Summary: "Oresteia", Aeschylus. Trilogy of Aeschylus "Oresteia": a brief description and description

Aeschylus was born in Eleusis, in the Greek city near Athens, in 525 BC. E. He was the first of the great Greek tragedians, the predecessor of such writers as Sophocles and Euripides, and many scholars recognize him as the creator of a tragic drama. Until modern times, unfortunately, only seven plays survived, which Aeschylus wrote - Prometheus Chained, Oresteia, Seven Against Thebes, and others. Before him, plays as a genre were in an undeveloped state - with one actor and a choir who offered comments. In his works, Aeschylus added a "second actor" (often more than one), creating a series of new opportunities for dramatic art.

He lived until 456 BC. E., Fought in wars against Persia, and also having achieved great recognition in the world of the Athenian theater. This article will consider the trilogy that Aeschylus wrote, "Oresteia." The summary of the cycle will be disclosed separately for each tragedy.

What does the trilogy include?

"Agamemnon" is the first play from the trilogy "Oresteia" by Aeschylus, the other two parts are "Hoefors" and "Eumenides". This trilogy is the only one that has come down to us in its entirety from ancient Greece. According to many critics, it is the greatest Athenian tragedy ever written because of a kind of poetry and strong characters.

Aeschylus "Oresteia": a summary of the tragedies

"Agamemnon" describes the attempt by Clytemnestra and her lover to one of the main characters, whose name was named the first tragedy. The tragedy "Hoefora" continues the story, describing the return of the son of Agamemnon - Orestes, who kills his mother, and thereby avenges another parent. In the last work that is included in the trilogy - "Eumenides" - Orestes is persecuted by Erynias as punishment for maternal suicide, and finally finds refuge in Athens, where the goddess Athena exempts him from persecution. Let us consider in more detail the brief contents of Aeschylus' Oresteia, presented in this article.

A brief review of the first part of the trilogy

Before us - a detailed description of the return to their homeland of Agamemnon, King Argos, from the Trojan War. In the palace his wife, Clytemnestra, who planned his murder, awaits him, first, as revenge for the sacrifice of their daughter, who was called Iphigenia, and secondly, because during the ten-year absence of Agamemnon she entered into adultery With Aegisf, cousin of her husband. The latter is the only remaining surviving brother, a family deprived of property, and determined to regain the throne, which he believes should rightfully belong to him.

Aeschylus Oresteia: Agamemnon (summary)

"Agamemnon" begins with the moment when the guard on duty, being on the roof of the palace in Argos, expects a signal that would signify the fall of Troy before the Greek army. The lighthouse flashes, and he joyfully runs to tell the news to Queen Clytemnestra. When he leaves, the chorus consisting of old people of Argos tells the story of how the Trojan Prince Paris has stolen Elena, the wife of the Greek king Menelaus, which led to a decade-long war between Greece and Troy. Then the choir remembers how the husband of Clytemnestra, Agamemnon (Menelaus brother), brought his daughter Iphigenia as a sacrifice to the goddess Artemis in exchange for a favorable wind for the Greek fleet.

The queen appears, and the choir asks her why she ordered a thanksgiving service. She tells them that the lighthouse system brought news that Troy had fallen the previous night. The choir praises the gods, but then wondered if its news was true; The messenger appears and confirms everything, describing the suffering of the army under Troy, and thanks for the safe return home. Clytemnestra sends him back to Agamemnon, so that he returns quickly, but before he leaves, the choir asks about the news of Menelaus. The bulletin replies that a terrible storm has seized the Greek fleet on its way home, so Menelaus and many others have disappeared.

The choir sings of the terrible destructive power of the beauty of Elena. Appears Agamemnon in his chariot with Cassandra, the Trojan princess, whom he made his slave and concubine. Clytemnestra invites him, openly demonstrates his love, which in fact is not, and organizes him a bright welcome, spreading a purple carpet in front of him. Agamemnon refers to her coldly and says that walking on the carpet would be an act of arrogance or excessive arrogance; She insists, begging to walk on the carpet, and he enters the palace.

The choir foretells misfortune; Clytemnestra goes outside to invite Cassandra inside. The Trojan princess is silent, and the queen abandons her in despair. Then Cassandra begins to speak, uttering incoherent prophecies about the curse on the house of Agamemnon. She tells the choir that they will see their king dead, and she will also die, and then predict that the avenger will come to them. After these bold predictions, the prophetess seems to be reconciled to her fate and enters the house. The fear of the choir grows, as he hears that Agamemnon is crying with pain. While they are discussing what to do, the doors open and Clytemnestra appears, towering over the corpses of her husband and Cassandra. She claims to have killed him to avenge her daughter, and announces her connection with Aegisf, her lover. The choir states that Orestes will return from exile in order to avenge his father.

A brief review of the tragedy "Hoefory"

"Hoefors" is the second work that is part of the trilogy "Oresteia" by Aeschylus. It deals with the reunion of Agamemnon's children, namely Orestes and Electra, and their revenge. Orestes deprives Clytemnestra of life to avenge the death of Agamemnon, his father.

