In the third play of “The Oresteia” Orestes is on trial for murdering his mother, Clytemnestra. The jury is tied between innocent and guilty. Athena, who was directing the whole trial, said she would let him go free if the tally was tied. I will be telling you why the jury’s verdict was right. The first reason is that Apollo told him to kill his mother. Another reason is that he was cleansed so why should he have to die for it? The third reason is that Athena sided with Orestes. The last and final reason is his mother killed his father, Agamemnon, so he killed her in revenge.
First, Apollo told him to kill Clytemnestra. In the second play, “The Libation Bearers” Pylades says, “What of the future? What of the Prophet God Apollo, the Delphic voice, the faith and oaths we swear? Make all mankind your enemy, not the gods” (Aeschylus 217). In this quote, Pylades is saying if you do not murder your mother, you will make the gods your enemy rather than the humans your enemy for killing your mother. Either way, Orestes was in a bad position, he had two troublesome options. He chose to appease the gods and make an enemy with humans. Also, in “The Eumenides” Orestes says, “And Apollo shares the guilt- he spurred me on, he warned me of the pains I’d feel unless I acted, brought the guilty down” (Aeschylus 252). This quote tells us what Apollo said to him. Second, he said he was already cleansed of the crime. In the third play, “The Eumenides” Orestes says, “Long ago at the halls of others I was fully cleansed in the cleansing springs, the blood of many victims” (Aeschylus 251). This quote states that he was cleansed for many of his victims including his mother. If he was cleansed, he should not have to die for that sin, because cleansed means that it does not matter anymore. Another reason is that Athena, the goddess of wisdom, said, “Orestes, I will cast my lot for you. No mother gave me birth. I honour the male, in all things but marriage. Yes, with all my heart I am my Father’s child. I cannot set more store by the woman’s death-she killed her husband, the guardian of their house. Even if the vote is equal, Orestes wins” (Aeschylus 264). This quote states that Athena agreed with Orestes’ actions because Clytemnestra killed the protector of the house. Lastly, he killed his mother out of revenge which is what the gods wanted. On page 252 of “The Eumenides,” Orestes says, “...Ai! my blackhearted mother cut him down, enveloped him in her handsome net-it still attests his murder in the bath. But I came back, my years of exile weathered-killed the one who bore me, I won’t deny it, killed her in revenge” (Aeschylus). This quote explains why he killed his mother. As I explained earlier Apollo told him to do it, thus the gods wanted it. In conclusion, the jury and Athena were right to let Orestes go. The reasons were he was told to kill his mother by a god, he was already cleansed of his crimes, the goddess of wisdom agreed with him, and he kill her out of revenge like he killed her husband out of revenge.
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