THE ORESTEIA
Adabted & directed by Sabri Zekri
The Oresteia is a trilogy written by Aeschylus, the only survived trilogy of ancient Greek theatre. The trilogy is consisted of Agamemnon, The Libation Bearers, and The Eumenides.
Synopsis>>
Agamemnon is the first act of the Oresteia trilogy. It details the homecoming of Agamemnon, King of Mycenae, from the Trojan War. After ten years of warfare. Waiting at home for Agamemnon is his wife, Clytemnestra, who has been planning his murder. She desires his death to avenge the sacrifice of her daughter Iphigenia, to exterminate the only thing hindering her from commandeering the crown, and to finally be able to publicly embrace her long-time lover Aegisthus.
In The Libation Bearers is the second play of the trilogy. Many years after the murder of Agamemnon, his son Orestes returns to Argos with his friend Pylades. Upon arriving, Orestes reunites with his sister Electra at Agamemnon's grave. Shortly after the reunion, both Orestes and Electra, come up with a plan to kill both Clytemnestra and Aegisthus.
The third act and final play, called The Eumenides, illustrates how the sequence of events in the trilogy ends up in the development of social order or a proper judicial system in Athenian society. In this act, Orestes is hunted down and tormented by the Furies. They relentlessly pursue Orestes for the killing of his mother. After the intervention of Apollo, Orestes pleads to the goddess Athena for help and she responds by setting up a trial for him in Athens on the Areopagus. After the trial comes to an end, the votes are tied. Athena casts the deciding vote and determines that Orestes will not be killed.
Tehran, 2011
Duration: 70 min.
