I really like the Furies. something about their relentless, agonizing need for vengeance is oddly satisfying. maybe that suggests something disturbing about my psychological make-up

if I read Athena's vote in favour of Orestes not as a vote for a male over a female, but as a vote for mercy over vengeance, then I don't mind it as much

but also, I don't see why CLYTEMNESTRA would be appeased in her grave, just because 12 jurymen decided Orestes was not guilty

I liked The Eumenides (definitely my favourite of the Oresteia) because it made me realise that I don’t really know the relationship between vengeance and justice. I think a lot of my distrust at the weird Canadian justice system is that it doesn’t *avenge* horrendous crimes

I genuinely think Clytemnestra’s curse wasn’t avenged. I guess there is some primitive need for vengeance that the justice system doesn’t satisfy (b/c it forbids cruelty and doesn’t let the victim decide the punishment). So maybe Clytemnestra represents that unsatisfied need

"The wind I breathe is fury & utter hate."

I love this line!! I feel like it captures what vengeance feels like. Interestingly, Orestes doesn't feel this way towards his mum. Apollo forces him to kill her. He wasn't avenging his father. He was sort of just in his approach.

I think reading old stuff is neat because the authors were so daring, almost impertinently so. Imagine someone writing a mythic novel nowadays that's basically like: "this is the origin story of the concept of a justice system." lol!