The Oresteia opens with a call from a guardian: “I ask the gods to free me from this misery” (3). This petition reveals the fate of many of Aeschylus' characters. The curse that hangs over the House of Atreus is one that cannot be broken by the mortal members of the House. They are the cause, and they have become part of a cycle of misery and death. Only the gods can remedy the misfortune of the inhabitants of Atreus' house. In the Oresteia, Aeschylus uses a cycle of pollution in the house of Atreus to construct the need for intervention from a greater power – a god – so that the cycle can be broken and the house of Atreus can be purified. Say no to plagiarism. . Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay In Agamemnon, the language Aeschylus uses in Cassandra's speeches illustrates the theme of pollution in Atreus's house. Before entering the house to receive her death, she speaks to the Choir: CASSANDRA. The house breathes murder, with drops of blood.CHORUS. How? This is not the case! It's the smell of sacrifices at home.CASSANDRA. The steam is like that of a tomb; It’s so obvious! CHOIR. No Syrian splendors for the house in your description! (37) Cassandra's mention of the house itself "breathing murder" not only foreshadows her own death and that of Agamemnon, but it foreshadows all deaths to come in the trilogy. When it comes to the impending murders, Cassandra mentions the house instead of mentioning the murderer herself. Additionally, she describes the house as "breathing", as if it were alive and as if the house itself was the cause of the murders. This brings to mind the larger problem of the trilogy: the curse on House Atreus. The language Aeschylus uses to describe the house, in particular, “breathes of murder, with a drop of blood…”. . .steam like that of a grave”, is reminiscent of pollution. In the case of Atreus' house, the house is polluted by a cycle of corruption and murder. Agamemnon killed Clytemnestra's daughter, so Clytemnestra kills Agamemnon, and as Cassandra predicts, Clytemnestra will be killed and the cycle of death and corruption will continue. Cassandra's speech also suggests the need for the gods to break this cycle. In the passage above and in the rest of Cassandra's speech, the Chorus does not believe what she prophesies. This is his punishment from the god Apollo. Although she could prophesy, she “could not convince anyone of anything” (34). This curse on Cassandra highlights the important role the gods play in the trilogy. Because no one believes Cassandra, she and Agamemnon cannot be saved and the cycle of death will continue. Cassandra's curse prevents her from being able to stop her own death even though she knows it is coming. The fact that a god placed this curse on him illustrates their power and suggests that they are the ones who affect the fates of mortals and will be needed to end the curse on the house of Atreus. The gods play an increasingly important role in the lives of the characters in the next two plays, as the theme of the cycle of pollution continues. The cycle of pollution in Atreus's house is extended further in Libation Bearers – this time by Orestes. Orestes' justification for killing Clytemnestra is that she killed his father. He hopes this will end the cycle of death in his house. Orestes believes that his murder was justified, while that of Clytemnestra was not. There are, however, many parallels between Orestes and Clytemnestra. Both exposed the bodies of their victims in..