Furies Described in The Eumenides

In Greek mythology, the Furies, also known as the Erinyes, were female deities of vengeance and retribution. They were described in detail in the play “The Eumenides” by the ancient Greek playwright Aeschylus.

The Furies were said to have been born from the blood of the castrated Uranus, the god of the sky. They were typically depicted as three women with snakes for hair and wings. They were also said to have eyes that could turn mortals to stone.

In “The Eumenides,” the Furies are called upon to avenge the murder of Clytemnestra’s husband, Agamemnon, by her son Orestes. The Furies initially side with Clytemnestra and seek to punish Orestes for his crime. However, they are eventually convinced by the god Apollo and the goddess Athena to abandon their vengeful ways and join the ranks of the gods.

In the play, the Furies are portrayed as relentless and terrifying beings. They pursue Orestes with relentless fury, driving him to the brink of madness. However, they are also shown to be bound by their own code of honor and are willing to be swayed by reason and justice.

The Furies represented a primal force of vengeance in Greek mythology, but they also had a deeper symbolic significance. They were seen as a representation of the guilt and remorse that can plague a person after committing a crime, and the need for justice and resolution. In “The Eumenides,” they ultimately find a place among the gods, representing the balance between justice and mercy.

Overall, the Furies were a powerful and influential force in Greek mythology, representing the consequences of wrongdoing and the need for justice and redemption.

dipub3418@gmail.com

Furies Described in The Eumenides

In Greek mythology, the Furies, also known as the Erinyes, were female deities of vengeance and retribution. They were described in detail in the play “The Eumenides” by the ancient Greek playwright Aeschylus.

The Furies were said to have been born from the blood of the castrated Uranus, the god of the sky. They were typically depicted as three women with snakes for hair and wings. They were also said to have eyes that could turn mortals to stone.

In “The Eumenides,” the Furies are called upon to avenge the murder of Clytemnestra’s husband, Agamemnon, by her son Orestes. The Furies initially side with Clytemnestra and seek to punish Orestes for his crime. However, they are eventually convinced by the god Apollo and the goddess Athena to abandon their vengeful ways and join the ranks of the gods.

In the play, the Furies are portrayed as relentless and terrifying beings. They pursue Orestes with relentless fury, driving him to the brink of madness. However, they are also shown to be bound by their own code of honor and are willing to be swayed by reason and justice.

The Furies represented a primal force of vengeance in Greek mythology, but they also had a deeper symbolic significance. They were seen as a representation of the guilt and remorse that can plague a person after committing a crime, and the need for justice and resolution. In “The Eumenides,” they ultimately find a place among the gods, representing the balance between justice and mercy.

Overall, the Furies were a powerful and influential force in Greek mythology, representing the consequences of wrongdoing and the need for justice and redemption.

dipub3418@gmail.com

Blog Post 5: Annotation of Virtue, Natural Law, and Supernatural Solicitation: A Thomastic Reading of Macbeth

An article by Stacey Hibbs and Thomas Hibbs titled, Virtue, Natural Law, and Supernatural Solicitation: A Thomastic Reading of Macbeth, delves into a close reading of Macbeth through the lense of Thomas Aquinas to exhibit how the plot and character decisions closely reflect the philosophical and theological teachings of Aquinas. Specifically, the use of Aquinas’s theory of virtue, natural law, and the supernatural are used to explain why some characters reflect what Aquinas describes as truly good, all things that are actualized, or natural evil, “a lack of an appropriate perfection” (Hibbs’ 277) This article inquires into this topic through a close reading of Macbeth along with many excerpts from Aquinas’s work in Summa Contra Gentiles, along with many other accredited philosophers, theologians, and scholars. Stacey Hibbs and Thomas Hibbs use the work of outside sources to both accredit and challenge Aquinas’s theory as it relates to the work of Macbeth, and then they strategically pull pieces of dialogue or monologue from Macbeth that speak to the teachings of Aquinas through most all the characters. They do a thorough job of covering most of Macbeth, but my specific interest lies in their reading of the supernatural forces that take place in Macbeth and how Thomas Aquinas would explain the role of the supernatural in relation to the world of man, the supernatural consisting of witches, miraculous Kings, and the Grace of God, and how these forces can guide us to the natural good of humanity unless we lead ourselves away in temptation towards the inhuman. So their focus on the prophecy of the Weird Sisters and the “divine Grace” Malcolm speaks of are what connect my question to their work (Hibbs 291). The article is thorough and convincing in its claim that Macbeth reflects Aquinas’s theory. They leave little room for holes in their reading, and the holes they do leave they continue to question which suggests that their inquisition is never complete which is ultimately a sign of thoughtful inquiry. They were specific with the examples they used, and detailed in their analysis of each one, leaving little room to disagree with their reading of Macbeth as it relates to Aquinas. This article has contributed to the formation of my question of inquiry and how I might possibly view it through the teachings of Aquinas. I now know my question to be, how does the supernatural and divine found in Macbeth guide it’s characters to either a human or inhuman state, and with this article I can offer an argument for and against my question with Aquinas’s theory and regarding the role of the supernatural in human decisions, and whether that role exists to lead us astray or not.

 

 

Hibbs, Stacey and Thomas Hibbs. “Virtue, Natural Law, and Supernatural Solicitation: A Thomistic Reading of Shakespeare’s Macbeth.” Religion & the Arts, vol. 5, no. 3, Sept. 2001, pp. 273-296. EBSCOhost, login.proxy.library.emory.edu/login?url=https://search-ebscohost-com.proxy.library.emory.edu/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&AN=6109694&site=ehost-live.

haley.williams@emory.edu

26 Jan. W/S & Wasps

Activity II. Draft W/S

Review the draft of your graphic and complete the following tasks. You only need to write down as much as you think you will need to respond during discussion.
  • 1. What is the context of the passage you chose? 
  • 2. What are some key features you pointed out?
  • 3. How does the passage you chose do one of the following: Challenge traditional exceptions of gender, undermine civilization, or rely on early Greek staging? 

Blog Post 1: Short Essay Draft

Blog Post 1: Draft of Short Essay
Choose a passage from The Agamemnon or The Eumenides that is approx. 5-15 lines long. Introduce the passage in a few sentences; type the passage out; provide a short summary or overview of the citation you chose; point out at least two linguistic features (i.e. rhetorical figures, meter, homonyms, etc.). Lastly explain how the following 2 things about the passage you chose

  • 1. How does the citation you chose engage with the question of the animal?
  • 2. How does the staging of passage you chose affect its interpretation?

For full credit the post should be at least 300 words long, in MLA format, include at least one image, and be posted to the course blog.