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

An analysis of how dikh (‘justice’) and its associated values are presented and translated in two passages from Sophocles: Electra. What broader issues are raised and how would these be investigated further? The concept of dikh, or ‘justice’ has many subtle meanings and variations in Ancient Greek ranging from the primary definition given in LS (Liddell and Scotts, ‘Greek-English Lexicon’, Intermediate, 1889, page 202) of custom to right, judgement, lawsuit, penalty and vengeance. The OCD (Hornblower S, Oxford Classical Dictionary, 1996, Page 469) reference to Likh describes it as the, ‘personification of justice’ and the daughter of Zeus that, ‘reports men’s wrongdoing to Zeus’. Sophocles’ rendition of the tragic play Electra forms a useful focal point for the analysis of how dike and its associated values are presented and translated. As Kitto (Kitto, H.D.F, ‘Greek Tragedy’, 1997, Routledge Page 131, Section 4) pointed out, this play’s, ‘central problem is a problem of ‘dikh’ (‘Justice’). The play itself examines both the desire for justice by the children of the murdered Agamemnon as well as the arguments of justice by his wife (Clytaemnestra for his murder). All of this takes place under the watchful eye of Apollo, the God of both reason and prophecy, both of which play a part in the story that is told. The first extract is that of the argument between Clytaemnestra and Electra (Sophocles, Translator Watling, E.F., ‘Electra and other plays’, pg 84-56, lines 518-543) concerning her justification for the murder of Agamemnon. In this extract we are presented with a selection of references to justice and how Clytaemnestra explains how she was right in her murder of her husband. At line 518 (Ibid.,) she complains at her portrayal as ‘an unjust tyrant’, presumably implying that she was not within her right or custom to kill him. Between lines 524-526 (Ibid.,) she says that justice and duty are tied together and that her duty was to seek justice whilst Electra failed in this area. At line 535 (Ibid.,) she says, ‘why should he not be brought to justice for killing what was mine?’. In modern terms this could be considered simple revenge, or dikhn. She is does not justify her action because of tradition or precedent, purely because he took something of hers. In lines 539-541 (Ibid.,) she argues that Agamemnon love might ... ... study ties in perfectly with the idea of moral dilemmas, duty and especially justice. In ‘Electra’ we find our idea of our own values and those of the period to be challenged, this study may assist here. Williams. B, ‘Moral Luck’, 1981, Cambridge Williams. B, ‘Problems of the self’, 1973, Cambridge Williams. B, ‘Ethics and the Limits of Philosophy’, 1985, Cambridge Williams’ work covered a wide range of ethical and morals areas and his research is relatively recent. ‘Moral Luck’, though not directly related will almost certainly have a few useful ideas concerning fate and possibly justification. Plato, Translator Guthrie, W.K.C. ‘Protagoras and Meno’, 1956, Penguin Books Plato discusses the idea of virtue in great depth in the ‘Protagoras’ and this could shed further light on the ideas of virtue, honour, duty and possibly justice. Aeschylus, Translator Fagles, R, ‘The Orestia’, 1977, Penguin Books Euripides, Editor Ferguson, J , "Medea and Electra", 1987, Bristol Classical Press Another version of the story of Electra would be of great use, especially by another tragedian, in this case Euripides. This version is written as more of a melodrama.