The Oresteia | Topics for Discussion & Projects

The Oresteia Topics for Discussion

Consider the quote: "Profane not with your presence this fair shrine / But go where headsmen execute the doom / Where eyes are gouged, throats gashed ... where men, impaled alive / Moan long and bitterly," in which Apollo's imagery seems to indicate that revenge, as embodied in the Eumenides, is profane. Given that profane is, by definition, anti-god, discuss the implications of this idea. Is revenge profane? Is it anti-god, anti-spirit? Or is it a manifestation of true justice?

Discuss the concept of revenge. What in modern culture might be considered an act of revenge - by an individual ... by society ... by a group that perceives itself to be wronged. Consider specific events / circumstances, such as capital punishment, terrorist attacks, economic sanctions, etc. Debate the question of whether revenge is ever justified, or whether it ever achieves its...
(read more)