How we cite our quotes: (Line)
Quote #7
(Chorus of Furies): "You younger gods! The ancient laws—
you have ridden them down! You have taken them out of my hands for yourselves!I am dishonoured, wretch that I am; my heavy rancour releases on this land—woe to it!—
a poison, a poison from my heart to requite my grief,
dripping from below the earth, intolerable. From this
a canker destroying leaves, destroying offspring—O Justice [Justice]!—
will sweep over and strike the land
with a blight killing men." (779-787)
Here we see, once again, the incompatibility of the Furies' idea of justice and that of the characters who side with Orestes. The Furies are simply 100% convinced that they're right. When the trial ends with Orestes being acquitted, the Furies don't say, "Oh, well, justice was done, he gets to be let off." No. They say that justice itself will bring utter destruction on the land of Athens. Now, is this really justice? Or are they just calling their anger, frustration, and desire for revenge against the city that offended them "justice" because it sounds nicer that way?
Quote #8
(Chorus of Furies): "What then do you bid me invoke for this land?" (Athena): "Such things as attend victory not badly won, and for these to come from the earth, and from the waters of the sea, and from the heaven; for the winds to come to the land blowing their breath amid happy sunshine; for an abundant, thriving yield for citizens from soil and beasts not to fail with time; and for safety for its human seed. May you bring more to birth who are reverent—because like a man husbanding his crops I cherish this nation of righteous men in freedom from sorrow. Such things lie with yourselves; and in war's glorious conflicts I shall myself not tolerate a lack of honour among men for this city and its people's victories." (902-915)
What Athena asks the Furies to do now is the opposite of what they did before: giving good things to good people instead of just giving bad things to bad people. What does this say about revenge? Is revenge bad simply because it just increases the amount of human misery? Or is it bad for other reasons?
Quote #9
(Chorus of Furies): "I pray too that faction, insatiable for harm,
never clamours for this city,
nor the dust drinks its people's black blood
from counter-killings in rage,
in retribution,
the city's ruin its eager pursuit;
may they reciprocate joys,
resolved on sharing friendship,
and show hate with a single mind:
for this remedies much among men." (976-987)
Here we see that the Furies have completely changed their tune. Now that they are involved in the goings-on of the city, they want to make sure everything runs smoothly. The Furies make a prayer to ward off "counter-killings in rage, / in retribution" (279-280). Basically, they're saying that civic peace can't really exist if revenge is tolerated.