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”