Second part of the trilogy

A brief summary of Aeschylus' "Orestes" will be continued with an account of the events of the second tragedy - "Hoefors", in which the main place is given to such concepts as revenge and murder. Orestes arrives at the grave of his parent, accompanied by his cousin Pilad, the son of King Phocis; There he leaves a few strands of hair. Orestes and Pylades are hiding, as Elektra, Orestes sister, also comes to the grave, accompanied by a female choir, to perform the act of libration (the process of sacrificing) on the grave; They were sent by Clytemnestra in order, in her words, to "reflect harm". As soon as the ritual activities end, Electra sees strands of hair on the grave, which reminds her of her own hair. At that moment Orestes and Pilad leave the shelter, and Orestes gradually convinces her that he really is her brother.

It's time for the most difficult part of the Greek tragedies that have come down to us, when the choir, Orestes and Electra try to summon the spirit of the deceased Agamemnon to help them revenge. Orestes is wondering why Clytemnestra sent an act of liberation that led to such a decision. The choir replies that Clytemnestra woke up from a dream a nightmare: she dreamed that she gave birth to a snake that is currently breastfed from her breast and eats in this way not only her milk, but also her blood. Concerned by this possible sign of God's anger, a woman sends Elektra to the grave of her deceased husband to perform a ritual of comfort. Orestes believes that he is in the image of a snake in the dream of his mother and, together with his sister, is building a plan for revenge for his parent, intending to kill Aegisthus and Clytemnestra herself.

Orestes and Pylades pretend to be wanderers and inform the queen that Orestes is already dead. Pleased with such news, Clytemnestra sends a servant to Aegisf, and he arrives. Later, Clytemnestra sees Orestes, standing over the body of Aegisthus. Then Orestes was put in a difficult situation: in order to avenge his father, he must kill the one who gave birth to him. A woman strips her breast, begging him for mercy and declares: "Be ashamed, child." Orestes turns to his close friend Pylada, the son of King Phocis, and asks: "Should I be ashamed of killing my mother?"

The riddle of the question

The moments that require reflection, very much in the trilogy, written by Aeschylus, is Oresteia. The analysis of one specialist may radically differ from the opinions of others. Many interpreters believe that the question of Orest is related to a broader theme: a person sometimes encounters difficulties that do not have a solution, for example, the family commitment of Orest to one parent is radically opposed to the family obligation over another. There is another point of view. It may seem that this is not much more than just a rhetorical question, because Orest willingly accepts Pilad's advice about the correctness of what he is doing. Many scientists studied the trilogy, as, for example, G.Ch. Huseynov. "Oresteia" Aeschylus is one of the objects of his research.

Pilad begs Orestes not to forget his duty to Apollo. Orestes after the murder hides the bodies under the clothes that his father wore. As soon as he leaves the house, Erica begins to harass him. Orestes escapes with agonizing panic. Chorus predicts that the forcible cycle can not be stopped by the murder of Clytemnestra.

A brief review of the tragedy "Eumenides"

The final part of the trilogy "Oresteia" Aeschylus is a tragedy in which Orestes, Apollo and Erynius come to Areopagus. Athena arrives with the judges; They decide whether Orestes is guilty of killing his mother.

Summary of the third part of the trilogy

Orestes suffers from the persecution of Eriny (furies), who are deities engaged in vengeance for unjust acts. Through incitement from outside, he committed the murder of his mother. At Apollo in Delphi, Orestes finds peace, and God, who can not save him from the inconvenient wrath of Erinius, sends him on his way, and himself, using incantations, tries to detain Erinius.

Clytemnestra appears in the form of a ghost, but how and where from - it is not known ... Her appearance was like a dream. She calls the sleeping furies to continue their hunt for Orestes. As soon as one of the Erins starts waking up, the ghost retreats. The appearance of Erinium permeates the sense of chase: they sing in unison, awaken quickly and bewitchingly and intend to find the smell of fragrant blood that will bring them to Orestes. Legend has it that the premiere of the play written by Aeschylus (the Oresteia trilogy was then a success) caused so much horror in the audience that one pregnant lady had a miscarriage and died on the spot.

Decisive moment

After tracking, the furies capture him. Athena and the Athenians interfere with the purpose of judging Orestes. Apollo becomes the protector of Orestes, while the Erinians act on the side of the dead Clytemnestra. In the course of the trial, Athena agrees with the pressure of Apollo that a man has greater significance than a woman. There is a count, and it turns out that an equal number of votes has been obtained. Then she persuades Eriniy to take the verdict, and they eventually agree. In addition, they will now be part of the citizens of Athens and will ensure the good condition of the city. Also, Athena states that the accused must be acquitted, since mercy must always rise above cruelty. This is the idea that the author of the trilogy wanted to convey.

Instead of concluding

The "Oresteia" of Aeschylus, the summary of which was presented above, is the only surviving example of the trilogy of that time. At the festival in Dionysia in 458 BC. E. She won the first prize. Initially, it was accompanied by the satirical drama Proteus, which, however, was not preserved. In all likelihood, the term "Oresteia" originally belonged to all four plays.