The Evolution of Justice in the Oresteia and the Republic
The poet Aeschylus of the Oresteia and the philosopher Plato of the Republic both attempt to explain how justice came to be in the human community or polis. In very different ways, Aeschylus and Plato present their views on how reality came into being in the community. Aeschylus describes this evolution on the basis of individual behavior, in which the actions of individuals reflect different aspects of the rise of justice in the society. It will put together and demonstrate how justice came into being based on one's own efforts. Plato, on the other hand, takes a unique approach. Plato assumes the presence of truth in the society and compares it to individual justice existence. This paper will try to compare and contrast the two perspectives.
Aeschylus' Imagery of Light and Dark
Aeschylus gives different patterns of an image to describe how justice came into existence in the community or polis, images he used include, light and dark, hunting, tapestries and nets, animals (snakes, deer, birds), blood and family ties.
Aeschylus use of light darkness as a constant image in the Oresteia shows a development from evil to goodness, from disorderly ways to orderly ways. In the Oresteia, a situation exists humans who have gone out of control, in the house of Atreus the rate of deaths has risen. In the story a divine disorder also lives among mortals who have to be resolved: the wraths, a generation which is older, are in disagreement with the Olympian gods who are younger because they have been refused ancient rights to avenge the deaths of their family members. In the Oresteia, two parallel conflicts are presented, in which both of them must be resolved if harmony is desired. As it is expected conflicts always have resolutions, and the images of light and dark accompany the progression and hence putting emphasis on movement from evil to good.
Use of darkness imagery is used in one example of Agamemnon. First play of the trilogy, it depicts the cycle of death beginning with the murder of Thyestes' children and continued with the murder of Agamemnon and Cassandra by Clytaemestra. Agamemnon death more expands darkness present at the beginning of the story. It is shown when Clytaemestra says, "Thus he [Agamemnon] went down, and the life struggled out of him. And as he died he spattered me with the dark red and violent, driven rain of bitter savored blood" (lines 1388-1390).in this incidence she has murdered her husband thus the image of dark blood. Darkness is illustrative of evil which has entered the house of Atreus and persisted with the murder of Agamemnon. Aeschylus shows that through these killings it was nothing else but pure murder and as long as these incidences occur the darkness will not leave the house of Atreus it will only continue to emerge. Light has not yet been seen in the Oresteia.
Light begins to progress in the second play of the trilogy, The Libation Bearers. Orestes is the beacon signaling end of evil in the house of Atreus Orestes avenges his father's death by killing Clytaemestra, his mother. Darkness is expected from such an act, but Aeschylus provides Orestes with a defense for his actions in the form of an oracle from Apollo. Orestes killing differ from how his mother is killing because it can be seen as a more significant crime because of blood ties Aeschylus must include the order from Apollo who is the god of light. With the support from Apollo Orestes is beginning goodness and order in the Oresteia.
In the image of blood it represents pain and death; also it stands for family (blood family). Blood stands for the dominant direct drive of the Atreidae family curse, where there are betrayal and killings of each other in the family. The flow of blood shows the self-continuing nature of the curse. Blood is also used to symbolize guilt and grief, and even standing for emotional ties and uncontrollable forces. Agamemnon clothing's had blood on them Orestes used them to demonstrates how his father suffered.
In the net imagery, a net is an essential metaphor that is depicted in the Oresteia. It is used to show confusion, treason, and entrapment. Nets' joining powers connects them with snakes, in which its victims die from being strangled to death. In a vision, Cassandra saw Clytaemnestra herself surrounding her prey. The net is also used to depict the previous idea of people being forced into a single path for them to escape bonds that were tying them down. When Clytaemnestra heard of Agamemnon wounds, she says if the rumors were true then he would have many holes than a net. Later after she killed Agamemnon, she says she threw a robe to him like an endless web, as by some fisher strung. An "a spider thing" is what the chorus refers her to, turning her from a person to a scary creature.
In the imagery of animals dog and lion is used. External motivation is associated with the dog, and the lion divides characters into crimes and same family committing crimes against each other. In line with the imagery of dog and lion, the image of the dog is used, 'crouched like a dog' the watchful guard illustrates himself in such a manner. When he was giving a speech and making a complaint about the ruling of the land, being submissive is associated with a dog of which the guard is, he protests about Clytemnestra, and yet he continues to carry orders from her.
'A great Ox stands on my tongue' this shows oppression that the sentry cannot speak for himself because of fear. Instead, the house speaks for itself. The eagle is compared to Agamemnon who is commonly referred to a majestic animal. Two eagles are devouring a pregnant rabbit this is an indication telling them to go to war. Menelaus and Agamemnon are the eagles, and the rabbit is troy. Hence, this creates an image that Agamemnon and Menelaus will have the victory, but it will come with a lot of bloodshed and destruction.
The use of snakes portrays betrayal and self-interest. The nature of snakes or vipers is to poison its victims quickly and silently. In the case of Orestes and Clytaemnestra, a snake is used to show the parody of mother and son relationship where the mother and son attack each other instead of showing love to each other. They both see each other as the snake. Clytaemnestra is over and over compared to a viper by his son Orestes. Clytaemnestra and Aegisthus are referred to as 'two serpents,' who in the house are the most power hungry and selfish rulers. In a dream, Clytaemnestra sees Orestes as a stealthy snake masked as an infant that is hungry. By seeking shelter in the palace, this proves the dream when Orestes is after her. Snakes are also linked to the furies who are the goddesses of the underworld who will avenge the death of Clytaemnestra. Orestes will see them as 'hundreds of writhing snakes' this will make him see that he is doomed.
Another metaphor used to show how many murders are committed throughout the trilogy is the image of serpents which kill by twisting and constricting. Clytemnestra and Orestes are characters that are used in comparison to this imagery, they coil around their loved ones sneakily, with plots of killing them and are with no fear of biting.
Plato's Metaphors of the Sun, the Line, and the Cave
Patterns of images or metaphors used by Plato were the metaphor of the sun, the line, and of the cave. In the metaphor of the sun, Plato explains that reality is made clear just as the sun makes visibility of things to the eye so is the light truth and being indifference to the dawn of becoming and perishing. A metaphor of the line, it is presented by Plato in the Republic. A line is divided into two and bisecting the line into four segments.
Socrates explains that the four segments represent four affections of the psyche. Lower sections represent the visible while the higher represents the intelligible. The devotions are increasing levels of truth and reality from speculating to belief and understanding. The metaphor of the cave, in this allegory Plato compares people who are amateurs to prisoners who are chained in caves and are not even to turn their heads. All that is visible to their eyes is the all of the caves, and behind them, there is a fire burning.
References
Goldhill, Simon. "The Oresteia." Landmarks of World Literature (New) Aeschylus: The Oresteia, pp. 20-84., doi:10.1017/ccol0521832292.002.
"Plato, Republic 2.359d7-e2." Mnemosyne, vol. 69, no. 6, 2016, pp. 1029-1033., doi:10.1163/1568525x-12342130.
Conacher, D. J. "Aeschylus Oresteia." 1987, doi:10.3138/9781442670679.
