The conflict in the Eumenides of the OresteiaIn the Eumenides, the third book of the Oresteia, there is a strong rivalry between the Furies and the god Apollo; from their first confrontation in the temple of Apollo at Delphi, it becomes clear that God and the spirits are opposing forces. Their actions bring them into direct conflict, and both persist in achieving their respective goals while interfering or preventing the other's actions. There is also considerable personal animosity between Apollo and the Furies, particularly on the part of the former towards the latter. Due to the differences between the respective ideals they uphold, their personal conflict is as intense as that caused by their actions. The nature of the rivalry is ironic as they possess very similar ideals in some ways; both seek to establish order and justice in the world (although they have distinct and very different conceptions of order and justice) and, therefore, they strive to achieve the same goals , but neither realizes this truth. Apollo and the Furies despise each other. because their actions and even their very nature are diametrically opposed. In this play, Aeschylus depicts Apollo as a noble and virtuous figure, based on two traits for which the god is well known: an interest in peace and justice, and a tendency to passionately defend individuals or groups of people from harm. people who adore him. It should be noted that The Eumenides is not the only case where Apollo protects someone from the Furies; there is a remarkably similar Greek legend in which Apollo orders a character named Alcmaeon to kill his mother (Grant 139), who had arranged for her...... middle of paper ......ries. Each is determined to achieve their goal while blocking the actions of the other. Their respective natures, in addition to their actions, also generate a strong mutual contempt between them. The play depicts Apollo as a seeker of peace and justice, and more importantly, as a defender of the weak, while the Furies are seemingly his antithesis: primal creatures who incite murder and foment chaos within the Atreus family . However, the god and the spirits are also similar in that they wish to establish order in the world by ensuring justice for the mortals they frequent, although their conceptions of justice and order are very different , which leads to the irony they strive to overcome. without ever recognizing that there is a common bond between them. Works Cited: Aeschylus. Oresteia. Trans. Pierre Meineck. Indianapolis: Hackett, 1998.