Story of Orestes | Page 8

hunger and pestilence may be
allayed: {986}
Antistrophe II: back to Altar.
but when blood has once been poured upon the ground, what charm can
bring it back? Zeus struck dead the Healer who found how to restore
life. I would give my misgiving relief in pouring out words of warning:
but I know that fate is certain and can never be escaped; so I am
plunged in gloom, with little hope ever to unravel my soul that burns
with its hot thoughts. {1001}

EXODUS, OR FINALE
Re-enter Clytaemnestra to fetch Cassandra. Clyt. addresses Cassandra
in moderate tone, bidding her adapt herself to her new life and yield to
those who wish to soften her captivity. [Cassandra pays no attention
and seems gazing into vacancy.] The Chorus endorses Clytaemnestra's
advice. At length it occurs to Clytaemnestra that Cassandra cannot
speak Greek, and she bids her give some sign. [No sign, but a shudder
convulses her frame.] Thinking she is obstinate Clytaemnestra will wait
no longer [exit Clyt. into Palace to the sacrifice]. The Chorus renew
their advice to Cassandra: She at length leaves the chariot and suddenly
bursts into a cry of horror. {1038}
Then follows, marking the crisis of the drama, a burst of lyrical
excitement. The dialogue between Chorus and Cassandra falls into
lyrical strophes and antistrophes: Cassandra, by her prophetic gift, can
see all that is going on and about to be consummated within the Palace.
Her wailings reproach her patron and lover Apollo, who has conducted
her to a house of blood; she sees the past murders that have stained the
house, she sees the preparations for the present deed, the bath, the net,
the axe; then her wailings wax yet wilder as she sees that she herself is
to be included in the sacrifice. Meantime her excitement gradually
passes over to the Chorus: at first they have mistaken her cries for the
ordinary lamentations of captives (and borne their part in the dialogue
in the ordinary 'blank verse'); then their emotions are roused (and their
speech falls into lyrics) as they recognize the old woes of the family
history and remember Cassandra's prophetic fame; as she passes to the
deed going on at the moment they feel a thrill of horror, but only half
understand and take her words for prophecy of distant events, which
they connect with their own forebodings; thus in her struggles to get
her words believed Cassandra becomes more and more graphic in her
notices of the scene her mental eye is seeing, and the excitement
crescendoes until: {1148}
As if the crisis were now determined the dialogue settles down into
'blank verse' again. Cassandra ascends from Orchestra to Stage. She
will no longer speak veiled prophecy: it shall flow clear as wave

against the sunlight. She begins with the Furies that never quit the
house since that primal woe that defiled it--as she describes this the
Chorus wonder an alien can know the house's history so
well--Cassandra lets them know of her amour with Apollo, and how
she gained the gift of prophecy and then deceived the God and was
doomed to have her prophecies scorned.--Continuing her vision she
points to the phantom children, 'their palms filled full with meat of their
own flesh,' sitting on the house: in revenge for that deed another crime
is this moment about to stain further the polluted dwelling, a brave hero
falling at the hands of a coward, and by a plot his monster of a wife has
contrived.--The Chorus still perplexed, Cassandra NAMES
Agamemnon, the Chorus essaying vainly to stop the ill-fated
utterance.--Then Cassandra goes on to describe how she herself must
be sacrificed with her new lord, a victim to the jealous murderess;
bitterly reproaching Apollo, she strips from her the symbols and garb of
her prophetic art, which the god has made so bitter to her, and moves to
the 'butcher's block,' foretelling how the Son shall come as his father's
avenger and hers.--The Chorus ask, why go to meet your fate instead of
escaping? Cassandra knows Fate is inevitable.--Again and again she
shrinks back from the door, 'tainted with the scent of death;' then
gazing for the last time on the loved rays of the Sun, and invoking him
as witness and avenger, she abandons herself to her doom.
Ah, life of man! when most it prospereth, {1298} It is but limned in
outline; and when brought To low estate, then doth the sponge, full
soaked, Wipe out the picture with its frequent touch.
[Passes through the Central Door into Palace.]
The Chorus (in lyrical rhythm). It is true good fortune can never be
fended from the visitation of evil, which no strong palace can bar out.
What will it avail Agamemnon to have taken Troy and come in honor
home,