Aeschylus’ The Oresteia
Student’s Guide | Classical Reference Library
Richer Resources Editorial Team
About This Guide
In Aeschylus’ The Oresteia, members of one family seek revenge for earlier acts of violence. Each believes that justice is on their side, yet each act creates another wrong. Across three plays, the story moves from murder within a family to a trial in Athens.
This guide will help you follow the characters’ decisions and ask how revenge differs from justice.
Before You Read
The Oresteia consists of three connected plays: Agamemnon, The Libation Bearers, and The Eumenides. It was first performed in Athens in 458 BCE.
The story concerns the House of Atreus, a royal family with a history of betrayal and bloodshed. Before the trilogy begins, Agamemnon has sacrificed his daughter Iphigenia so the Greek fleet can sail to Troy. His wife, Clytemnestra, has not forgotten.
The Story at a Glance
Agamemnon
After the Trojan War, Agamemnon returns home with Cassandra, a captive princess who can foresee the future. Clytemnestra welcomes him but then kills him. She argues that his death answers the sacrifice of their daughter. Cassandra also dies.
The Libation Bearers
Agamemnon’s son Orestes returns and meets his sister Electra. Apollo has ordered him to avenge his father. Orestes kills Clytemnestra and her ally Aegisthus, but killing his own mother brings a new punishment: the Furies pursue him.
The Eumenides
Orestes seeks protection from Apollo and Athena. The Furies insist that a mother’s murder must be punished. Athena establishes a court to hear the case. The votes are tied, and she casts the deciding vote to acquit Orestes. She then persuades the Furies to accept an honored place in Athens.
Meet the Characters
Agamemnon — A Greek king returning from Troy; his sacrifice of Iphigenia has terrible consequences.
Clytemnestra — His wife, who believes she is justified in avenging their daughter.
Cassandra — A captive prophet who sees disaster coming but cannot stop it.
Orestes — Their son, torn between avenging his father and the crime of killing his mother.
Electra — Orestes’ sister, who mourns their father and supports his return.
Apollo — The god who commands Orestes to avenge Agamemnon.
The Furies — Ancient powers who demand punishment for the murder of a family member.
Athena — The goddess who establishes a court and seeks a lasting settlement.
Important Themes
Revenge and Justice
If every murder must be answered with another murder, when can the violence end?
Conflicting Duties
Orestes is expected to honor his father, but he is also forbidden to kill his mother.
Power and Responsibility
The characters defend their choices, but their reasons do not erase the suffering they cause.
Old Ways and New Ways
The final play asks whether public judgment can replace private revenge.
Persuasion and Peace
Athena does more than announce a verdict: she convinces the Furies to accept a new role in the city.
What to Notice as You Read
Listen for the reasons characters give for their actions. Do they call what they do justice, revenge, or duty?
Watch for repeated images of blood, sacrifice, and pursuit across the three plays.
Notice how the setting changes—from a royal household, to a family tomb, to a public court.
Pay attention to the Chorus in each play. Its members do more than observe: they express fears, loyalties, and judgments.
A Literary Feature: A Connected Trilogy
The three plays tell one larger story. The ending of Agamemnon creates the conflict in The Libation Bearers; Orestes’ actions then lead directly to The Eumenides.
Reading the plays together helps us see how the meaning of “justice” changes as the story unfolds.
Questions to Think About
- Why does Clytemnestra believe she has the right to kill Agamemnon?
- What makes Orestes’ decision especially difficult?
- Why do the Furies reject Apollo’s defense of Orestes?
- What is different about Athena’s court compared with the earlier acts of revenge?
- Why is it important that Athena persuades the Furies rather than simply dismissing them?
- Does the trilogy end with complete justice, or with a way to prevent further violence?
After You Finish
Choose one character—Clytemnestra, Orestes, or Athena—and explain what that character believes justice requires. Use two moments from the trilogy to support your answer.
Then consider whether your own idea of justice agrees with that character’s view.
A Final Thought
The Oresteia does not suggest that the harms of the past can simply be forgotten. Instead, it asks how people might respond to wrongdoing without creating an endless chain of new injuries.
Note to the Reader
This guide accompanies the Richer Resources Publications edition of Aeschylus’ The Oresteia, translated by Ian Johnston.
A printable PDF version of this resource is available by email.
