Agamemnon Flashcards
What is Agamemnon’s Harmatia ?
Placing his kleos before his Oikos by sacrificing Iphigenia
- at his house brutally
- to please Artemis
What is Clytemnestra’s Harmatia.
Believing Agamemnon’s murder to be an act of justice without comprehending that his death with ensure the death of herself
How is Agamemnon hubristic?
- going to war resulted in thousands of war dead
- destroyed sacred temples when sacking Troy
- killed Iphigenia to go to war (infanticide)
- steps on tapestry rather than walking on the ground (compounds hubris)
How is Clytemnestra hubristic.
She views herself as an avenging deity who has ended the curse of her Oikos which is transgressive as furies are divine
What is the Peripeteia in Agamemnon?
Agamemnon stepping on the tapestry seals his doom and compounds his hubris.
His status changes from conquering King to immediate victim which is physically represented by the act of Kim stepping down from his chariot onto the tapestry. This foreshadows the inevitable doom he will face
What is the Anagnorisis in Agamemnon ?
Agamemnon shouts in horror as he is murdered
What is the Agon in Agamemnon ?
Clytemnestra persuades Agamemnon to step on the tapestry whilst Agamemnon offers reasons why he shouldn’t
How is Agamemnon’s murder reported ?
Through prophetess Cassandra reporting it as it was happening
What happened in the prologue of the play?
Watchman sits on a roof which he has been on for a year looking out for a signal fire that will show that the Greeks have conquered Troy.
He describes Clytemnestra to “manoeuvre like a man” - showing her dominance
And describes himself to be “like a dog” - connotations of obeying and less than human
What happens in the parados?
Chorus present themselves as old men that couldn’t go to war
They are ignorant to what the signal fire is and means
They describe Menelaus and Agamemnon being descendants from Zeus and a “sturdy yolk of sons”
-bonded by the curse and in invading Troy
Helen is described as a “woman manned by many”.
“Like vultures robbed of their young”
- Zeus heard their cries
The parados describes her being taken and Zeus sanctioning the Greek invasion of Troy.
-omen of the “Eagles feast”
Birds representing Agamemnon and Menelaus destiny a pregnant hare which prophesies the war will be won in ten years
- Artemis brings a storm that prevents fleet from leaving Aulis. She demands blood.
“Pain both ways and what is worse”
Agamemnon sacrifices Iphigenia in a cruel manner
“Gag her hard”
The chorus have a flashback where she used to sing
What is the Eagle’s feast and what is its significance?
One black and one silver vulture representing Agamemnon and Menelaus feast upon a pregnant hare.
It is a bad omen that shows the war will be won in ten years
It is a juxtaposition of life and death that references the curse
Because of this “Artemis demand blood” so Agamemnon commits infanticide in order to go to war.
“Pain both ways and what is worse?”
-outline Agamemnon’s dilemma
Kill Iphigenia
- kleos
- violation of oikos
- avenge Paris’ Xenia transgression and please Zeus who sanctioned the war
- please Artemis
Don’t kill Iphigenia
- kleos damaged
- Oikos protected
- Paris’ transgression not avenged so Zeus may be enraged
- Artemis enraged
How does Agamemnon kill Iphigenia? Why is this significant to your opinion of his character?
She is killed brutally like an animal sacrifice
She is hoisted over the alter and gagged hard
She pleads for her father
This is unnecessarily cruel. Agamemnon was put in a difficult position with his dilemma. However the act of killing Iphigenia was done in an unnecessarily cruel manner making him more deserving of punishment.
Or be
For what 3 reasons does Agamemnon want to go to war?
Kleos
Yoke to brother
Avenge violation of Xenia
Where does Artemis demand blood?
Port of Aulis
What is Clytemnestra doing in the parados and why is this significant?
She “ignores them and pursues her rituals”
Showing her power as she disregards the chorus
How is the curse shown in the parados? (2 quotes)
“Sturdy yoke of sons”
- linked together in invading Troy and by the curse
“Like vultures robbed of their young”
- links to Helen being abducted
- links to thyeste’s’ feast
How is Helen described in the parados ?
“A woman manned by many”
Who is the prophet that says Troy will fall at Aulis ?
Seer Calchas
Why is the parados significant for Agamemnon?
It shows his Harmatia
Why is the way Iphigenia was killed ironic?
She is gagged so she doesn’t curse the house
The house is already cursed
This shows Agamemnon to be ignorant
How does Clytemnestra show her worldwide dominance ?
Clytemnestra describes the cycle of signal fires from Troy to Greece that eventually “crashes on the roof of Atreus’ sons” and reaches there.
The signal fires all the way from Troy to Greece show Clytemnestra’s worldwide dominance and power which makes the chorus seem ignorant when they use patriarchal assumptions to question her?
How do the chorus use patriarchal assumptions to question Clytemnestra
They ask for proof
They ask if a spirit sent her into raptures
They asked if she had indulged herself in a giddy rumour
How is Clytemnestra’s speech in episode 1 where she talks of her worldwide dominance foreshadowing?
