Ancient Greek Theatre: The Agamemnon

The Agamemnon and the other two plays of the Oresteia Trilogy were produced in 478 BC (was exhibited in the archonship of Philocles in the second year of the eightieth Olympiad) at the festival of the Great Dionysia. They are plays about Justice and the punishment of Guilt

ARGUMENT (Agamemnon)

When that Helen had fled with Paris to Troyland, her husband Menelaus and his brother Agamemnon, the sons of Atreus and two-throned Kings of Argos, sought to take vengeance on him who had done outrage to Zeus, the guardian of the rights of hospitality. Before their palace appeared a portent, which the seer Calchas interpreted to them: the two eagles were the Kings themselves and the pregnant hare seized in their talons was the city which held Priam’s son and Helen and her wealth. But Artemis, she that loves wild things of the field, was wroth with the Kings: and when all their host was gathered at Aulis and would sail with its thousand ships, she made adverse winds to blow; so that the ships rotted and the crews lost heart. Then the seer, albeit in darkling words, spake to Agamemnon: “If thou wilt appease the goddess and so free the fleet, thou must sacrifice with thine own hand thy daughter Iphigenia.” And he did even so, and the Greeks sailed away in their ships. Nine years did they lay siege to Troytown, but they could not take it; for it was fated that it should not be taken until the tenth year.

Now when King Agamemnon fared forth from Argos, he left at home his Queen, Clytaemestra, Leda’s child and Helen’s sister (though she had for father Tyndareus, but Helen’s was Zeus himself); and in her loneliness and because Agamemnon had slain her daughter, she gave ear to the whisperings of another’s love, even of Aegisthus, son of that Thyestes who had lain with he wife of his brother Atreus; an for revenge Atreus slew other of Thyestes’ sons and gave their father thereof to eat; and when Thyestes learned whereof he had eaten, he cursed his brother’s race.

With the coming of the tenth year of the war, Queen Clytaemestra, plotting with Aegisthus against her husband’s life, ordered that watch be kept upon the roof of her palace at Argos; for a succession of beacon-fires was to flash the news from Troy when the city should be captured by Agamemnon. For weary months the watchman has been on the look-out—but at last the signal blazes forth in the night. In celebration of the glad event, the Queen has altar-fires kindled throughout the city. The Chorus of Elders will not credit the tidings; nor are their doubts resolved until a herald announced the approach of Agamemnon, whose ship had alone escaped the storm that had raged in the night just passed. Welcomed by his Queen, Agamemnon bespeaks a kindly reception for his captive, Cassandra, Priam’s daughter, and on his wife’s urgence consents to walk in his palace on costly tapestries. Cassandra seeks in vain to convince the Elders of their master’s peril; and, conscious also of her own doom, passes within. Agamemnon’s death-shriek is heard; the two corpses are displayed. Clytaemestra exults in her deed and defies the Elders. Aegisthus enters to declare that Agamemnon has been slain in requital for his father’s crime. The Elders, on the point of coming to blows with Aegisthus and his body-guard, are restrained by Clytaemestra, but not before they utter the warning that Orestes will return to exact vengeance for the murder of his father.

Alternative Argument

Agamemnon on his setting out for Ilion promised Clytemnestra , if he sacked Ilion, to send the intelligence the same day by a fire-signal. So Clytemnestra set a paid watchman to look out for the fire-signal; and when he saw it he brought word. Then she sends for a number of elders to tell them about the fire-signal , and of these the Chorus is composed. On hearing the news they sing a thanksgiving hymn. Not long after Talthybius arrives and gives an account of the voyage. Next, Agamemnon comes on a mule-car: another car was following, in which were the spoils of war and Casandra. He himself goes on before into the house with Clytemnestra; Casandra, before going into the palace, predicts the death of herself and Agamemnon , and the matricidal deed of Orestes; then, throwing off her diviner's badge, hurries in to die. This part of the drama is admired for its power to inspire horror and pity. In a peculiar manner Aeschylus represents Agamemnon as being killed on the stage, and exhibited the corpse of Cassandra though he said nothing about her death, and has made Aegisthus and Clytemnestra justify the murder each on one plea; the latter by the murder of Iphigenia, the former by the misfortunes brought upon his father Thyestes by Atreus The drama was exhibited in the archonship of Philocles in the second year of the eightieth Olympiad: Aeschylus was first with the tragedies Agamemnon Choephoroe Eumenides and the satyric drama Proteus Xenocles of Aphidnae was choregus The watchman a servant of Agamemnon speaks the prologue

Dramatis Personae

Watchman – of the House of Atreus
Chorus of Argive Elders
Clytemnestra – queen of Argos, wife of Agamemnon
Herald from Agamemnon's army
Agamemnon – king of Argos, commander-in-chief of the Achaean (Greek) forces against Troy
Cassandra – daughter of King Priam of Troy, prophetess and priestess of Apollo, captive of Agamemnon
Aegisthus – son of Thyestes, cousin of Agamemnon, lover of Clytemnestra

Possible Distribution of parts (three actors):

First Actor: Clytemnestra
Second Actor: Cassandra, The Captain
Third Actor: Watchman, Herald, Agamemnon, Aegisthus

Setting:

The Skene is the royal palace of the House of Atreus in Argos. It has a large central doorway. There is an altar in front of it and nearby statues of various gods, including one of Apollo Agyieus [protector of the streets, highways, public places, and the entrances to homes]. Troy has fallen.

