Choephori

Choephori is a Greek tragedy written by Aeschylus one of the great playwrights of ancient Greece. It is the second play in a trilogy called the Oresteia which also includes Agamemnon and The Eumenides. It was first performed in Athens in 458 BC and is based on the mythological character Orestes the son of Agamemnon and Clytemnestra. The play begins with Orestes returning to Argos to avenge his fathers murder by his mother Clytemnestra and her lover Aegisthus. Orestes is accompanied by his friend Pylades and together they plot to kill Clytemnestra and Aegisthus. As the play unfolds Orestes and Pylades carry out their plan but Orestes is haunted by the Furies goddesses of vengeance who seek to punish him for his matricide. The play also features the characters of Electra Orestes sister and the chorus of mourning women who serve as a collective voice of the city. The play explores themes of justice revenge and the conflict between the individual and the state. Aeschylus portrays Orestes as a tragic hero torn between his duty to avenge his fathers death and his guilt over killing his mother. The play also features a strong female character in Electra who supports her brothers quest for revenge and asserts her own agency in a patriarchal society.