The Eumenides was quite the interesting read, and it is my opinion that Orestes' actual escape hinged on one aspect of argument in particular, that being context. In fact, Athena's "court trial" of sorts is a perfect portrayal of the power context can yield when used correctly. I'll use basketball as an example to explain:
If I said that LeBron James is overrated as a player because he has lost in six NBA Finals, people who didn't know any better would not question that statement. However, if I went through each loss individually, we would realize very quickly that Lebron has performed very well in the finals whether he wins or loses, causing my point of him being overrated to be false. The Furies suffer from the same problem as the ghost of Clytemnestra fills them in on only what she wants them to know about Orestes' deed. They are so bent on bringing a false sense of "justice" to Orestes that by the time Athena arrives, the Leader is going mad trying to get to Orestes. I could detail the entire opening interrogation for the Furies when Athena holds the trial, but I think it would be better to hear some of the questions from the leader herself:
"Answer us count for count, charge for charge. First, tell us, did you kill your mother?...But how did you kill her? You must tell us that...And who persuaded you? who led you on?...How could she breed you in her body, murderer? Disclaim your mother's blood? She gave you life." (Aeschylus, 256-258).
After rereading the trial in its entirety, do you notice how the Furies never ask why Orestes killed Clytemnestra? As I said before, context is everything. Modern investigators often look for a motive when working on a case because knowing the motive of a suspect or criminal helps tremendously in catching them and bringing them to justice. I would argue that this practice could be applied to other areas of life as well. It is my firm belief that if society learned the context of specific political statements or even videos that people post to the internet that divide thousands by the day, our production and understanding would increase a hundredfold.
P.S. I commented on Haylee Lynd's and Rachael's posts.
I love this post and the point you made! Context is so important. The Furies have such a simplistic and narrow view of wrong and right that it matters not why Orestes did what he did. They dismiss the argument that he had to avenge his father because they believe so strongly in a strict one-to-one ratio of crime and punishment. Their worldview is black and white, while that of humans is grey.
ReplyDeleteExcellent blog post. I often find myself without context in many real life situations, and that has affected a lot of my decisions and relationships with people. I am, what you would say, not gifted in the common sense department, so anything that has to do with the practical world MUST have context behind it for me to be able to react properly to it. Case in point, I am often like the Furies in this situation, only knowing one-half of the story.
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