Summary and Structure Play opens with Watchman on the roof of the Palace. It is night.

Prologue [Lines 1–39]:

A watchman has been stationed for a whole year every night alone on the roof of the royal palace by Clytemnestra. He tells us of the reason for his nocturnal vigil, awaiting every night for the fire of a beacon that will signal that Troy has been captured. He expresses concern for the events which have taken place in the palace since Agamemnon left for the war on Troy many years previously, lamenting for the old times.

(Line 22) The fire of a beacon lights up on a far hill.

He cries for joy when the beacon fire appears. There will be dancing all over Argos. He sounds the alarm. Clytemnestra must wake and welcome this signal.

Watchman: Just bring my King home and let me clasp his hand in mine.

Exit Watchman from the roof.

Parodos and a Stasimon [Lines 40–263]:

Enter the Chorus of Argive Elders stage right.

1. A March (lines 40 -103 anapaests)

The Elders state the reason of their coming. They recall how the war with Troy commenced with ambiguous omens, the sacrifice of Iphigenia, and the threatening prophecies thereupon. Doubtful as to the meaning of this nocturnal alarm, they have come, as invited by the queen, to assure themselves of the safety of the fortress of Argos.

(Line 79) Enter Clytemnestra who lights the torches on the altar. She then throws herself on her knees in an agony of prayer.

The Chorus complain that they are old men. They beg Clytemnestra for news.

The Chorus take their position in the centre of the orchestra.

2. A Choral Stasimon. They chant a regular ode in responsion (Lines 104 - 268).

The Chorus of Elders chant about the departure of Agamemnon for the war against Troy ten years earlier; how this war began with ominous and threatening prophesies which were to arise from the sacrifice of Iphigenia by her father Agamemnon at Aulis. Agamemnon had been told to do this by the prophet Calchas in order to appease the wrath of Artemis over the omen of the destruction of a pregnant hare by two eagles. The two eagles are to be interpreted as Agamemnon and Menelaus who had been sent by Zeus to wreak vengeance on Troy for the theft of Helen by Paris. This latter act had violated the laws of Zeus concerning hospitality. Calchas, the seer, predicted the fall of Troy when he saw the two eagle-kings devour the mother hare. He spoke of things to come.

The Chorus chant how the flight of fury hurled the twin command of Agamemnon and Menelaus and the young of Greece in vengeance against Troy. How the kings of birds, the Eagles, plunged their claws into the mother hare which was bursting with unborn young, and which then spilt its babies amongst a quick burst of blood. Calchas saw how Artemis loathed the eagles' (Zeus' hunting hounds) attack and feasting on the trembling young of the mother hare, all of which had been born to die.

Man must learn by suffering. Not even sleep can relieve his painful memories that fall upon the heart, drop by drop.

The Elders then went on to discuss the nature of Zeus and his justice.

Chorus: We have come, Clytaemnestra, to do homage to thy authority; for it is right to honour the wife of a man in power when the husband's throne has been left vacant.

First Episode [Lines 264–354]:

Clytemnestra tells the Chorus of Elders that the Greeks have captured Troy. However they only accept this news doubtfully and ask for proof. She describes to them the system of beacons in relay on hilltops and islands between Troy and Argos which she had arranged with Agamemnon before he left for the war, and how this chain of beacons has brought the news of Troy's fall to her:

Clytemnestra: The god of fire, rushing fire from Mount Ida, beacon to beacon rushed the news to me. From Troy to the rock of Lemnos brought the great light west. Mount Athos, third in the chain brought word in flame to Mount Makistos. Messapion's watchmen awaited the signal, the word of the fire and set their fire ablaze. Hitting Kithairon's peak new men drove the fire of the beacons on, relaying the message forward. Out over Lake Gorgopis it then floated to Aigiplanctos, waking the wild goats there. "Fire, more Fire!" was the cry and a fire was raised which waved its flame beyond the rocks that watch over the Saronic sea. This fire kindled the night and then it was then one short hop to catch the Spider’s Crag, our city’s tower of watch, from whence hither it at last came to the roof of the palace of Atreus.

