Why is he tormented with guilt?
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- čas přidán 12. 05. 2024
- In this video we take a close look at a painting known as "Orestes Pursued by the Furies". You'l find out why a woman has a knife buried in her chest, who the Furies (aka Erinyes) are, and why they're chasing a man called Orestes. I'm Lance, a mythology enthusiast, and I'll guide you through it all.
If you want to an amazing book all about this story from Greek Mythology, I suggest THE HOUSE OF NAMES by Colm Tóibín. Get it here with my affiliate link and help support the channel by doing so: amzn.to/3eHDex0
#mythology #painting #storytelling
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A really fascinating topic indeed! Looking much forward to a more lengthy discussion on the subject... Thanks for touching on it!
The fact that Electra really believed that he had to run away from the house for fear of death by Clytemnestra it's a morbid detail that not many think about when talking about this myth
Truly an impressive work of art! Which tells so much...
And credit to the artist for so strategically protecting Orestes' modesty with everything else going on in the work 😏 😄 the artist truly thought of everything while doing this! 😋
It’s all about the details. Or rather, in this case, hiding certain details… 😉
Its genius. At first look it felt like he was not a part of painting , i thought it he was edited in to the painting. Once I knew backstory, I was mindblown.
Thanks so much for your kind words!
It's a powerful painting and very dramatic. I think it's interesting that the concept of miasma endured into the Renaissance era and beyond as a medical concept - a contagion of bad air that caused disease.
Absolutely. Bouguereau really shows us the inner torment of Orestes who is also a victim of a very cruel fate. I like the idea of having to atone for one’s sins before you could be readmitted to the community, otherwise you would just pollute the people around you and continue to curse. There’s always this sense of the hero somehow having to break the chain of violence and trauma and not be consumed by it. Aeschylus’ Orestia is such a powerful and haunting work, and shows the kind of domino effects our actions have. Thanks for sharing your thoughts!
Have you read The House of Names by Colm Tóbín yet? I was blown away by his retelling of Oresteia?
amzn.to/3eHDex0
Pallas Athene sympathizes with Orestes and constructs a jury to judge Orestes. The hung jury ends in acquittal since Clytemnestra killed Agamemnon and caused discord in social order. Athena then appeases, and threatens, the vengeful Erinyes and convinces them to become the "Kindly Ones".
the painting is beautiful, I like how it shows Orestes' punishment. I remember being angry at Orestes for killing his own mother, I mean, come on, Agamemnon deserve to die!
His father killed his sister!
I was angry until I read other versions that Apollo made him do it. 😅😅😅
Anyway, whatever the version is, I still think (even though I am angry at him) that Orestes is also a victim... For me it is cruel. it seems like it was his fate.. he was already cursed the day he was born, because he belong to the cursed House of Atreus
I share a similar opinion in that I feel that Clytemnestra was more justifiable in her actions due to the horrible actions made by her husband Agamemnon. First he sacrificed her favorite daughter Iphigenia for his own benefits and under false pretenses then he had to add insult to injury by bringing back Cassandra as a throphy concubine. He was just begging for it. However my view is a modern point of view whereas the ancients chose to instead vilify Clytemnestra due to the overwhelming misogyny of the time...
Same! I want to revisit Aeschylus’ Oresteia but I recently read The House of Names about this myth:
amzn.to/3eHDex0
It seems Orestes was unfortunately lacking in information about all that had transpired during the sacrifice of his sister. It seems Clytemnestra herself was partially responsible for not revealing everything to Electra and Orestes. Part of me really sides with Clytemnestra, although her actions were also heinous and she made some terrible, tragic decisions along the way that sealed her fate. Though, to be fair, she is never the same after the sacrifice of her daughter. Who would be? She is a calculated machine of rage after this happens and her own life seems rather irrelevant to her. Only the idea of vengeance keeps her living.
Indeed! Some of her actions are very questionable for sure. She is by no means a saint as her own actions though driven by grieve, rage and vengeance are in themselves very extremist and tremendous...
In the end though I think Orestes was ultimately the greatest victim who paid for his Parents crimes.
Fortunately for him though he was able to find atonement and redemption with the help of Athena & Apollo.
@@thehellenicneopagan 100% regarding the misogyny of the time. In Iphigenia at Aulis, Euripides wrote these words for Iphigenia to speak on stage: It's more important for one single man to look upon the light than a thousand women (line 1394). This is of course after she gets over the shock and horror of her impending doom and seems to suddenly stoically accept her fate as a sacrifice to help the Greeks win the war. Also in the play Clytemnestra talks about how Agamemnon ripped her away from her first husband and smashed their baby to the ground. So much toxicity but utterly riveting as well.
@@thehellenicneopagan you know, I remember our English teacher asking us, "if you are in Agamemnon's place.. what will you do?"