Justice Is Not Rigid And Unchanging Like So Many People

Justice is not rigid and unchanging like so many want to believe. For the Ancient Greeks in the 8th century, blood justice is the only way to settle disputes. By the mid-400s BCE, there are glimpses of what will later become a trial by jury in a democratic judicial system. Aeschylus’ plays show a distinct shift from blood justice to a more democratic system. Even Homer, when writing his epic works, seems to hint at a better way to resolve conflict than the â€Å"eye for an eye† mentality. The Iliad acts as book ends to the transformation of blood justice to a trial by jury as presented by The Oresteia; and that transformation positively influences how Western culture deals with justice. Blood justice to the Ancient Greeks is their way of enacting retribution on parties that did them wrong. The punishment required by blood justice must fit the crime committed, â€Å"Act for act, wound for wound† life for a life; and that leads to many turning to their rage as a to ol to help them justify their actions (Agamemnon 1555). The Iliad opens with â€Å"Rage-Goddess, sing the rage of Peleus’ son Achilles† (Iliad i.1). It is Achilles’ rage that is called upon and drives his actions through the entire work. Achilles’ rage is to right a great wrong done to him, but it comes at a deadly cost. Patroclus begs to be sent into battle to help the Greeks fight. He wants to â€Å"bring some light of victory to the Argives† by donning Achilles’ armor to boost morale and drive back the Trojans (Iliad xvi.43-49).Show MoreRelatedScarlet Letter Rough Draft : The Romantic Element Of Reverence1077 Words   |  5 Pagesoccurring roughly from the early to mid 1800’s, was the period of reformation that shaped the society into one that valued latitude over order; this contrasted from the rigid, legalistic Puritan society that had been prevalent prior to the Romantic era. Through the newfound freedom of expression that was introduced during this period, many literary pieces that reflected these ideas began to surface. Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter and James Russell Lowell’s The First Snowfall exemplify the romanticRead More Utopia in Gulliver Travels and Paradise Lost Essay2460 Words   |  10 Pagesthis land is an island inhabited by horse like creatures called Houyhnhnms who rule over man like beasts called Yahoos. 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