Clytemnestra then goes on to describe the situation in the conquered Troy. She envisions the Greek forces looting and pillaging amongst its ruins whilst the defeated inhabitants lament their fate. Clytemnestra points out that the journey home is a long and arduous one, and hopes that the Greeks have not committed any sacrilege which might upset the gods.

Clytemnestra tells the Chorus that Troy is now at last in the hands of the Greeks.

First Stasimon [Lines 355–488]:

In essence the Chorus is speaking with the voice of Aeschylus (the "I" and not the "We" of the Chorus).

This ode follows a ring structure: A,B,C and C', B' A'

A (355-398) Concerns the power of Zeus, punisher of impiety and excess, despiser of worthless men.
B (399-402) This is illustrated by the example of Paris [Alexander prince of Troy].
C (403-426) Another example is Helen, relieved only by Menelaus' yearning for his wayward wife.
C' (427-449) More pathos: the Greeks receive their loved ones back home from the war in funeral urns.
B' (449-457) These same citizens are angry with the Sons of Atreus (Agamemnon and Menelaus).
A' (458-470) The power of the Furies and Zeus to punish injustice and excessive renown.

Coda (471-474) The Chorus pray "May we never be the sackers of cities, nor enslaved to spend our lives in the service of others".

Epode (475-488) The Chorus question the reliability of the beacons' message. The focus is shifted from Paris and Helen to Agamemnon and Menelaus and their "much-killing" nature. Both pairs invoke anger: Paris and Helen the gods' anger, and the Sons of Atreus their own people's anger. The Sons of Atreus are charged with the crime of having brought about the death of so many young Argive soldiers. The murder of Iphigenia also has to be remembered. The only saving grace is Agamemnon's clearly visible brilliant character.

This ode follows definite sequences: from a past time and distant place, to the very present here and now; from general moral and religious statements to the foreboding that is present in the here and now.

In summary the ode is an indictment of Agamemnon.

Second Episode [Lines 489–680]:

Second Stasimon [Lines 681–781]:

Primarily concerned with the theme of Paris [Alexander prince of Troy] and Helen, it also raises the question of the past's relationship with the present. "Old violence is wont to create new violence." The example is Paris and Helen. Helen, Paris and Agamemnon are all destroyers of cities: Helen and Paris destroyed Troy from within; Agamemnon destroyed it from without. Not only is Helen a city-destroyer, she is also a man-destroyer and a ship-destroyer.

The theme of destruction is continued in the Parable of the Lion Cub (717-736) which grows up only to learn of its "much-killing nature":

A lion cub was once brought up in a man's house, but which had been torn away from its mother's breast from which it was still suckling. Whilst it was young it was tame, loved and cuddled by all, both young and old. It was often held and rocked in the arms of members of the household, and nursed like a baby "fawning in hunger's need". Gradually, brought on by time, its true nature began to reveal itself, the nature given to it by its parents. This nature manifested itself one day in the bloody massacre of a herd of sheep, a great havoc which the household could not fight against and prevent from happening. This beast which had been reared in their house was blessed by the gods to be the priest of destruction.

The Lion Cub is Helen, "she who had come to Troy with loveliness and much gold" and who brought destruction on king Priam and his people, But the Lion Cub is also Clytemnestra [Helen's sister]. Helen's deception "by woman's stealth" is a prelude to Clytemnestra's: the painful marriage of Helen to Paris parallels the painful marriage of Clytemnestra to Agamemnon. "The marriage changed its course and ended in a bitter fulfilment brought down upon king Priam's people." The Lion Cub is illustrative of the slow uncovering of a murderous character. In the fullness of time the Lion Cub reveals its true and inherited nature, filling its household with blood.

The Chorus go on to muse about the inevitable growth of evil from evil, on hubris from hubris, the new from the old, and about how "Justice shines in the smoky houses of the mean, honouring those who live with Justice. It does not honour the overtly powerful, nor the fraudulent power of wealth. Above all Justice steers all things towards fulfilment."

Third Episode [Lines 782–974]:
The Carpet Scene

Enter Agamemnon and Cassandra with a large retinue.

He is mounted on a triumphal chariot. Riding with him at his side is Cassandra, daughter of king Priam of Troy, as if she was his bride, although she is only his captive slave and concubine. He stops in the centre of the orchestra.

The Chorus cry out "All hail, our king, vanquisher of Troy. How may we do homage to you?"

Agamemnon gives thanks to the gods of Argos for bringing him safely back home and for the justice he was able to exact at Troy: for when it came to the vote none of the gods dissented, none of them cast their ballot into the urn of acquittal. The smoke declares Troy's complete destruction, that they were able to gather up a booty of huge wealth. For this he renders the gods a huge gratitude, and also for the vengeance

Third Stasimon [Lines 975–1034]:

(The king has returned home; Clytemnestra has given her husband a warm welcome, and he has entered his palace in triumph along a magnificent purple carpet leading into its main entrance. His success is apparently complete. An ode of fear ensues with the Chorus reflecting on the unnamed terror which they feel.)

