurtured him as a child, successfully causing him to hesitate and ask Pylades for advice, questioning whether he can kill his own mother. This demonstrates both Clytemnestra’s manipulative cunning and that her ultimately unsuccessful arguments about motherhood and womanhood are insincere and their failing to win over the jury is not a demonstration of Athenian patriarchy triumphing over a female victim, but rather a demonstration of the weakness of her argument. In this way, the Oresteia certainly supports Athenian democracy but does not always show an overt bias towards men over women, which legitimises democracy further. Although the arguments based around Clytemnestra’s womanhood and femininity are unconvincing due to her self-emasculated character, the way they and the idea of womanhood and motherhood in general demonstrate a certain degree of patriarchy within Athenian democracy. Several of the arguments the Furies put forward in order to implicate Orestes and absolve Clytemnestra of any guilt centre around the importance of the mother and how despicable a crime matricide is – killing the one who nurtured you and raised you is unarguably vile. However, this argument is dismissed by Apollo, who claims that the mother is extraneous and is essentially just a vehicle for the child, who truly belongs to the father. He argues that the mother-son bond is non-existent and irrelevant. This clearly a patriarchal view and demonstrates the inequality in the importance of men and women in classical Athens. The fact that this brutally dismissive argument is, in the end, the reason for Orestes’ acquittal as Athena cites it as her reason for voting for him demonstrates the patriarchy evident in Athenian society and within the democracy. As such, The Oresteia is clearly a charter myth to a certain extent for patriarchy within Athenian democracy. While it can be argued that Clytemnestra is judged unfairly by Athenian democracy as it is heavily dominated by male perspectives and the patriarchy, it has to be considered that Orestes has a stronger argument for his acquittal outwith the complex gender roles which run through the Oresteia. While Clytemnestra’s murder of Agamemnon can ostensibly be justified by his sacrifice of their daughter Iphigenia, her other motivations are less sympathetic – she wishes to maintain the control of Argos which she has established with her lover Aegisthus in her husband’s absence. She also murders Cassandra, Agamemnon’s concubine from Troy, despite the fact that she had been brought to Argos against her wishes and was completely innocent in the entire situation. In the case of Orestes, he only killed two people – admittedly committing matricide in doing so – and did so with good reason. He had the support of his sister Electra, as well as the citizens of Argos who wished to be freed from their oppressors, and additionally avenged his father in doing so. On top of this, Orestes was actually commanded by the god Apollo to avenge his father, whereas Clytemnestra was not acting under any divine orders. Orestes shows a certain level of doubt when it comes to killing his mother, and it is really the divine persuasion (or rather, threat) of Apollo which convinces him to strike the final blow. Clytemnestra, however, felt no doubt over killing her husband, describing herself as a ‘just architect’. It is evident from this that Orestes’ actions can be justified to a much greater extent than Clytemnestra’s can, even without any consideration of gender roles. These circumstances make it clear that Clytemnestra is in no way a victim of the patriarchy as a result of Orestes’ acquittal, as she is in no way innocent of any crimes and in fact seems considerably less repentant than Orestes is of her crimes. As such, it is clear that in certain aspects such as this, the Oresteia is not entirely patriarchal and as such is not completely a charter myth for Athenian patriarchy. Rather, the fact that the strength of the evidence in his favour results in the acquittal of Orestes validates democracy and makes it seem more legitimate, so in this way the Oresteia is shown to be a charter myth for Athenian democracy. The ending of the Eumenides – in which the Furies are appeased by Athena and become the Eumenides (Kindly Ones) and jury is established as a part of Athenian democracy – certainly seems to affirm that the Oresteia is essentially a charter myth for Athenian democracy.
