The Odyssey and The Orestia present the culture of ancient Greece through slightly differing perspectives. While there are many similarities, an interesting thought progression is shown through the differences between the two works. One of these differences is the glorification of violent revenge in The Odyssey. When Odysseus returns home, the only logical course of action in the story is for him to avenge the wrongdoing of the suitors by murdering them all. He does this and peace is restored to his estate and family. This brutal act ends up being the resolution of the entire story and is not shown in a negative light at all; on the contrary it is glorified as an act of bravery and justice. In The Orestia, murder is also used as a way to avenge the wrong doings of others. However, the murders in this work are presented in a less glorified way. The Greeks upheld family as one of the most important things in their lives, and the only way to properly avenge the death of a family member is to kill the person who is guilty of the crime. However, Aeschylus seems to be suspicious of the never-ending cycle of violence that is mandated by the Greek culture. Rather than glorifying each murder, he shows a chaotic downward spiral that will continue forever if something doesn’t change.
Another difference between these two classic works is the faith that the characters have in the gods. In The Odyssey, each of the characters seems to be completely certain in the identity and relevance of the gods in their lives. Odysseus trusts the gods to guide him through every one of his trials and while at some points on his journey certain gods make it harder on him to return home, eventually they never fail to bring him to safety. In my opinion, here is a differing portrayal of the gods in The Orestia. There are several allusions in the work to the characters not being sure who Zeus is or if the gods are really responsible for what is happening in their lives. This shows that rather than the blind faith of the characters in Homer’s work, Aeschylus is presenting some questions concerning the gods that were most likely beginning to circulate through Greek culture.
It has been very interesting to observe ancient culture through these two classic works of Greek literature. Homer and Aeschylus have not only created exciting plot lines and complex characters; they have given the modern world an in-depth look at a major progression in thought that was occurring in their civilization.
Another difference between these two classic works is the faith that the characters have in the gods. In The Odyssey, each of the characters seems to be completely certain in the identity and relevance of the gods in their lives. Odysseus trusts the gods to guide him through every one of his trials and while at some points on his journey certain gods make it harder on him to return home, eventually they never fail to bring him to safety. In my opinion, here is a differing portrayal of the gods in The Orestia. There are several allusions in the work to the characters not being sure who Zeus is or if the gods are really responsible for what is happening in their lives. This shows that rather than the blind faith of the characters in Homer’s work, Aeschylus is presenting some questions concerning the gods that were most likely beginning to circulate through Greek culture.
It has been very interesting to observe ancient culture through these two classic works of Greek literature. Homer and Aeschylus have not only created exciting plot lines and complex characters; they have given the modern world an in-depth look at a major progression in thought that was occurring in their civilization.