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681 reviews for:
Aeschylus I: Oresteia, Agamemnon, The Libation Bearers & The Eumenides
Richmond Lattimore, Aeschylus, David Grene
3.91 AVERAGE
681 reviews for:
Aeschylus I: Oresteia, Agamemnon, The Libation Bearers & The Eumenides
Richmond Lattimore, Aeschylus, David Grene
3.91 AVERAGE
Til welcome night opens her mantle of stars,
And welcome then, after a keen frost, the morning,
While centuries of grief eat out your heart
I was expecting to be moved by the sheer force of tragedy but I was not. In Agamemnon, the death of the eponymous character by the hands of his wife and her lover is told; in The Libation Bearers, Orestes’ fate and vengeance for his father is told; and Eumenides tells the story of early notions of the justice system in Athens as a mean to resolve Orestes’ innocence. Surprisingly, my favorite is Prometheus Bound for its moving story, interesting character, unfairness of the gods, and the main character’s selflessness.
I found the Oresteia to be not nearly tragic as the other tragedies I’ve read and too neatly resolved. There is no real sense of danger except for Orestes’ fate and the ambiguity of his moral corruption but even that is tied up in a bow. In Eumenides especially it seems to be a mythmaking method around the early justice system of Athens, like a sense of divine origin. I appreciate having read it for its value in the Western literary canon but it is not personally moving to me. Lovely language all the same. 3.5 stars.
And welcome then, after a keen frost, the morning,
While centuries of grief eat out your heart
I was expecting to be moved by the sheer force of tragedy but I was not. In Agamemnon, the death of the eponymous character by the hands of his wife and her lover is told; in The Libation Bearers, Orestes’ fate and vengeance for his father is told; and Eumenides tells the story of early notions of the justice system in Athens as a mean to resolve Orestes’ innocence. Surprisingly, my favorite is Prometheus Bound for its moving story, interesting character, unfairness of the gods, and the main character’s selflessness.
I found the Oresteia to be not nearly tragic as the other tragedies I’ve read and too neatly resolved. There is no real sense of danger except for Orestes’ fate and the ambiguity of his moral corruption but even that is tied up in a bow. In Eumenides especially it seems to be a mythmaking method around the early justice system of Athens, like a sense of divine origin. I appreciate having read it for its value in the Western literary canon but it is not personally moving to me. Lovely language all the same. 3.5 stars.
Listen, all I’m saying is that if Clytemnestra had made Agamemnon a sacrifice to Hera, things may have turned out differently for her.
dark
emotional
inspiring
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
4.5 stars
It's easy to let yourself drift off while trying to read the archaic/foreign text of this play-resist the urge. Every sentence is full of meaning, implication, and hints towards the author's thoughts on themes of justice and the role of the Gods in human life.
It's easy to let yourself drift off while trying to read the archaic/foreign text of this play-resist the urge. Every sentence is full of meaning, implication, and hints towards the author's thoughts on themes of justice and the role of the Gods in human life.
dark
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Again let the wine be poured
By the glare of the crackling pine;
Now great, all-seeing Zeus
Guards the city of Pallas;
This God and Fate are reconciled.
Then let every voice
Crown our song with a shout of joy!
adventurous
dark
fast-paced