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How does Apollo resolve the violent conflict at the end of Euripidesâ Orestes?
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Euripides
Euripides, marble herm copied from a Greek original, c. 340â330 bce; in the Museo Archeologico Nazionale, Naples.
In Euripidesâ play Orestes, the escalating cycle of violenceâcharacterized by the condemnation of Orestes, Electra, and Pylades to death and their subsequent plot to kill Helen and abduct her daughterâis resolved through the intervention of the god Apollo.12
Apollo appears at the end of the drama as a deus ex machina, a traditional theatrical device used to resolve seemingly impossible conflicts. By appearing in this capacity, Apollo restores harmony to the chaotic situation, effectively ending the violent standoff.12