The Eumenides

Aeschylus' The Eumenides is the final play of The Oresteia, in which Orestes and The Furies go before a jury of Athenians to decide whether Orestes' murder of his mother, Clytemnestra makes him worthy of the torment they have inflicted upon him.

Apollo acts as attorney for Orestes, while the Furies act as spokespersons for Clytemnestra. In the end, we wind up with a hung jury and Athena must be brought in to make the final verdict. She votes in favour of Orestes, and then must persuade the Furies to accept her decision.

Oddly enough, this is a "tragedy" with a happy ending.

Worth noting here is the metaphorical aspect of this play, possibly suggesting a change from the traditional method of justice by personal revenge to the new method of justice by trial.

See also: Greek literature.