“Crashes on the roof of Atreus’ sons”
- destructive image which is a metaphor
It foreshadows her killing Agamemnon
How does Clytemnestra foreshadow Agamemnon’s death in episode one?
(3 things)
What is the reaction from the chorus?
“Crashes on the roof of Atreus’ sons” - destructive metaphor foreshadows his death
She explains wine/oil to be Troy/Greece and Victims/Victors. She explains that they do not mix but are crushed by the yoke. As Agamemnon is the biggest victor, it foreshadows him to be the biggest victim.
Clytemnestra ironically prays that Agamemnon will not be hubristic and invoke the anger of the gods in his victory as she wishes for him to come
home so she can get her justice
Chorus are myopically ignorant. They do not understand her irony and say she spoke like a man
What happens in the first stasimon and why is it significant ?
It describes Zeus’ role of a god ensuring the punishment of Paris’ transgression.
- it shows all transgressions will be punished linking to the overall theme of the play
It describes the Greek discontent after war as so many people had to give up their sons.
It describes Agamemnon’s hubris in the massive war dead. It suggests he will be punished
“God takes aim at the ones who murder many”
It also shows Helen to be defying gender norms. She is shown as a famous adulterous bringing death to Troy defiant in every stride
What happens in episode 2?
Herald comes in and says the Greeks have taken Troy.
He is believed by the chorus unlike when Clytemnestra told them (bloody sexists).
Chorus are relieved that patriarchal balance will be restored.
It is revealed that Agamemnon destroyed the temples! This refers to Clytemnestra’s previous comment on ironically saying she hopes he does not
Agamemnon is ironically described as blessed when he is cursed
Agamemnon is coming home and Clytemnestra ironically describes how happy she is about it
Clytemnestra quotes about how happy she is Agamemnon is coming home? And what’s she’s been up to lol
“What dawn can desert a woman’s eyes like this”
“Now for the best way to welcome home my lord”
“Plucked from war by the saving God”
“Faithful to the last”
“In ill repute I am as practised as I am in dyeing bronze”
What happens in the second stasimon
The chorus consider the tragedy of the Trojans and blame Helen for their destruction
They say rich people are likely to become transgressive linking to Agamemnon
What happens in episode 3? (4)
Agamemnon comes in on a chariot higher than everyone else.
“we raped this city and we were right”
Clytemnestra talks of how much she loves him ironically and is believed by the myopically ignorant Agamemnon and chorus
Agon between Clytemnestra and Agamemnon where Clytemnestra appeals to his Harmatia to compound his hubris
He reveals his concubine
What is the significance of Agamemnon and Clytemnestra’s Agon?
Although proxemicly speaking, Agamemnon is above Clytemnestra, Clytemnestra is is verbally more dominant and convinces him to step on the tapestry.
Subverts gender norms
When and what is the stichomythia?
One line dialogue
During the Agon between Clytemnestra and Agamemnon
What happens in the 3rd stasimon?
The chorus question why they are afraid
They talk of unnamed terror
They hope their fears are false
What happens in episode 4? Why is this significant?
Clytemnestra instructs Cassandra to go inside.
She says nothing
This is significant as this is the first time Clytemnestra has not been obeyed
What happens in the kommos? What does Cassandra refer to ?
Cassandra has a prophetic frenzy
She refers to Thyeste’s feast
He murder and Agamemnon’s murder
Oreste’s murder of Clytemnestra
Then she enters the Oikos
How does Apollo destroy Cassandra
Gave her the gift of prophecy but she is never to be believed
Apollo brought her to the house of Atreus
How does Cassandra describe Clytemnestra
“She is the snare!”
“Mad with the rapture”
“The knife waits for me”
How does Cassandra describe Aegisthus ?
“Lion without a lion’s heart”
What does Cassandra ask of the chorus ?
To testify how she died
Why does Cassandra go into the Oikos?
To be brave and dignified as the last of the Trojans
What happens in the fourth stasimon?
The chorus sing of the evils of power and the cycle of vengeance of Argos ?
What happens in episode 5? (3)
Clytemnestra reveals Agamemnon and Cassandra dead on an Ekkyklema and explains reasons for killing them
She refers to herself as a “savage ancient spirit of revenge” which refers herself to a fury which is hubristic
She talks of the hypocrisy of Agamemnon killing Iphigenia and the chorus saying nothing
What does Clytemnestra refer to killing Agamemnon as?
Why is she mistaken
“A masterpiece of justice”
- it is really an act of revenge
How is Clytemnestra myopic?
She does not realise she has sealed her own doom by killing Agamemnon as Orestes will kill her
What happens in the exodus ?
Aegisthus explains reasons for revenge and Clytemnestra stops the chorus and Aegisthus from fighting
Who is allowed to mourn Agamemnon ?
Only Iphigenia when she sees him in the underworld
How does Aegisthus describe himself ? Why is this significant ?
“Weaver of justice”
He confuses justice with revenge
