Aeschylus’ Libation Bearers
The Downward Spiral
Eumenides: Writing Assign.
Trial Scene…
• Closure?
• Unsatisfying expedient?
Submit via Blackboard “Assignments”
Agenda
• Recap & Update
– From Agamemnon to Libation Bearers
• Character and Chemistry
(pp. 216 ff.)
– Is Clytemnestra Human?
– Is Orestes a Pawn?
• Blood for Blood
– Tragic Dilemma in Libation Bearers
3
Recap & Update
From Agamemnon to Libation Bearers
Agamemnon Cassandra Scene:
Analysis
• amoibaion (lyric
dialogue) 144 ff.
– impassioned cries
– self-lament
– feast of Thyestes
– Paris’ crime
– riddling visions
• spoken dialogue
(“no more riddles”)
149 ff.
– vision of Furies
(Erinues)
– Thyestes adultery
– Cassandra’s
gift/credibility
– concrete prediction
– overlaid visions (pp.
151-152)
5
Libation Bearers: Characters
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Orestes
Pylades
Electra
Cilissa (nurse)
Doorman (“Porter”)
Slave
Clytemnestra
Aegisthus
Chorus of Slave Women
– Trojan captives
6
Crime Blotter…
Old Crimes
• Ag’s death
• feast of Thyestes
• sacr. of Iphigenia
• war-crimes, warlosses…
New Crimes
• adultery
– cl & aegisth
• matricide and killing of
aegisth
– related: red carpet
symbolically connecting
Trojan destruction with
Argos
» with impiety-hubris –
Greeks disrespecting
Trojan shrines
7
Libation Bearers: Analysis
(numbers = Penguin pages)
prologue 177 f.
• Orestes
– offering of hair
parodos 178 ff.
– mourning, libations,
Clytemnestra’s dream, general
foreboding
1st episode (begin) 180 ff.
• Electra, Leader, Orestes, whole
Chorus
– recognition, reunion
kommos (lyric interlude) 192 ff.
• Electra, Orestes, Chorus
– mourning, invocation
1st episode (end) 198 ff.
• Electra, Leader, Orestes
– more invocation, Clytemnestra’s
dream, plan
1st stasimon 204 f.
– Clyt’s crime, natura/myth parallels
2nd episode 206 ff.
• Orestes, Porter (doorman), Clyt,
Leader, nurse
– deception
2nd stasimon 212 f.
– prayers for justice
3rd episode 213 ff.
• Aegisthus, Leader, Chorus, Servant,
Clytemnestra, Orestes, Pylades
– killing, agōn, killing
3rd stasimon 219 f.
– victory song
exodos 221 ff.
• Orestes, Chorus, Leader
– victory, madness, Furies
Character and Chemistry
(pp. 216 ff.)
Is Clytemnestra Human?
Is Orestes a Pawn?
Blood for Blood
Tragic Dilemma in Libation Bearers
Tragic Themes, Patterns
• Aristotle
• clyt
• “tragic
formula”
• epiphany
And the ancient pride no war,
no storm, no force could tame,
ringing in all men’s ears, in all men’s hearts is gone.
They are afraid. Success,
they bow to success, more god than god himself.
But Justice (Dike) waits and turns the scales….
and frenzy goes through the guilty
seething like infection, swarming through the brain. (Chorus,
p. 179 – parodos)
11
Intertwined Imagery
• Libations
• Nets
• Snakes
12
Blood-Guilt: similia similibus
• pollution
• purification-
retribution
• pollution?
“Wash old works of blood |
in the fresh-drawn blood of
justice” (Chorus, 795-6)
Sacrifice of piglet
13
Is dikē hubris?
ELECTRA:
… teach me what to say
CHORUS LEADER:
Let some god or man come down upon them.
ELECTRA:
Judge or avenger, which?
LEADER:
Just say ‘the one who murders in return.’
ELECTRA:
How can I ask the gods for that and keep my
conscience clear?
LEADER:
How not, and pay the enemy back in kind?