Orestes by Euripides

At the end of the Trojan War, King Agamemnon returned home having been gone 10 years.  During his absence his wife Clytemnestra had taken a lover, so when he returned, she and her lover killed him.  His son Orestes and daughter Electra then entered into a plot to kill her and avenge their father.  This play opens about six days later.  Orestes has been driven mad with guilt even though he believes he was ordered by the gods to slay his mother.  Also, the people of the kingdom are about to vote on an appropriate punishment for him.  He and Electra expect to be stoned to death for the murder.

Menelaus returns home from the war and asks to see Orestes.  The cause of the Trojan War was that Menelaus’ wife Helen had run off with Paris of Troy.  Agamemnon had agreed with Menelaus that they were bound by their honor to go retrieve her.  The ten years of war had resulted in many deaths, and the war became increasingly unpopular.  (Apparently long wars always have been unpopular.)  Menelaus has secretly gotten Helen back into the city, because he fears the anger of the populace against her.

Menelaus is uncle to Orestes.  Orestes expects him to understand why he had to kill Clytemnestra and to attempt to sway the people in his favor and spare his life.  While they are talking, Tyndareus arrives.  He was Clytemnestra’s father and so is grandfather to Orestes.  However, he has no sympathy for Orestes and argues with Orestes and Menelaus.  Menelaus is torn, and after much discussion, he does not agree to help Orestes.  He is taking a wait-and-see approach.

Pylades then arrives on the scene.  He is a young man of the same age as Orestes and is one of his good friends.  He is betrothed to Electra and was in on the whole scheme against Clytemnestra.  He is from a neighboring kingdom and has been exiled by his father for his part in the murder, but at least his life was spared.  He declares that he will not abandon Orestes and is prepared to die with him.  He assists Orestes in getting to the court where his case is being heard.  They return knowing that the death sentence has been pronounced, but that Orestes and Electra are to be given the option of suicide.

The three friends (Orestes, Electra and Pylades) then come up with another plot.  They will kill Helen and take Hermione, daughter of Helen and Menelaus, hostage.  When Menelaus learns his wife is dead and his daughter’s life is on the line, they believe he will give in and help them.  They carry out this plan, but when they think Helen is dead, she suddenly disappears…spirited away by the gods.  (Keep in mind Helen is supposedly half god and half mortal.)  Menelaus arrives at the palace and seems willing to let Hermione die.  Pylades and Electra are ready to torch the palace, and Orestes is about to kill Hermione, when the god Apollo appears in the clouds with Helen by his side.

He pronounces that:

*Helen is to become immortal and stay with the gods.

*The lives of Orestes, Pylades and Electra are to be spared.

*Orestes is to marry Hermione, at whose throat he is presently holding a sword.

*Pylades is to marry Electra.

*Menelaus is to leave Argos to be ruled by Orestes, and he is to go to Sparta and rule there.

*No one is to blame anyone for the Trojan War.  The gods set it all up to decrease the population.

*Everyone is to make peace with everyone else and play nicely.

And….just like that, all loose ends are tied up and everyone obeys Apollo.  This is just too tidy an end to suit me.  The play and the problems build for 17 pages and then POOF, Apollo appears and everything is resolved in half a page.  This is worse than some TV dramas.  At least in those you can look back and see the beginning threads of the resolution.  This ending comes out of nowhere!

Interesting quotes:

             Menelaus:  What ails thee?  What is thy deadly sickness?

             Orestes:  My conscience; I know that I am guilty of an awful crime.

Orestes:  For such friends as desert us in the hour of adversity, are friends in name but not in reality.

Chorus:  His is an enviable lot, who is blest in his children, and does not find himself brought into evil notoriety.

             Menelaus:  …how can you win a great cause by small efforts?

Orestes:  I will cease praising thee, for there is something wearisome even in being praised to excess.

Apollo:  …for the gods by means of Helen’s loveliness embroiled Troy and Hellas, causing death thereby, that they might lighten mother Earth of the outrage done her by man’s excessive population.