What do the Furies represent in the Eumenides?
Ancient goddesses of vengeance, the Furies (or Erinyes) pursue and punish those who have sworn false oaths or betrayed sacred laws. In The Eumenides, they seek to punish Orestes for having killed his mother, Clytemnestra.
What is Eumenides summary?
“The Eumenides” tells of how Orestes is pursued to Athens by the vengeful Erinyes for the murder of his mother, Clytemnestra, and how he is tried before Athena and a jury of Athenians to decide whether his crime justifies the torment of the Erinyes.
Who are the Furies in Agamemnon?
These three goddesses are Alecto (anger), Megaera (jealousy), and Tisiphone (avenger).
What did the Furies turn into?
At the play’s end, Orestes is acquitted, and the Furies are changed into the Eumenides (“Kindly”).
What are the Furies weaknesses?
Anger, grudging, and avenging were their internal weaknesses.
What are the Furies known for?
goddesses of vengeance and retribution
THE ERINYES (Furies) were three goddesses of vengeance and retribution who punished men for crimes against the natural order. They were particularly concerned with homicide, unfilial conduct, offenses against the gods, and perjury.
What are the messages in the play Eumenides?
The Eumenides is all about justice and judgment getting the upper hand over the bloody cycles of revenge that dominated the action of Agamemnon and Libation Bearers (the first two plays in the Oresteia trilogy). Now, the key thing here is that justice and judgment triumph.
What does each fury represent?
In Greek mythology, each Fury was sometimes represented as avenging a certain type of crime, such as crime, grudges, or murder. Ironically enough, they are often referred to as the Kindly Ones, in order to remain safe from them. They are sometimes misidentified with the arai, spirits of curses.
What happened to the Furies?
Apollo puts two of the Furies to sleep while he purifies the young man with pig’s blood. The female figure on the left is the ghost of Clytemnestra, vainly attempting to awaken the Furies. At the play’s end, Orestes is acquitted, and the Furies are changed into the Eumenides (“Kindly”).
What is the moral of the Oresteia?
The moral applicable to Greek citizens was that they shouldn’t be like Orestes, Clytemnestra and Electra and they should not take justice into their own hands but instead they should solve their conflicts through law and trials.
Who are the Furies in the Iliad?
Although the Furies appear in the Iliad as spirits who make sure things are following the laws of nature, they are not major players in a story until later. The first major appearance of the Furies in written mythology occurs in a trilogy by Aeschylus, a writer of tragedies.
What did the Furies do in the Bible?
Symbolized by snakes and blood, the Furies travelled the earth dispensing punishment, as well as torturing souls in the Underworld, the Greek realm of the dead. As such, they were chthonic beings, or related to the Earth and the Underworld.
Why did Clytemnestra curse the Furies in Orestes?
After Orestes has exited, the ghost of Clytemnestra appears, scornfully cursing the Furies for their laziness. They wake up and are horrified to find their prey has escaped, cursing the Olympian gods for helping a guilty man defy their power. At this moment, Apollo emerges from the temple, and a verbal fight begins.