Which Greek tragic figure is pursued by the Furies for killing his mother?

• A. Oedipus
• B. Icarus
• C. Orestes
• D. Agamemnon

Answer: (C)

The concept at work is how ancient myths link the act of killing a family member to a pursuit by the Furies, emphasizing the tension between private vengeance and the need for a formal justice system. Orestes kills his mother, Clytemnestra, to avenge his father, Agamemnon, and thus becomes the target of the Erinyes, the Furies. They embody the old law of blood guilt, relentlessly pursuing him as punishment for matricide. The story then moves to a trial that relocates justice from personal retaliation to a higher judgment by the gods, with Athena ultimately siding with Orestes and establishing a new order. This shift—from vengeance-driven response to a sanctioned legal process—highlights why Orestes is the figure who fits the prompt: only he is pursued by the Furies for the act of killing his mother, and his tale foregrounds the clash between old sacred vengeance and emerging civic justice.