The Oresteia: Analysis of Setting
"The Oresteia" is a trilogy of Greek tragedies by Aeschylus, exploring themes of justice, revenge, and the evolution of society. The setting plays a critical role in illustrating the psychological and social dynamics within the narrative. Key locations include Agamemnon's palace in Argos, which serves as a site of both public celebration and private tragedy. The palace is symbolically significant, as it represents safety in the open space but also becomes a place of demise for Agamemnon when he enters it.
Another crucial setting is the Temple of Apollo at Delphi, where Orestes seeks guidance after committing matricide, marking a transition from personal vengeance to a quest for cleansing and justice. The trilogy culminates in Athens, a central hub of ancient Greek civilization, where the trial of Orestes takes place at the Areopagus, emphasizing the societal shift towards institutional justice. Overall, the settings in "The Oresteia" serve not only as backdrops but also as integral components that enhance the thematic depth and character motivations throughout the plays.
The Oresteia: Analysis of Setting
First produced:Agamemnōn (Agamemnon), Choēphoroi (Libation Bearers), and Eumenides, 458 b.c.e. (English translation, 1777)
Type of work: Drama
Type of plot: Tragedy
Time of work: After the fall of ancient Troy
Asterisk denotes entries on real places.
Places Discussed
Agamemnon’s palace
Agamemnon’s palace. Royal palace of King Agamemnon at Argos. In ancient productions of this play, at the open-air theater of Dionysus in Athens, the palace was represented by the skene, a two-story wooden building located at the rear of the stage. There, as in most Greek tragedies, place is of much less importance than space. The large central door of the skene provides an entrance into an inner, “private” space concealed from the audience’s view. When Agamemnon comes on stage fresh from his victory at Troy, he is greeted publicly by his wife, in full view of both the audience and the chorus, whose members move about in the orchestra, the open space between the skene and the audience. In this open space, Agamemnon is safe; when he enters the palace, however, he will die. In Libation Bearers, Orestes confronts his mother outside the palace, but will force her inside—out of the audience’s view—to exact his revenge.
*Temple of Apollo
*Temple of Apollo. Home of the Pythia, Apollo’s priestess and oracle, at Delphi; one of the greatest shrines of ancient Greece. The temple contains the omphalos, the “navelstone,” whis is supposed to mark the center of the earth. Eumenides opens here, with the temple represented by the skene. Pursued by the Furies (primal agents of vengeance), Orestes comes to Delphi to implore Apollo’s help in cleansing himself of the guilt of his mother’s murder. Apollo almost immediately sends him to Athens, directing him to seek sanctuary at the temple of Athena.
*Athens
*Athens. Ancient Greek city-state that is home to the Temple of Athena, atop the Acropolis, and the Areopagus, where Eumenides concludes here with a trial presided over by Athena.
Bibliography
Gagarin, Michael. Aeschylean Drama. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1976. An accessible and worthwhile source for the nonspecialist. Clearly written and argued, with helpful notes and a bibliography. Includes two excellent chapters devoted to The Oresteia.
Goldhill, Simon. Aeschylus: “The Oresteia.” Cambridge, England: Cambridge University Press, 1992. A short but highly informative book by a leading scholar in the field of Greek drama. An ideal introduction to the Oresteia. Especially good discussion of the social contexts for the plays.
Herrington, John. Aeschylus. New Haven, Conn.: Yale University Press, 1986. Designed for the nonspecialist. Part 1 provides background for Aeschylus’ plays, and part 2 discusses the seven existing plays in detail. Discusses the Oresteia as the reconciliation of male and female principles.
Rosenmeyer, Thomas G. The Art of Aeschylus. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1982. Intended for the somewhat advanced student of Greek drama, but includes an excellent discussion of Aeschylus’ stagecraft which is accessible to the general reader as well. Includes a useful selected bibliography.
Spatz, Lois. Aeschylus. Boston: Twayne, 1982. A serviceable introduction to the plays of Aeschylus. Includes a fifty-page discussion of the Oresteia and a useful annotated bibliography.