But, are not the Furies also justified in this sense? They too have received a sacred duty which they are bound to uphold, compelled by Zeus and the natural order of the world to repay blood for blood because of Clytemnestra’s death. And what is even more, Orestes did have a choice. He could have chosen to ignore the will of Apollo. That choice too would have consequences, but it was a choice nonetheless. Orestes could have avoided the wrath of the Furies if he had chosen not to kill his mother. But, Orestes felt bound by duty to avenge his father. And for this commitment to duty, he is praised and commended even when it leads to murdering his own mother. However, the Furies, being bound by the sense of duty, are portrayed as villainous and unjust. If Orestes was just in fulfilling his duty, then by the same logic, the Furies should be justified in fulfilling theirs. By justifying the death of Clytemnestra, the death of Orestes also becomes justified. Therefore, the ruling in Orestes’ favor contradicts itself in that it both frees him and condemns him at the same time.
The trial concerning Orestes and the madness that ran in his family is not an easy thing to judge. When so many lines are blurred, it is hard to draw the distinction between right and wrong or fair and unjust. It is understandable that the jury would have a hard time reaching a verdict. However, as I have shown, by choosing to justify the actions of Orestes, they have also justified the desires and duties of the Furies. Therefore, according to their own logic and sense of justice, their ruling was in no way just or fair to the