Final answer:
Aeschylus's plays consistently revolve around the theme of justice, focusing on violence followed by harmony through the intervention of reason and the divine. They underscore the superiority of divine principles over human ones and stress the importance of avoiding hubris and embracing a reasoned, civilized life.
Step-by-step explanation:
The unvarying motive in all of the extant plays by Aeschylus is the exploration of justice through the justification of the gods’ ways to humans.
Aeschylus depicts a world where violence begets violence until reason and the divine enter to restore order and harmony. This cycle underscores his belief that divine principles are superior to human ones, and that humans must exhibit humility, acknowledging their proper place in the grand scheme of things.
Aeschylus frequently cautions against hubris (excessive pride), promoting a civilized life where reason triumphs over violence and the state plays a crucial role in upholding justice and fostering reasoned reconciliation.
His work, such as the Oresteia trilogy featuring Agamemnon, The Libation Bearers, and The Eumenides, exemplifies his thematic focus on the divine justification, the inevitability of consequences for human actions, and the call for societal and personal reflection.