Revenge in the Ancient Greek Plays

The classic literature, such as the plays and stories created during ancient Greek times, often had more than mere aesthetic, entertainment, or shock value. Much like today's literature and films, these often sought to bring their audiences a deeper message. While this is not to say that most of today's media has much to offer by way of a deeper message, much of their appeal lie in the exposition of human behavior, human nature, and how morality and ethics play a role to mitigate the worst within us all. This is also the appeal of the classic literature. A such, pieces of literature like the Iliad, Agamemnon, Antigone, and Medea, tend to reject revenge, while revering moderation and other factors such as age and ancestry.

Anger and revenge are themes that go hand in Homer's Iliad. The underlying implication appears to be that terrible...
[ View Full Essay]