His trilogy Oresteia won a first at Dionysia in 458 BCE. Clytamnestra, He's out for blood against his mother and Aegisthus. The play enacts and explores in profound detail the unsettling myth of Orestes, the young hero who was obliged to avenge the murder of his father Agamemnon by killing his mother Clytemnestra. Of the 76 plays he is known to have written only seven survive--1. At first glance, we might think that Orestes is the tragic hero of The Libation Bearers. By contrast, since the chorus plays a unique role as the Furies in The Eumenides, the structure is fundamentally altered. (Part 1 is called Agamemnon, and Part 3 is called Eumenides.) Please note that content linked from this page may have different licensing terms. Thanks for exploring this SuperSummary Plot Summary of “The Libation Bearers” by Aeschylus. Profoundly religious and a strong proponent of Athenian democracy, he fought at the Battle of Marathon in 490 BC and possibly at the Battle of Salamis in 480 BCE. Continue your study of The Libation Bearers with these useful links. Orestes and Plyades enter with swords drawn. Orestes … Numerous educational institutions recommend us, including Oxford University and Michigan State University and University of Missouri. Read a Plot Overview of the entire play or a scene by scene Summary and Analysis. “The Libation Bearers” (Gr: “Choephoroi” ) is the second of the three linked tragedies which make up “The Oresteia” trilogy by the ancient Greek playwright Aeschylus, preceded by “Agamemnon” and followed by “The Eumenides” . Sign up for our free weekly email newsletter! Some Rights Reserved (2009-2021) under Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike license unless otherwise noted. Prior to Aeschylus, a play's dialogue was hampered with only one actor. Orestes, ELECTRA: daughter of Agamemnon and Clytaemnestra, sister of Orestes. Hoping to rule Argos together, the conspiring couple decides to kill the returning king and his mistress Cassandra, the daughter of the defeated King Priam. Learn More. With her death, the king and his fleet left Argos, and ten years later he returned victorious, bringing with him a concubine. The queen replies how his words have stripped her of all she had ever loved. In the Eumenides,this theme is fully develop… He was told by the chorus leader of his mother's strange and frightening dream. and in-depth analyses of In the heyday of Athenian tragedy – and Aeschylus's work is definitely from the heyday – all three parts of a trilogy would be performed back-to-back on a single day. ... You shall lie in the same grave with him and never be unfaithful even in death. Electra speaks aloud: What shall I say as I pour out these outpourings of sorrow? Our latest articles delivered to your inbox, once a week: Our mission is to engage people with cultural heritage and to improve history education worldwide. Considered the most popular and influential of all tragedians of his era and older than both of his contemporaries Sophocles and Euripides, he is often referred to as the “Father of Greek Tragedy.”. A servant staggers out of the palace, crying that Aigisthos is dead. (102). He is clearly the main character, and the play is in part a coming of age story about him. Wasson, D. L. (2018, October 03). The chorus, Electra, and Orestes sing to Agamemnon, asking for help in seeking revenge on Clytemnestra and Aegisthus. “Aegisthus lives no longer.” (114) Clytemnestra enters and speaks to the servant, “What is this, and why are you shouting in the house.” (114) She is told how the living are now being killed by the dead. He says, “Announce me to the master of the house. Find the quotes you need to support your essay, or refresh your memory of the play by reading these key quotes. Wasson, Donald L. "Libation Bearers." She has had her revenge, and she vows there will be no more bloodshed. Quietly, he leaves a lock of his hair to mark his grief. Once he gains access to the house he will kill Aegisthus. She asks aloud if this were a gift from Orestes. https://www.ancient.eu/Libation_Bearers/. The stories of Homer's Iliad and Odyssey and his account of the Trojan War serve as a backdrop to Aeschylus's trilogy. But it is obvious that he is troubled. World History Encyclopedia. Consistent with the norms of Greek drama, The Eumenides is not divided into acts or discrete scenes. Shortly afterwards, a servant runs from the palace. The Libation Bearers takes off from the ending of Agamemnon where we follow Orestes who's out for one thing and one thing only: revenge. In the end, however, it is apparent that he questions whether or not justice was truly served. See a complete list of the characters in LitCharts Teacher Editions. They leave offerings - libations - to Agamemnon. It is to them I come, and I have new for them to hear.” (106) Clytemnestra comes to the door. Unlike other playwrights, Aeschylus may have also designed costumes, trained his choruses, and possibly even acted in some of his own plays. For they threw you. In the first play, Agamemnon, the Greek king of Argos and commander of the forces against King Priam's Troy, has returned home victorious after ten grueling years. Last modified October 03, 2018. He is credited with taking tragedy in a new direction, revolutionizing it. It was performed in 472 BC. Ancient History Encyclopedia Limited is a non-profit company registered in the United Kingdom. He adds that since their father is dead, his children will be his voice. From their hiding place, Orestes and Plyades appear. The Furies represent th e ancient, primitive laws, and demand that blood must always be paid for with blood. In his absence, his wife Clytemnestra has taken a lover who happens to be Agamemnon's first cousin Aegisthus. According to David Grene's Aeschylus II, he returns to the oracle for purification for the murder of Clytemnestra. He prays to Zeus to stand beside him and grant him vengeance for his father's death. Here's where you'll find analysis about the play as a whole. We are now World History Encyclopedia to better reflect the breadth of our non-profit organization's mission. Eumenides, The Oresteia: Agamemnon, Choephoroi , and Eumenides, Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike. Eventually, he won a total of 13 first-place victories, second only to Sophocles. Suddenly, she notices the strand of hair left by Orestes and realizes that the lock of hair is exactly like her own hair. “You are the snake I gave birth to, and gave the breast.” (117) She is led into the palace. As they stand before his tomb, they realize that had he died in Troy he would be remembered and respected. Somewhat confused she thinks she is going mad. Wasson, Donald L. "Libation Bearers." Study Guides. I have not the daring to say this, nor know what else to say as I pour this liquid on my father's tomb. The Persians focuses on the popular Greek theme of hubris and blames Persia's loss on the pride of its king. The Oresteia: Agamemnon; The Libation Bearers; The Eumenides, Aeschylus, II, Oresteia: Agamemnon. Libation Bearers, Greek Choēphoroi, play by Aeschylus, second in the trilogy known as the Oresteia. Aeschylus: The Libation Bearers - Summary and Analysis. They pray to Zeus to aid them to avenge his death and make his murderers accountable. This license lets others remix, tweak, and build upon this content non-commercially, as long as they credit the author and license their new creations under the identical terms. A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality study guides that feature detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, quotes, and essay topics. The plot is relatively simple but it's the macabre dread and imagery provided by the Chorus that elevates a simple revenge into a very consumi The Greek title, The Choephoroi, specifies the libations as choai, or an offering for the dead. Orestes speaks to his sister: "Pray for what is to come, and tell the gods they have brought your former prayers to pass. Donald has taught Ancient, Medieval and U.S. History at Lincoln College (Normal, Illinois)and has always been and will always be a student of history, ever since learning about Alexander the Great. 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