2011. Even if Orestes flees below the Earth he will never be … Multiple Choice . Athenian women: The Athenian women escort the Furies to their new home as the play ends. Primal goddesses, the Furies are as terrifying as they are ancient. The current gods, the Olympians, are much younger than the Furies. This makes for some interesting contrast between the two plays. In The Eumenides, however, revenge and justice are not only defined as two separate concepts, but in fact often stand opposed to each other. Your words, your commands are against the commands of all the other gods. "The Eumenides Characters". Read More: Athenian citizens: The 10 Athenian citizens constitute the jury at Orestes's trial. ( Log Out / In “The Eumenides” in particular, the Chorus is even more essential because it consists of … (Todd, 2010). A man who commits great sin, such as matricide, must be hounded and brutally punished. The current gods, the Olympians, are much younger than the Furies. Goddess of war, wisdom, and crafts. The people of Athens are present at the trial, so that Athene's proceedings can form the basis of all trials to come. Brother to Electra. (Alchin, 2011), “Within the structure of the three plays of the Oresteia, Aeschylus charts the mythic quantum leap of the Athenian Greeks as they replaced sacrificial ritual with judicial law as a preferred means of controlling violence.” – A Guide to Ancient Greek Drama, Ian C. Storey and Arlene Allan. the Furies are savage and brutal, but they believe in their own form of justice; they punish the wicked. A) older citizens of Argos B) captive Trojan women C) the Furies D) the Gorgons. The Eumenides study guide contains a biography of Aeschylus, literature essays, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis. Within The Eumenides, the chorus embodies the character of the Furies, fearsome and loathsome goddesses of the underworld who punishes those who commit crimes against the world’s natural order. Copyright © 1999 - 2021 GradeSaver LLC. The Question and Answer section for The Eumenides is a great The furies originated from the myths of Erinyes, three other worldly goddesses who are said to have worked with Hades and Persephone in looking over the Dungeon of the Damned. (Pythian prophetess; Apollo, Orestes; Ghost of Clytemnestra, Chorus) The Pythian prophetess discovers Orestes and the (sleeping) Erinyes in Apollo's inner sanctuary at Delphi. Clytemnestra describes the murder in detail to the chorus, showing no sign of remorse or regret. The dead were judged and it was the Furies job either to purify the good or bring the bad to the dungeon. London: The University of Chicago Press.1989. The chorus in each play represents the people who feel under-represented and disrespected, by the society's changing values. In “The Eumenides” in particular, the Chorus is even more essential because it consists of the Erinyes themselves and, after a certain point, their story (and their successful integration into the pantheon of Athens) becomes a major part of the play. ‘Primal vengeance: The Furies in Greek Mythology’.2010.Web. Borey, Eddie. He is now Orestes' tireless proponent. Also this ferocious depiction of strong female characters can be seen to reinforce the societal norm about men’s fears of women and by making them so physically unattractive, the furies become a symbol to society of how evil and corrupt women can be. (For more detailed sketches of the various gods and goddesses in the Greek pantheon, see the character list for the Iliad.). Available at: http://www.gradesaver.com/the-eumenides/study-guide/character-list/, Alchin, Linda. In the Eumenides, Orestes and Apollo feel vindicated, but the Furies have suffered atimia: they have been disenfranchised and feel dishonored, and threaten future harm against the Athenian polis. That Aeschylus intended this is shown in The Eumenides, where Orestes is turned into a human symbol in the great moral conflict that is fought out on stage between Apollo, as representative of Zeus, and the Furies, as representative of the primitive, pre-Olympian religion. Web. Son of Agamemnon and Clytaemestra. Silent part. Justice, according to these laws, is accomplished only by vengeance; a murdered man must be avenged by his blood relatives. Also called Phoebus or Loxias. (Chorus) Anapests, 307-320. Newton, George. “Horrors to tell, horrors for my eyes to see,” she exclaims, “have sent me back from the house … Chorus You’ve placed mortals high in honour and hold the morals of the ancient Fates as if they were nothing! Download full On The Number Of The Chorus In The Eumenides Of Aeschylus Book or read online anytime anywhere, Available in PDF, ePub and Kindle. Unlike the helpless choruses of the other plays, the chorus of The Eumenides takes on a very active role. First performed in 458 BC, Eumenides is the last play in Aeschylus’ Oresteia trilogy. When the doors are finally opened, Clytemnestra is seen standing over the dead bodies of Agamemnon and Cassandra. For his friends are not like mine!