The fact that the ending is relatively peaceable for a tragedy, with the protagonists all pacified and satisfied and the conflict resolved, implies that it is the introduction of the democratic jury which has caused such a positive ending. As such, this portrays a very positive outcome of Athenian democracy and supports the view that the Oresteia is a charter myth for Athenian democracy. Additionally, placing the goddess Athena in the role of chief magistrator, a role which she carries out impartially and correctly, lends weight to the importance of this role in Athens at the time, as showing a goddess in this role promotes its importance. This shows that the Oresteia is in this way essentially a charter myth for Athenian
democracy. The verdict delivered by the newly-formed jury at the end of Eumenides certainly lends weight to the argument that the Oresteia is essentially a charter myth for Athenian democracy, and in particular, patriarchy. The success of the democratic vote certainly seems to support Athenian democracy and this way of running trials and judging criminal cases in court. Additionally, as the vote turns out equal, this validates the legitimacy of the democratic process. Had the votes been heavily weighted to one side or the other – particularly the side which Athena herself supported – it may have seemed as though the jury voted in accordance with the goddess and so their vote did not really count, yet the fact that some felt able to oppose the view of Athena (and Apollo) demonstrates the lack of corruption and the legitimacy of democracy. The success here of the jury in delivering a verdict demonstrates one way in which the Oresteia is a charter myth for Athenian democracy. The verdict also seems to support a more patriarchal perspective, however, as Athena explains her reasoning for voting to acquit Orestes. While there are arguments, as previously discussed, for Orestes’ argument being the more logical and his actions more justifiable than Clytemnestra, it is not these reasons which convince Athena to vote in support of Orestes, but rather the argument proposed by Apollo – that the mother is essentially a carrier of the child, and has no real role in the nurturing of the child or the child’s life. Athena states that as no mother gave birth to her, she approves ‘the masculine in everything’ and as such casts her vote for Orestes. This is a clear demonstration of the patriarchal preference shown to men over women in Athens at the time and illustrates one way in which the Oresteia rationalises Athenian patriarchy within its democracy. In conclusion, it is clear that there is some divergence from a totally patriarchal position in the Oresteia, but the true patriarchy of Athenian democracy does shine through. The Oresteia consistently portrays democracy in a positive light, and as such is definitely a charter myth for Athenian democracy. Overall, despite some balance in the portrayal of women, the Oresteia is in the main essentially a charter myth for Athenian democracy and patriarchy.
In this essay I will examine the war-of the-sexes taking place in The Eumenides, the final play of The Oresteia. The plot of The Eumenides pits Orestes and Apollo (representing the male gods and, to a certain extent, male values in general) against the ghost of Clytemnestra and the Furies (equally representative of female values.) Of more vital importance, however, is whether Athene sides with the males or females throughout the play.
At first glance, the picture of justice found in the Oresteia appears very different from that found in Heraclitus. And indeed, at the surface level there are a number of things which are distinctly un-Heraclitean. However, I believe that a close reading reveals more similarities than differences; and that there is a deep undercurrent of the Heraclitean world view running throughout the trilogy. In order to demonstrate this, I will first describe those ways in which the views of justice in Aeschylus' Oresteia and in Heraclitus appear dissimilar. Then I will examine how these dissimilarities are problematized by other information in the Oresteia; information which expresses views of justice very akin to Heraclitus. Of course, how similar or dissimilar they are will depend not only on one's reading of the Oresteia, but also on how one interprets Heraclitus. Therefore, when I identify a way in which justice in the Oresteia seems different from that in Heraclitus, I will also identify the interpretation of Heraclitus with which I am contrasting it. Defending my interpretation of Heraclitean justice as such is beyond the scope of this essay. However I will always refer to the particular fragments on which I am basing my interpretation, and I think that the views I will attribute to him are fairly non-controversial. It will be my contention that, after a thorough examination of both the apparent discrepancies and the similarities, the nature of justice portrayed in the Oresteia will appear more deeply Heraclitean than otherwise. I will not argue, however, that there are therefore no differences at all between Aeschylus and Heraclitus on the issue of justice. Clearly there are some real ones and I will point out any differences which I feel remain despite the many deep similarities.
The book then talks about viewpoints of women, both real and those who face tragedy. Women during this time were very secluded and silent, but the heroines contradicted that. This chapter talks about the images of women in the classical literature in Athens, and the role they had in society. Many tragedies were ones that formed by mythes during the Bronze Age. It showed the separation in what made women heroic, rather than average. While viewing other Scholarly sourcese, Pomerory writes her own theory, she used others
Yet, despite the fact that no two women in this epic are alike, each—through her vices or virtues—helps to delineate the role of the ideal woman. Below, we will show the importance of Circe, Calypso, Nausicaa, Clytaemestra, and Penelope in terms of the movement of the narrative and in defining social roles for the Ancient Greeks. Before we delve into the traits of individual characters, it is important to understand certain assumptions about women that prevailed in the Homeric Age. By modern standards, the Ancient Greeks would be considered a rabidly misogynistic culture. Indeed, the notoriously sour Boetian playwright Hesiod-- who wrote about fifty years before Homer-- proclaimed "Zeus who thunders on high made women to be evil to mortal men, with a nature to do evil (Theogony 600).
...ow Greek civilization was founded by women; they were the ones who gave birth to the heroes. Similarly, The Odyssey is a story created by women. The plot revolves around the actions of women. Athena orchestrates all the events. The seductresses, such as Circe, the sirens, and Calypso, attempt to stop Odysseus from reaching home. The helpmeets, such as Nausicaa, Arete, and Athena, aid Odysseus in his homecoming. The wise and virtuous Penelope is the object of Odysseus’ quest. Unlike Helen who forsakes her husband, Penelope remains faithful. Unlike Clytemnestra who assassinates her husband, Penelope patiently waits for Odysseus. She becomes a model of female patience and of female intelligence. Her craftiness is the only one which can match up to Odysseus’. The Odyssey presents a wide array of women and demonstrates the influence that women have in the life of a hero.
