Theme Of Revenge In Oresteia - 924 Words

The main focal point in which the Oresteia attempts to convey to its readers is that revenge is a continuous and unending cycle. The concept of an â€Å"eye for an eye† is heavily emphasized throughout the story and its characters. Therefore is someone is murdered, than a next of kin or relative will extract vengeance upon the murderer. Which thus turns an attempt at justice into simply another tragedy. And then a new chosen one will then later be selected to seek and obtain revenge on the previous wrongdoer in which the cycle continues. The furies within the play also play a crucial role in demonstrating the ruthless and unending nature of revenge through their methods of torturing and haunting the martyr’s blood-related family for eternity.†¦show more content†¦For instance, if the United States were to launch a nuclear missile as Russia’s capital, what would happen? Retaliation. Russia would then do the exact same or possibly even worse directed at th e United States. Our blindness to come to the attention of this seemingly chronic problem within our world has nearly lead humankind to the brink of its own destruction on many different occasions. Of which, the closest humankind has gotten to destroying itself throughout our history was during the brief time frame of the cuban missile crisis during the Cold War. We got so close in fact, that the simple push of a button could have lead to total nuclear annihilation. Therefore, the principle of revenge has been with us in our darkest moments as well as our everyday lives. And even in our legal and justice systems the same principle applies. Why is a man who committed murder given the death penalty? Since when does two wrongs equal one right? These are the questions we must ask ourselves as we examine the meaning behind humankinds need for the extraction of revenge. The idea of revenge has existed as a staple of human civilization for as long as we as a species can remember. Mankind’s uncontrollable desire towards greed, and our natural tendency to be self-serving, is essentially the quintessential metaphorical roadblock that impedes our future progress. We are the onlyShow MoreRelatedThe Theme of Family1694 Words   |  7 PagesThe Theme of Family in the Oresteia and the Medea Understanding Greek tragedy depends upon tracing the growth of characters and themes within the plays and how they help to highlight the greater significance of the work. A prominent theme discussed by the tragedians is that of family and is dominant in both the Oresteia and the Medea. The Oresteia centers on concepts of what family is and how obligations within a family transcend personal desires and dictate the life of individuals. 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Both the plays are set in a time whenRead MoreEssay on Oresteia: Revenge718 Words   |  3 Pages In the Oresteia there seems to be a continuing cycle of revenge. Someone is murdered and then a relative must kill the murderer, therefore becoming a murderer himself. A new chosen one is then selected to take revenge on that person who killed before him and the cycle goes on and on. The furies also play a part in this cycle of revenge. They seek out those who kill their blood relatives and haunt them and torture them for eternity. So basically they also take revenge for the ones that have beenRead MoreThe Significance of Animal Symbolism and its Effect on Gender Role1699 Words   |  7 Pagesmetaphor or simile which better visualizes the authors true meaning. Lions have many different personality traits which make them extremely diverse creatures. This also promotes various applicatio ns to characters in literary works. 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