aeschylus eumenides closure at last?. “the woman you call the mother of the child is not the...
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Aeschylus EumenidesClosure at Last?
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“The woman you call the mother of the child
is not the parent, just a nurse to the seed,
the new-sown seed that grows and swells inside her.
The man is the source of life – the one who mounts.”
Name that quote…
Apollo, Eumenides p. 260
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Agenda
• Recap & Update– From Darkness to Light
• “Strength of Words”– Clytemnestra and Chorus
• Class Discussion– Closure at Last?
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Recap & Update
From Darkness to Light
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Intertwined Imagery• Snakes
– “No, no! Women – look – like Gorgons, / shrouded in black, their heads wreathed, / swarming serpents!” (Orestes in LB p. 225)
• Nets– “… she shackled her man in robes, / in her
gorgeous never-ending web she chopped him down” (Apollo in Eum. p. 259)
• Libations– “Our Fury never wants for blood. His (Aegisthus’
blood) she drinks unmixed (i.e., like wine straight up), our third libation to saving Zeus” (Orestes, of Aegisthus in LB p. 203)
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Is dikē hubris?
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Eumenides: Analysis(numbers = Penguin lines)
• Prologue 1-143– Pythia, Apollo, Or, Clyt,
Furies• 1st parodos 144-175
– Furies mad for the hunt• 1st episode 176-241
– Apollo, Leader• 2nd parodos 241-273
– track Orestes to Athens• 2nd episode
– Or, Leader• 1st stasimon 321-407
– binding song• 3rd episode
– Athena, Leader, Or• 2nd stasimon 506-571
– “Furious” justice
• 4th episode 572-791– Ath, Ap, Leader, Or
• Rage songs 792-888– Athena speaking– chorus singing
• 5th episode 888-926– Ath, Leader
• Blessing song 927-1030– Athena chanting– chorus singing
• Spoken transition 1031-1041– Athena
• Lyric exodos 1042-1057– chorus of Athena’s cult
personnel
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Mythic-political convergence…
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Sparta
Argos
AulisDelphi
Troy
Peloponnese
Athens
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Athena
Fury
FuryApollo
Orestes
Orestes at Delphi,Athens
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OresteiaDramatic Planes
There-and-Thenmythiccosmicjudicial
Here-and-Nowtopicalpoliticaljudicial
Political Context
461Areopagus depoliticized
Radical democracy strengthenedEphialtes murdered
458Oresteia produced.
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Oresteia:Structural Oppositions, Progressions
verbal
ambiguous
human
old
dark
earth
female
violence
strife
aristocracy
revenge
Erinyes (Furies)
visual
clear
divine
new
light
sky
male
persuasion
harmony
democracy
judicial process
Semnai (Revered Ones)
dramatic
thematic
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“Strength of Words”
Clytemnestra and Chorus
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Clytaemnestra: Awake, my Furies, goddesses of the Earth! A dream is calling - Clytaemnestra calls you now.
Chorus muttering
Mutter on. Your man is gone, fled far away. My son has friends to defend him, not like mine.
Chorus louder muttering.
You sleep too much, no pity for my ordeal. Orestes murdered his mother - he is gone.
Chorus moaning.
Moaning, sleeping - onto your feet, quickly. What is your work? What but causing pain? Sleep and toil, two strong conspirators, they sap
the mother dragon’s deadly fury.
Chorus labe labe labe labe phrazdou!
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“Binding Song” (1st stasimon, 307 ff.)
epi de tōi tethumenōitode melos, parakopā,paraphorā phrenodalēs,humnos ex Erinuōndesmios phrenōn, aphor-miktos, auona brotois.“Over the victim’s burning head this chant this frenzy striking frenzy …” (329 ff.)
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Class Discussion
Closure at Last?
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Questions…
• Is the decision justified? Fair?• Do the Furies (Erinues)
compromise…– validly?
– bogusly?
• Does the Oresteia achieve closure?
• Is dikē still hubris?
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Discussion Results…• divided
– stopped violence, everyone happy
– cl forgotten• necessary verdict
– yes closure, realist• or’s murder justified
– but no real decision• or justified
– unfair to cl– cycle NOT broken
• in context, a “just” outcome– b/c Athens = misogyny
• trial pointless– not fair
• furies sell out– bribery
• orest wrong– the logic of kinship doesn’t
work– unfair for him to get a trial
• (divided group)– hubristic defense– OR: no remorse, doesn’t
take responsibility