Justice in Aeschylus' OresteiaHow can an infinite and violently destructive cycle be just? The concept appears in places along the human timeline as diverse as the Bible and West Side Story. Why do people have a tendency to amplify and repeat violence through a cycle of murder and revenge, and how can this destructive process be called justice? In The Oresteia, the cycle is familiar, but it is also intertwined with issues of gender and a sense of justice that changes within the cycle itself. Instead of focusing on just one book in the trilogy, I think it will be more helpful to see how these patterns flow through all three books. The first chapter of the trilogy is the story of Agamemnon, the Trojan war hero who returns home after 10 years. The king had left on a rather sour note, having killed his daughter Iphigenia to appease the gods so the fleet could sail to Troy. Clytemnestra, the queen, cannot understand the sacrifice. This is the first time in the trilogy that the so-called gender battle occurs. Agamemnon's actions are typical of the classical Greek 'male' point of view. He is mainly concerned with matters of war, honor and the well-being of the city. Clitomnestra, on the other hand, is more interested in “feminine” issues, such as the well-being of the family. The queen, during the king's absence, becomes obsessed with her daughter's death and takes a new lover to the exclusion of her remaining children in an attempt to steal control over the city. When Agamemnon returns, instead of a faithful wife he finds a swift death at the hands of Aegitus. Interestingly, another person, an innocent person, is also killed. Clytomnestra kills Cassandra, a prophetic girl brought home from Troy, on a whim... middle of paper... because it would only allow him to commit further injustices. However, the idea of ​​making him a better person according to society's values ​​is somewhat anti-Socratic. Socrates would prefer that there be an absolute ideal, with no room for human opinions or emotions. Unfortunately, the practical situation often prevents the realization of his ideal. Its logic still involves the idea of ​​relative justice. In modern terms, this would be equivalent to sentencing criminals to spend time in therapy or mental health institutions rather than incarceration. This is not such a radical departure from what capital punishment advocates suggest. But is society ready for a justice system in which the guilty are not punished? I do not believe. As sad as it may seem, the human tendency towards hatred prevails over true justice. Works Cited: Aeschylus. Orestia. Trans. Peter Meineck. Indianapolis: Hackett, 1998