The cyclic thread of vengeance runs like wild fire through the three plays in Aeschylus’s Oresteia. This thread, with its complexity of contemporary and universal implications lends itself quite well to – in fact, almost necessitates – deeply interested study. While a brief summary of the Oresteia will inevitably disregard some if not much of the trilogy’s essence and intent, on the positive side it will establish a platform of characters, events, and motives with which this paper is primarily concerned. As such, I begin with a short overview of the Oresteia and the relevant history that immediately precedes it.
Women play an influential role in The Odyssey. Women appear throughout the story, as goddesses, wives, princesses, or servants. The women in “The Odyssey” dictate the direction of the epic. Homer the blind creator may have contrived the story with the aim to depict a story of a male heroism; but the story if looked at from a different angles shows the power women have over men. The Sirens and women that posses the power of seduction when ever they are encountered take the men off their course, and lead many to their death. The power women in the Epic pose can be seen from the goddess all to the wives. From The nymph Calypso who enslaves Odysseus for many years posses all the way back to Penelope who many argue is of equal importance to
Aeschylus' The Oresteia features two characters burdened by seemingly hopeless decisions. First is Agamemnon, king of Argos, whose army was thwarted by the goddess, Artemis. Agamemnon was faced with the decision to call off the army's sail to Troy, and thus admit defeat and embarrassment, or to sacrifice his daughter, Iphigenia, to satisfy Artemis whom had stopped the winds to delay Agamemnon's fleet. Second is Orestes, son of Agamemnon, who was given the choice by Apollo to avenge his father's murder, thus committing matricide, or face a series of torturous consequences. Although both Agamemnon and Orestes were faced with major dilemmas, their intentions and their characters are revealed through their actions to be markedly different.
Throughout history, woman’s self has been Other in discourse, literature, and doctrine. She has been designated this position in the world by those who hold social power. This dichotomy is maintained under a hierarchy that serves to benefit men. I will be attempting to support Beauvoir’s idea of the self as Other under a patriarchal society by looking at statements from philosophers and myths, as well as identifying shortcomings she may have.
Aeschylus, was a master dramatist - he liked to portray conflict between persons, human or divine, or between principles.1 His trilogy of plays, the Oresteia, develops many conflicts that must be resolved during the action of the Eumenides, the concluding play of the trilogy. The central theme of the Oresteia is justice (dike) and in dealing with questions of justice, Aeschylus at every stage involves the gods.2 The Oresteia's climactic conflict in the Eumenides revolves around justice and the gods - opposing conceptions of justice and conflicting classes of gods. This essay will describe and discuss these conflicts and, more importantly, the manner in which they are resolved so that the play, and indeed the entire trilogy, might reach a satisfactory conclusion.
Government and its different forms appears many times throughout Herodotus’s Histories, sometimes its positive and other times its negative, however in the readings Herodotus demonstrates that it is not the Athenian democratic values that makes freedom but rather the absence of tyranny along with equality among men. Herodotus’s assessment of Athenian democracy is overall a positive development to Greek cultural identity in the eyes of Herodotus.
The Role of Women in Greek Mythology In learning about the feminist movement, we studied the three articles, discussed and reviewed the different authors perspectives on the topic, and learned how important the role of woman in Greek mythology is. In presenting the feminist theory to the class, we analyzed the three articles, Women in Ancient Greece; Women in Antiquity: New Assessments; and Women in Greek Myth, and discussed how although the three articles provided different views on Feminism in mythology, they all essentially are aiming to teach the same basic concept. In order to understand the feminist theory, we have to understand the notion that although myths are invented and that they involve fantasy, the concept of mythology does not necessarily imply that there is no truth of history in them. Some of the humans may have lived while some of the events may have taken place. Most importantly, the social customs and the way of life depicted in the myths are a valuable representation of Greek society.
Aristophane’s Lysistrata is a flawed classic filled with the power struggle between man vs. woman. It is entirely focused and written from the male perspective, in which male-privilege dominated and disregarded the women’s outlook entirely. This “classic” is full of misogynistic perspectives, and should be disregarded as a great piece in Athenian literature.
"Power and Women in Lysistrata: Character Analysis of Lysistrata." Article Myriad. Web. 25 Mar. 2011. .
Outline and assess the view that patriarchy is the main cause of gender inequality (40 marks)