This essay will ask you to think of the Oresteia as a Gesamtkunstwerk ("total work of theater art"), one that requires all three plays—Agamemnon, Libation Bearers, and Eumenides-to fulfill its vision.
Assignment:
Write an essay that focuses on the "problems" featured in the trilogy:
• The end of tragedy
Begin the essay by showing how Eumenides brings this "problem" to a resolution. Then demonstrate exactly what it is that Eumenides is resolving through an examination of the complications, tensions, paradoxes, complexities, etc., featured in the first two plays. To be clear, then, the goal of the essay is to start by making an argument about some feature of Eumenides, and then to work back through Libation Bearers and Agamemnon to bring context and complexity to the resolution. For example, you might argue that the Eumenides culminates in some new configuration of state-sanctioned violence. The question then becomes, how did we get here? What was happening in the earlier two plays to make this new arrangement ideal? Work extensively with quoted passages from all three plays.Sam
The end of tragedy
The End of Tragedy in the Oresteia Trilogy The Oresteia trilogy, composed of Agamemnon, Libation Bearers, and Eumenides, is a Gesamtkunstwerk or a total work of theater art that requires all three plays to fulfill its vision. One of the “problems†addressed in the trilogy is the end of tragedy. In this essay, we will explore how Eumenides resolves this problem by examining the complications, tensions, paradoxes, and complexities featured in the first two plays. Eumenides brings the problem of the end of tragedy to a resolution by introducing a new configuration of justice and retribution. In this final play, the Furies, ancient deities representing vengeance, are transformed into the Eumenides, benevolent goddesses who become guardians of Athens’ legal system. Through this transformation, a shift occurs from individual vengeance to a more rational and communal approach to justice. To understand what Eumenides is resolving, we must examine the complexities presented in Agamemnon and Libation Bearers. In Agamemnon, the audience witnesses the tragic downfall of a great hero due to the cycle of violence and retribution. Clytemnestra’s act of killing Agamemnon as revenge for their daughter Iphigenia’s sacrifice initiates a chain of events that leads to further bloodshed within the family. The play highlights the destructive nature of unchecked vengeance and raises questions about the cost and consequences of such actions. In Libation Bearers, tensions between personal revenge and moral duty are explored through Orestes’ quest for justice. Orestes is torn between avenging his father’s death by killing his mother Clytemnestra and the moral guilt he feels for taking another’s life. This internal conflict reflects the larger societal tension between the need for justice and the ethical implications of shedding blood for personal gain. Eumenides resolves these tensions by presenting a new system where justice is administered through trials and reason rather than personal vendettas. The transformation of the Furies into Eumenides signifies a shift from excessive violence to a more balanced and collective approach to justice. This resolution suggests that the end of tragedy lies in the establishment of a legal system that can provide fair and unbiased judgment. By extensively analyzing quoted passages from all three plays, it becomes clear that Eumenides culminates in a new configuration of state-sanctioned violence. The resolution presented in Eumenides is an ideal arrangement that addresses the inherent problems and complexities depicted in Agamemnon and Libation Bearers. In conclusion, the Oresteia trilogy tackles the problem of the end of tragedy by resolving it through a new configuration of justice and retribution. Eumenides transforms the Furies into benevolent goddesses who become guardians of Athens’ legal system, shifting from personal vengeance to communal justice. By examining the complications, tensions, paradoxes, and complexities featured in Agamemnon and Libation Bearers, Eumenides presents a resolution that establishes a legal system based on reason and fairness. The Oresteia trilogy serves as a powerful exploration of the end of tragedy and the evolution of justice within society.
Sample Answer