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Essay / Research Paper Abstract
A 5 page essay that discusses the this trilogy of plays by Aeschylus, the ancient Greek playwright, who drew upon the saga of the House of Atreus, which was well-known to his audience, in order to create a trilogy of plays that present the tragic story of legendary figures. Collectively known as the Oresteia, the three plays are “Agamemnon,” “The Libation-Bearers” and “The Furies.” Examination of the plays demonstrates how Aeschylus structured them to work dramatically as a whole, as there are connective characterizations, imagery and meaning that tie one play to the next. No additional sources cited.
Page Count:
5 pages (~225 words per page)
File: D0_khorsuni.rtf
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Unformatted sample text from the term paper:
present the tragic story of legendary figures. Collectively known as the Oresteia, the three plays are "Agamemnon," "The Libation-Bearers" and "The Furies." Examination of the plays demonstrates how Aeschylus structured
them to work dramatically as a whole, as there are connective characterizations, imagery and meaning that tie one play to the next. A principal theme that is brought out through
the trilogys structure is that revenge is ultimately not upheld as means of restoring civil order. Rather, the sacrifice of Orestes, as he commits an act that he knows will
carry with it dire punishment in order to restore the health of the polis and Aeschylus emphasizes this aspect of the legend. Aeschylus establishes the trilogy as a cohesive
whole through the use of several devices. First of all, there is the cohesiveness of the narrative, which is a single legend, told in chronological order. However, this framework
is supplemented by the way in which he develops the motivation for his characters, develops his characters, and uses symbolism, metaphor and the other poetic devices to convey, mood, images
and themes. For example, throughout the plays, Aeschylus uses imagery and metaphor that compares the actions of humans to that of animals, birds of prey or vipers, which conveys
the thematic meaning by indulging in revenge and violence, the characters are behaving more in terms of instinctual, animal behavior rather than as rational human beings. These metaphors also aid
Aeschylus in pointing out the dichotomies between Greek cultural values, which placed a high premium on rationality, but also demanded non-questioning obedience and loyalty as well as violence and revenge
according to debt of honor and fealty. For instance, in the first scene of "Agamemnon," a watchman is the first speaker and he describes himself as a "watchdog" whose
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