Agamemnon Flashcards
Author
Aeschylus
Agamemnon
The King of Argos, the husband of Clytemnestra, and the commander of the Greek armies during the siege of Troy. Agamemnon is the older brother of Menelaus, whose wife Helen was stolen by a Trojan prince, thus igniting a decade-long war. A great warrior, he sacrificed his daughter Iphigenia in order to obtain a favorable wind to carry the Greek fleet to Troy. During the ten-year conflict, his Queen has plotted his death in order to avenge the killing of their daughter. He appears on stage only briefly, and behaves arrogantly. He goes to his death unaware of his fate.
Clytemnestra
The play’s protagonist, Clytemnestra is Agamemnon’s wife and has ruled Argos in his absence. She plans his murder with ruthless determination, and feels no guilt after his death; she is convinced of her own rectitude and of the justice of killing the man who killed her daughter. She is, a sympathetic character in many respects, but the righteousness of her crime is tainted by her entanglement with Aegisthus. Even so, Aeschylus makes it clear that Agamemnon’s death must be avenged.
Chorus
The elder citizens of Argos, who were too old to fight in the Trojan War. They serve as advisors to Queen Clytemnestra during Agamemnon’s absence, and provide commentary on the action of the play. Their speeches provide the background for the action, for they foreshadow the King’s death when they describe the events of the Trojan War and discuss the dangers of human pride.
Cassandra
A Trojan priestess, captured by Agamemnon and carried to Argos as his slave and mistress. She was Apollo’s lover. Apollo gave her the gift of prophecy, but when she refused to bear him a child, he punished her by making all around her disbelieve her predictions. She sees the ancestral curse afflicting Agamemnon’s family, and predicts both his death and her own, as well as the vengeance brought by Orestes in the next play.
Aegisthus
Agamemnon’s cousin, and Clytemnestra’s lover. His father and Agamemnon’s father were rivals for the throne. Agamemnon’s father boiled two of his rival’s children—Aegisthus’ brothers—and served them to him for dinner. Since that time, Aegisthus has been in exile awaiting a chance to seek revenge for the terrible crime.
The Watchman
The man assigned to watch for the signal of Troy’s fall from the roof of the palace. He is joyful at his king’s return, but also is gripped with a sense of foreboding.
The Herald
He brings the Chorus news of Agamemnon’s safe homecoming. An ardent patriot, he is ecstatic to see the home he thought he had left forever and provides vivid descriptions of the horrors of the war against Troy.
Theme: Revenge
Revenge drives Agamemnon, continuing the House of Atreus’ cycle of bloodshed. Agamemnon’s murder by Clytemnestra avenges Iphigenia’s sacrifice and his infidelity, while Aegisthus’ role fulfills an older family feud. The Furies symbolize this endless cycle, as each act of vengeance fuels the next.
Theme: Fate and the Gods
The gods dictate fate, with prophecies shaping events. Agamemnon sacrifices Iphigenia to win Artemis’ favor but later offends the gods by walking on purple tapestries. Cassandra foresees his murder, reinforcing the play’s theme that revenge is inevitable. The cycle of divine punishment continues until an external force intervenes.
Symbol: The Purple Tapestry
When Agamemnon arrives at the palace, Clytemnestra convinces him to enter into the palace as a returning conqueror walking on a luxurious swath of purple tapestries. Agamemnon is aware that walking on these cloths may be unfavorable in the eyes of the gods — that the gods may see his walking on the cloths as a sign of excessive arrogance — yet he does so anyway. The tapestries thus signify Agamemnon’s act of hubris: an act (however small) of pride or defiance to the gods that eventually leads to downfall.
