That’s such a brutal painting. Orestes has stabbed his own mother and the furies are immediately there to torment him. The story of Orestes was explored by each of the three main Greek tragedy playwrights, Aeschylus, Sophocles, and Euripides. Aeschylus set the standard with The Oresteia, Sophocles approached it through Electra, and Euripides through both Orestes & Electra.
Orestes if a fascinating character study. He kills his mother Clytemnestra in vengeance of her killing her husband, Orestes’ father, Agamemnon. Agamemnon had sacrificed their daughter Iphigenia. Orestes thinks he is just. Clytemnestra thinks she is just. Agamemnon thinks he had to do what he had to do.
Who is just? How is that determined? Can justice be meted out eye for an eye? What about in the case of a death? The wronged party cannot seek justice. Someone must do it on their behalf. How does that cycle end?
These are the questions that come up in Orestes. It caused me to think about ways in which these cycles of violence could end. I share this ideas in this episode.