An analysis of how dikh (‘justice’) and its associated values are Essay

An analysis of how dikh ( evaluator) and its associated values argonpresented and translated in cardinal passages from Sophocles Electra. What broader issues are raised and how would these be investigatedfurther?The concept of dikh, or justness has many subtle meanings andvariations in Ancient Greek ranging from the primary translation givenin LS (Liddell and Scotts, Greek-English Lexicon, Intermediate,1889, page 202) of custom to right, judge manpowert, lawsuit, penalty andvengeance. The OCD (Hornblower S, Oxford Classical Dictionary, 1996, foliate 469) reference to Likh describes it as the, personification of justness and the daughter of Zeus that, reports mens wrongdoing toZeus.Sophocles rendition of the tragic play Electra forms a reusable focalpoint for the analysis of how dike and its associated values arepresented and translated. As Kitto (Kitto, H.D.F, Greek Tragedy,1997, Routledge Page 131, Section 4) pointed out, this plays, profound problem is a problem of dikh (Justic e). The play itselfexamines both the thirst for umpire by the children of the murderedAgamemnon as well as the arguments of justice by his wife(Clytaemnestra for his murder). All of this takes place under thewatchful midriff of Apollo, the God of both reason and prophecy, both ofwhich play a dispel in the story that is told.The first extract is that of the argument between Clytaemnestra andElectra (Sophocles, spokesperson Watling, E.F., Electra and otherplays, pg 84-56, stores 518-543) concerning her justification for themurder of Agamemnon. In this extract we are presented with aselection of references to justice and how Clytaemnestra explains howshe was right in her murder of her husband. At line 518 (Ibid.,) shecomplains at her portrayal as an unjust tyrant, presumably implyingthat she was not within her right or custom to kill him. Betweenlines 524-526 (Ibid.,) she says that justice and handicraft are tiedtogether and that her duty was to seek justice whilst Electra faile din this area. At line 535 (Ibid.,) she says, why should he not bebrought to justice for killing what was mine?. In modern terms thiscould be considered simple revenge, or dikhn. She is does not justifyher action because of tradition or precedent, purely because he tooksomething of hers. In lines 539-541 (Ibid.,) she argues thatAgamemnon love might ... ... study ties in perfectly with the idea of moral dilemmas, duty andespecially justice. In Electra we detect our idea of our own valuesand those of the period to be challenged, this study may assist here.Williams. B, Moral Luck, 1981, CambridgeWilliams. B, Problems of the self, 1973, CambridgeWilliams. B, Ethics and the Limits of Philosophy, 1985, CambridgeWilliams spirt covered a wide range of ethical and morals areas andhis look is relatively recent. Moral Luck, though not directlyrelated will almost certainly have a few useful ideas concerning fateand possibly justification.Plato, Translator Guthrie, W.K.C. Protagoras and Men o, 1956, PenguinBooksPlato discusses the idea of virtue in big(p) depth in the Protagorasand this could shed further light on the ideas of virtue, honour, dutyand possibly justice.Aeschylus, Translator Fagles, R, The Orestia, 1977, Penguin BooksEuripides, Editor Ferguson, J , Medea and Electra, 1987, BristolClassical Pressanother(prenominal)(prenominal) version of the story of Electra would be of great use,especially by another tragedian, in this case Euripides. This versionis written as more of a melodrama.