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The Oresteia

by Aeschylus

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Pages: 120

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4 h 19 min · 7 parts

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Dramatis Personae
2:09
Agamemnon, Part 1
60:35
Agamemnon, Part 2
47:52
The Libation Bearers, Part 1
39:31
The Libation Bearers, Part 2
34:59
The Furies, Part 1
39:41
The Furies, Part 2
34:46

The Oresteia (1909) is a public domain work.

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About this book

Greek playwright Aeschylus composed "The Oresteia," a trilogy of plays, in 458 BC. Agamemnon, The Libation Bearers, and The Eumenides are the three interwoven plays that make up the trilogy. The curse on the House of Atreus is the central theme of these timeless dramas.

The story takes place with the murder of King Agamemnon by his wife, Queen Clytaemnestra, followed by the assassination of Clytaemnestra by their son, Orestes, and the trial and subsequent vindication of Orestes. Often regarded as the father of tragedy, Aeschylus brought new elements to these plays, including trilogies, the use of a second actor, and a more cohesive chorus.

About the author

Aeschylus

Aeschylus fought at Marathon and probably at Salamis, and his epitaph records the battle rather than the plays, which is said to have been his own instruction. He added a second actor to tragedy, which is the point at which drama becomes dialogue instead of a chorus with a soloist. Seven of perhaps ninety plays survive.