Lesson
for Aeschylus' The Orestia:
Agamemnon, The Libation Bearers, The EumenidesIntroduction to the lesson:
This site presents one approach to
understanding this trio of Greek plays as a unit. These plays
would have been performed on one
day, in order, to a Greek audience who understood historical references
to famous characters and stories (that of Agamemnon and his
family). The various geographical and physical settings were also
very familiar to this kind of audience. They would have
recognized the rituals performed on stage, understood conventions of
behavior, and found fulfillment in the recounting of the establishment
of Athenian justice.
As a contemporary audience, we lack
all of this context.
This lesson discusses the plays in
terms of contextual topics:
history, geography, ritual, the gods, and--in the conclusion
section--social
change. There are questions to answer under each of the topics,
and a final assignment is included--one which asks you to place the
plays in a contemporary setting in specific ways, by reflecting on
these four topics.
*The
image is of a statue of Athena at the Aegina Temple. She is
armed, with helmet, shield, and spear.
T. Olsen 08 2006