The Furies

By Aeschylus

This classic trilogy by the great tragedian deals with the bloody history of the House of Atreus. Grand in style, rich in diction and dramatic dialogue, the plays embody Aeschylus' concerns with the destiny and fate of both individuals and the state, all played out under the watchful eye of the gods.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Start Publishing LLC
• Release date: Apr 8, 2013
• ISBN: 9781627930284

Aeschylus

Aeschylus (c.525-455 B.C) was an ancient Greek playwright and solider. Scholars’ knowledge of the tragedy genre begins with Aeschylus’ work, and because of this, he is dubbed the “father of tragedy”. Aeschylus claimed his inspiration to become a writer stemmed from a dream he had in which the god Dionysus encouraged him to write a play. While it is estimated that he wrote just under one hundred plays, only seven of Aeschylus’ work was able to be recovered.

Reviews for The Furies

[leslie398 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Although I own this Kindle edition, I actually read a different translation which I can't find here on GoodReads by George Thomson. The Thomson translation was the best of the three Aeschylus plays I have read, and was contained in the anthology Greek Plays in Modern Translation (modern to the editor in 1947 when this book was published).I found this final play of the Orestiea to be an interesting commentary on the need for old ways to surrender to new ones - this was timely in Aeschylus' day and is still valid. Strangely enough, I recently finished a sci fi novella with this same theme. Truly one of universal application!

[jpsnow · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

The final installment of the trilogy has Orestes fleeing from the Furies who seek judgement against him for spilling the blood of his own kin. Orestes flees a great distance with them constantly upon him, his primary defense that Apollo bade him to seek justice for the murder of Agammemnon. The Furies finally catch Orestes at a temple of Athena, where he grasps her statue in search of aid. Athena then appears and brings the matter to question, allowing testimony from Apollo, Orestes, and the Ghost of Clytemenstra. The judges decide in favor of Orestes, for which the Furies threaten wrath upon Athens. Athena instead offers them a temple there where the Athenian people will pay them proper respect. We have here another great tragedy - perhaps the best at demonstrating the attitudes of the Greek culture toward religion and justice, as well as the relationship between the major deities. The poetry itself is truly gruesome in some places ("Deep draughts of jellied blood will I sip and sup, Though bitter be the wine. And then when I've sucked thy lifeblood dry, I'll drag thee down below.") I kept a copy of this whole play. It's wonderful.

[mimal_5 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

bookshelves: currently-reading, classic, families, betrayal, fradio, greece, legal-courtcase, lifestyles-deathstyles, lit-richer, mythology, play-dramatisation, published-458bc, radio-3, revenge, winter-20132014Recommended for: BBC Radio ListenersR3 A new version by Rebecca Lenkiewicz of The Furies, the last play in Aeschylus's trilogy.BBC description: The Oresteia: The Furies By Aeschylus. A new version by Rebecca LenkiewiczThe final play in Aeschylus' classic trilogy about murder, revenge and justice. Orestes has avenged his father Agamemnon by murdering his killer, his own mother Clytemnestra. Now the Furies, deities of revenge, are on his trail and baying for blood. Can the young gods Apollo and Athena stop this cycle of revenge?BBC Concert Orchestra Percussionists: Alasdair Malloy, Stephen Webberley and Stephen Whibley Sound design: Colin Guthrie.To halt the blood feud spreading to yet another generation we are introduced to the emergence of the first homicide court.