Familial Relationships in Oresteia

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Familial Relationships in Oresteia
Oresteia is a trilogy of plays that were initially performed during the Dionysia Festival held in 458 BC in Ancient Greece. A renewed playwright called Aeschylus wrote the trilogy. Aeschylus’ Athenian citizenship influenced the manner in which he wrote the trilogy and the themes he puts across, as shown by his bias. Further, he succinctly brings out the theme of relationships between siblings, lovers, or parents and children. “You might lift a goat for sacrifice” and “mother snake” shows the writer’s attempt to justify murder and revenge in Clytemnestra and Agamemnon’s marriage. Queen Clytemnestra says:
This one, it is Agamemnon, my husband.
A dead corpse.
The work of my right hand, a just artificer.
And that is it.
These words from the queen reveal great details on the theme of broken marriages and the main issues that account for the broken marriages. Clytemnestra hatred towards Agamemnon is because Agamemnon sacrificed their first-born daughter, and Clytemnestra wants to have control of their family. These words shows that the queen is remorseless despite her heinous actions, and she is determined to do whatever it takes to rise to power. She has set her eyes on political power, and she knows one of the ways of achieving this is by killing her husband and her concubine, Cassandra, and commanding her position of power and authority in the society to intimidate her enemies and competitors.
The story begins with Agamemnon returning to Argos, even though his return lasts only a short while since he dies short after, after being murdered by his duplicitous wife. At first, Agamemnon’s death is out of place and disturbing. However, the chorus gives readers the history of what he had been doing, how he criminally sacrificed his beloved daughter, and this dissolves the readers’ sympathy. The sacrifice he makes turns into Hubris due to the manner in which he commands it to be done, the way in which “you might lift a goat for sacrifice.” This shows the extent of Agamemnon’s detestable change and insensitivity, and it results in the act changing from one that follows the will of God to one that is “reckless in fresh cruelty.” The sacrifice he makes turns into an act of murder and lacks the ability to uphold his responsibility of being a caring and affectionate father, resulting in his suffering for the actions he takes. He bestially enjoys the death of his daughter, and values his fruitfulness over that of his own life is not consistent with the values that define familial relations. Therefore, the death of Agamemnon is the first commentary on the sanctification of familial duties and bonds which characterize relationships within a family. His marriage with Clytemnestra fails because of their indifferences and lack of common interests; whereas Agamemnon is driven by inhumanity, Clytemnestra is driven by the thirst for power and lustfulness.
The marital bond of Agamemnon and Clytemnestra presents a case of a severed familial relationship. The most significant issue, in this case, is that despite the fact that Agamemnon deserved to die for the mann...