![]() The Greek edition of Aeschylus’ Agamemnon that I use. ![]() The translation by Edith Hamilton that he quotes adds a Christian dimension of God’s mercy and compassion that doesn’t exist in the original, but as long as the overall idea of justice remains intact, there should be no issue with Kennedy viewing Aeschylus from his own perspective. The Oresteia, broadly speaking, is a mythological story about a fundamental shift from vengeful retribution to a new civic justice system based on dialogue and lawful process, and in that sense, Kennedy’s use of the verses to emphasize justice and reconciliation makes sense. Perhaps the favor of the gods sitting on their The one who guided mortals to have wisdomĪnd, in our sleep, at least, pain of unforgettable suffering Whoever eagerly sings a song of victory for Zeus, ![]() As a reminder, here are the verses from Aeschylus, translated by me and closer to the literal meaning of the Greek: Secondly, on a more academic level, there is a disconnect between the intention of Kennedy’s message, and the original meaning and context of Aeschylus’ words. The fact that he put this message out into the universe, only to be cut down by an assassin’s bullet months later, almost makes his appeal seem futile and empty. The first issue, perhaps on an emotional level, is the concern that Kennedy’s exhortation for us to work towards love, justice, and understanding through the compassion of God seems to have gone unanswered. I wondered if there were ways to resolve these issues. Seeing this memorial, a stark reminder of Robert Kennedy’s death, made me ponder some problems with his quotation of Aeschylus that I’ve had, since I started studying more about the Oresteia. What we need in the United States is not division what we need in the United States is not hatred what we need in the United States is not violence and lawlessness, but is love, and wisdom, and compassion toward one another, and a feeling of justice toward those who still suffer within our country, whether they be white or whether they be black. ![]() And he once wrote: “Even in our sleep, pain which cannot forget falls drop by drop upon the heart, until, in our own despair, against our will, comes wisdom through the awful grace of God.” Here again is what Robert Kennedy said about Aeschylus on that day: ![]() Robert Kennedy’s memorial at Arlington National Cemetery, with inscription of his speech that includes the quote from Aeschylus. The professor’s point was to show the lasting relevance of Aeschylus and Greek tragedy even in the modern age. Richard Martin concluded our class by showing us a video of Robert Kennedy’s speech, and an image of his memorial at Arlington National Cemetery, where his speech with the verses from the Oresteia are inscribed. By referencing the Oresteia‘s themes of civic justice over retribution and Kennedy’s call for reconciliation and compassion in the face of racial tensions, Blue Bloods underscores its own narrative of reconciliation between the NYPD commissioner and an African-American reverend who is a critic of the police department.Īt Stanford, I recently had the chance to revisit these verses while reading portions of the trilogy’s first play, Agamemnon, in Greek for a survey course in Archaic Greek Literature. The same verses were quoted by Robert Kennedy on April 4, 1968, as he urged calm in the wake of Dr. Three years ago this week, I published a post about an episode of the police drama Blue Bloods that included a quotation from Aeschylus’ Oresteia trilogy. Robert Kennedy, as he calls for calm following King’s death, quotes Aeschylus’ Oresteia ![]()
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