Oresteia
Aeschylus faces off with Euripides in a dramatic contest and is declared the victor. The decision is one of cosmetics more than substance. Aeschylus wrote plays that appealed to the people of Athens. The Oresteia is a story with strong characters faced with difficult decisions in which justice prevails. On the other hand, Euripides wrote plays that were more realistic, such as The Electra, which reveals the weakness of men and women. That both authors wrote plays dealing with the same story helps us to see the differences in their opinions and styles.The Oresteia probably was favoured more by the Athenian people because of some key factors. One of these is character portrayal. Aeschylus made his heroes strong minded and full of resolve, whereas Euripides tended to show his characters' shortcomings. An example of this is the character of Orestes. In The Libation Bearers, Orestes comes upon the scene and makes himself known to his sister immediately and quickly reveals his plot to kill their father's murderers. He is in control of the situation and prepared to kill both his mother and her lover: "Our Fury who is never starved for blood shall drink/ for the third time a cupful of unwatered blood" (Libation Bearers,
First, Euripides gives a detailed description of the death of Aegisthus, which at the time was not a popular thing with the audience. In The Electra, Euripides creates a very different personality for Orestes than does Aeschylus. Electra is another character that probably did not win Euripides any votes from his audience. The resolution of this play is the recognition of the Furies as justice of an older time, and Athena gives them their rightful place in modern justice. In Euripedes' version of the story, Electra was cast out from the royal house, marries a peasant, and is dressed in the rags of poverty. This is quite different from the stout Orestes of The Oresteia. Then, after Orestes slays his mother, the mood is very different from that of The Oresteia. The play leaves the reader questioning if justice truly was served. The way Orestes stabbed Aegisthus in the back probably did not win any point from the judges either. He actually does not willingly reveal himself. Orestes and Electra both realise that what they did was not justified even by the oracle of Apollo and lament their actions. Aeschylus would win the contest in Athens because Athenians would want to identify more with his play. In The Oresteia, Orestes confronts both Clytemnestra and Aegisthus individually and kills them. When his identity is know, it must have been very disheartening to see the former Greek leader's son being so indecisive.
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