AGAMEMNON Flashcards
Oresteia
- aeschylus’s trilogy
Battles of Marathon & Salamis
- major battle where GREEKS DEFEAT PERSIANS
- ATHENS = TOP CULTURE
- Aeschylus fought it & wanted to be remenbered for it
Dike
- greek word Justice
- everyone thinks they’re enacting it ; they’re motives for commiting violence are clear
Ate
- greek word for “madness”
- state of MENTAL BLINDNESS which makes you commit hubris.
The Furies
- also called ERINYES
- female gorgon-like character who are older than time
- makes chorus tremble with fear
All greek plays have a set form in their _______?
STRUCTURE
PROLOGUE
(1) opening; introduces story
PARADOS
(2nd section)»_space;> entrance of chorus
EPISODE
series of scenes with ACTORS enacting the story
STASIMON
usually preceeds every episode; chorus comment on the events (choral ode)
EXODUS
when does it occur in Agamemnon?
Exit of chorus with an choral ode
- does not happin in agamemnon
What is the structure of an Oresteia?
structured in 3 parts :
- EXPOSITION = introducing problem
- DEVELOP problem = ending in intensified crisis,
- RESOLVE = happy ending
Phtonos
?? Google says = “spirit of envy and jealousy”
Niobe
??
The Libation Bearers
the second play in the oresteia
- follows Orestes and Electra’s murder of their mother, Clytemnestra
Apollo
- known as god of healing; son of Zeus; belongs in the sky; part of the new gods
- he defends Orestes against The Furies / Erinyes
How is Aeschylus received as a writer?
his vision of this play & Aristophanes ode
greatly!!
- visually pleasing»_space;> praised for carpet scene, that symbolic exodus
- he is honoured in Frogs by Aristophanes as the writer to increase Athens moral while it is in a devasting state
(These are my words)!!!
Athena
- godess of athens
- tie breaker in Orestes trial in 3rd play (The Eumenides)
The Euminides
- means “blessed ones”
- 3rd play in Oresteia
- Orestes is trialed by the Erinyes
The Erinyes
- means “angry ones” ; = the Furies
- associated with femaleness; old gods
- they are titles Eumenides at the end of this play by Athena
Areopagus
the greeks proudly create a group to resolve these conflicts rationally instead of murderously/ with vegeance (my words)
What is the “greatest tension in Pagan world”?
Apollo vs Erinyes
- Old vs New…… gods
- Matriarchy vs Patriachy (female vs male)
- Earth vs Sky
- Darkness vs Light
- Blood ties vs Associational ties
