Libation Bearers Lesson Plan

Why does the Chorus say that "It is the house that must stanch / and heal this, with no help from others / outside, but by itself" (Lines 471-473)?

The Chorus is essentially highlighting the fact that the Curse of the House of Atreus is just that: a curse of one house. This is not Greece's curse, nor even Argos's curse, but rather that of the descendants of Atreus. They are the ones who must stop the curse from proliferating. However, ironically, it is the nature of the curse itself that causes that "stanching" to be impossible, as the curse motivates the family members to commit violence that inspires vengeance that passes the curse along. Only they can stop it,...