The Role of God or Goddess in Aeschylus’s The Oresteia Essay

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“There is a divinity that shapes our ends” is the feeling evoked in us as we course through the Aeschyllian trilogy, and we may be quite sure that this feeling was placed in our innermost core, not inadvertently, but purposefully. It is done, with the great genius of thought and skill of craft. Aeschylus, the past master of theatrical techniques, has, throughout three plays, brought out the invisible hands of the gods that are Omnipresent in the life of every Athenian or every human being. But he is very particular that such an imposing presence is not omnipotent. He presents the age-old “an eye for an eye; a tooth for a tooth” theory in the first two plays. He pulls his readers to a profound shift in the conception of justice from the ‘doer must suffer to the more legalistic ‘doer must be tried’. This also pairs well with the cultural context of Athens at the time this play was written. According to Goldhill an obligation or ‘commitment to the polis’ was a popularly held sentiment and the citizens of Athens in particular felt that there was ‘an ought to act sentiment’ for the good of the polis instead of themselves. The establishment of a court system in which citizens voted on the outcome of fellow citizens clearly demonstrates this sense of communalism. The words that Apollo utter to give hope to a fleeing Orestes testifies to this fact “ There (in Athens), clasping the ancient image of the goddess, thou shalt find judges, /who at last shall free thee wholly from these ills.” It is a god pointing out to a mortal, that he will be freed by judges, from the Furies, which have been unleashed by an unlawful act, and not he himself, who is a god (Aeschylus Oresteria). Says William von Humboldt of the Agamemnon, and his remarks might be applied to the entire trilogy: “Among all the products of the Greek stage none can compare with it in tragic power; no other play shows the same intensity and pureness of belief in the divine and good; none can surpass the lessons it teaches, and the wisdom of which it is the mouthpiece.”

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In order to perch on the idea, we should be ready to take flight through the sky of Aeschylus’ technique of dramatization where the gods and goddesses are really concerned about the outcome of human actions. It must have given Athenians a lot of satisfaction to see that the celestials were so concerned in their day-to-day activities. In the first play we find Zeus, against the Trojans for carrying away Helen and sending Agamemnon and Menilaus after Helen and her illegal lover with the mission to sack Troy and kill the guests who betrayed the hospitality of Agamemnon.

“And thus are the sons of Atreus sent against Alexander by him whose power is greater, Zeus, guardian of host and guest; for the sake of a woman of many men” (Aga. 60-3).

In the hierarchy of celestial beings, we find two types of gods, one the old gods who were under the rule of Cronus, the father of Zeus. But Zeus rose in rebellion against his father and expelled them to a place even below, Hades. Thus it is the patriarch of the new age gods himself, who starts the whole train of events. To the ancient gods, belong the Furies. Towards the end of the events, they are named the Eumenides, or the benevolent beings. We find Apollo, the benefactor of Orestes calling them savages; but we should allow for the fact that they are compelled by their own form of justice. So at the very first glance itself we meet divinity at the start as well as the end of the train of events. Also we find that the embodiment of justice in the form of the Furies is given a more humane countenance by a change of ‘address’.

Zeus, the god of gods sends Agamemnon to Troy. Pallas deters the ships of Agamemnon, which calls for the sacrifice of Iphigenia. But the father is caught in the mire of crime and guilt. We, on the journey, meet many dilemmas of this sort. The first play offers the exposition of Agamemnon’s guilt whereas the second play deals with that of Orestes’. After the death of Agamemnon, by the hands of Clytemnestra, we find his children being slain or forced into servitude. Here Apollo interferes decisively and propels Orestes towards matricide. We find how the characters become tragically trapped in the inescapable moral dichotomies of to do or to do not. When Clytemnestra’s ghost finds the Furies sleeping, in the Euminides, she cries” much as I have been slain by matricidal hands/No god is moved to wrath”. The Furies find that their prey has fooled them, and they in turn accuse Apollo the patron of the matricide. But we find Apollo, maybe to the curious eyes of the Athenians responds by threatening the Furies with the winged snake arrow. Apollo now brings out the reason for the tragic events. “It was but just that the wife who slew her lord should die at the son’s hands, that there be no dishonor to the holy matrimony which was instituted by Zeus and Hera”. This is a profound statement about the direct institution of matrimony by divine hands. On the final stage, we find the judgment seat at Areopagus. Here is where, Pallas’ temple is. The suppliant goes to the statue with cries of help and mercy. The goddess appears, in a chariot drawn by horses. She very calmly gives ear to both the parties. When Apollo offers to speak for the matricide, he is disallowed by the Furies. So we see that the whole affair is completely dealt with by the gods. Even when the final judgment is nigh and the votes are even, Athene steps in with her vote. This is again, done by Aeschylus purposely. He is in a way trying to show the divine influence and concern of the gods in the day-to-day life of every human being. The votes are cast and the victim is acquitted by the goddess. When the Furies rise in mutiny, they are also pacified by the deity. She transforms them into the benevolent ones or on the practical way of life, the author is conspiring with the gods to make the people accept the course of trial and judgment.

In each generation we find the theme of violence and retribution that was carried forward for centuries. He is trying to present a new world order of things via a dramatic representation combing the mortal and immortal elements of the culture that could claim divine precedence. We find Agamemnon sacrificing Iphigenia. Then Agamemnon is murdered by Clytemnestra as an act of vengeance. Finally, we have Orestes murdering his mother after a heartrending dialogue with her. He is torn with indecision. But still he does, what he thinks is his duty. Even while facing, the woman who suckled him, he is unflinching in his duty. Here he finds favor of the deity, Apollo.

When faced by the Furies, he justifies himself “I tell my friends here that I slew my mother not without right, that Loxias ordained this deed. / To him I fly, a suppliant, with bough and wreath, seeking to escape the guilt of kindred blood.”

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And neither does the deity refuse protection to the youth. He says “I bade him avenge his father; I bade him, as a suppliant, seek my shrine.” The Furies will not relent but Apollo has decided to aid the youth. His presence and advice keep the youth alive. He is able to brave the dangers set about by the Furies and still reach the temple of Pallas. The asylum and advice of Apollo throughout the third play, is very evident and felt. It starts in the temple of the god and ends in the temple of Athene. The deity has become a companion and benefactor to the matricide. He is taken into Apollo’s protection, by which the author seems to say that even a deed as horrible as matricide, sanctified because it was done to protect the sanctity of holy matrimony instituted by Zeus and Hera (The Eumenides Study Guide).

So without a doubt, the gods come to the aid of humans. They are faithful companions and do what is in their power to make good, win. Clytemnestra had taken vengeance on a man who had to sacrifice his daughter in order to save his army. This too was under divine guidance. So gods had decreed that she die by the hands of her own son. But this in turn triggers the wrath of the Furies, who take retribution for sins again kindred. We find the same gods intervening for the help of the mortal who was an instrument of justice. Such is the power of his patronage that even the Furies themselves are finally transformed, restoring our faith in the Justice and protection of gods and goddesses.

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