But the Chorus feel a vague sense of an imminent catastrophe, of impending doom, a foreboding of evil which they cannot shake off. Agamemnon may have returned, and the war may be over. But there are premonitions, like the "unlyrical dirge" of the Furies which makes them feel hopeless. The Chorus are confused. They pray that the premonitions of future events will show that their feelings were not those of reality.

But Time itself has got old. Long since has it been when the ships freed the tethers which were tied to their sterns, setting course for Troy; and the anchor-rocks on the shore have long since been covered over with sand.

Fates can change, so say the Chorus. Healthy men can get sick or grieve. Men can stave off misfortune by getting rid of some of their wealth and trusting the gods to provide, like when a ship which is carrying precious cargo has struck a sunken reef, and when the sailors on board have thrown overboard part of it to lighten the vessel, so saving the remainder.

Famine may be staved off with the abundant fecundity of the harvests from the “annual furrows" ; but once a man has been murdered, he cannot return, he cannot be restored. A wounded man sees his blood trickling down to his feet. Charm or incantation cannot undo this. Thus is murder which cannot be undone. "The black and murdered blood once shed who can recall it?" If the Chorus members thought there was hope of changing fate by putting off the fearful coming of a bloody retribution, they would describe their forebodings, but the power of fate has restrained them and they remain silent without hope.

Fourth Episode [1035–1330]:

The Cassandra Scene
[Cassandra was beautiful. Apollo gave her the gift of prophecy. But after refusing his attentions Apollo placed a curse upon her: always to utter true prophecies, but never to be believed.]

Enter Clytemnestra from the doors to the palace.

Clytemnestra orders Cassandra to step down from the chariot and enter the palace. She declares that Heaven has allowed her to share in the thanksgiving at the lustral fountain as one of the many slaves allowed to stand by the altar to the household gods. She tells Cassandra that Alcmena's son was once sold into bondage, but if the masters of that slave were the inheritors of great wealth such a slave should count themselves as lucky.

The Chorus tell Cassandra that she should obey Clytemnestra's command. She can't avoid it. Such is fate. She must yield.

Clytemnestra: She seems to speak with a foreign tongue. Her chattering is like a swallow's My speech must find a way to prevail with her.

Chorus [to Cassandra]: Step from the chariot and go with her. Take up the yoke that is yours/ It's the best choice you have.

Clytemnestra: I have no more time to waste. The sheep [for slaughter] are already waiting.

Chorus [to Clytemnestra]: She seems to be in need of an interpreter. She is like a freshly caught wild animal.

Clytemnestra: She seems to be a maniac governed by insane impulses, like one who has come from a city recently captured. She will not learn to submit to the bridle until her spirit has been broken in, and her rage has foamed away in blood. I will waste no more words on her contempt.

Clytemnestra exits into the palace.

Chorus: We will not be angry with her. She is in need of pity. Step down from the chariot. Yield to the inevitable. Try on the yoke, which you have not felt before.

Amoibaion (1072-1177). (A lyric exchange between Cassandra and the Chorus now takes place. Cassandra sings whilst the Chorus speaks ),

Cassandra steps down from the chariot.

[Cassandra is possessed with visions of the murder of Agamemnon and herself.]

Cassandra: Apollo, O Apollo.
Chorus: Apollo does not listen to songs of pain.
Cassandra: O woe! O woe woe woe! Apollo, Apollo. You have destroyed me a second time.
Chorus: It's in her mind. She can foresee her terrible future. She may be a slave, but she has still got the god's gift.
Cassandra: O Apollo! Where have you brought me to? What house is this?
Chorus: The House of Atreus. We are telling you the truth.
Cassandra: 'Tis an ungodly home, tainted with the crimes of many murders: slaughtered kin, butchery and the blood of children all over its floors.
Chorus: The stranger seems to have a keen sense of smell; like a hunting hound which happened upon a trail of blood, she sniffs for the blood marks and finds them.
Cassandra: Behold there are witnesses to what I say: the little children yonder, wailing for their violent death, butchered babes, whose roasted flesh was served up to their father [Thyestes].

Chorus: We have heard of your craft of prophesy, but prophets are not wanted or needed here.
Cassandra: O horror, what does she intend? What is this great new evil she is plotting? She intends a great mischief to happen here in this house, unbearable to kin, beyond hope of healing, and help is far away.
Chorus: We can make nothing of these prophecies. The rest we understand: the city is full of the sound of them.
Cassandra: It is so cruel that you [Clytemnestra] do this thing, to the husband of your own bed, How can you do this, to make the water bright as he bathes? How shall I describe the end? This thing will happen soon. She will stretch her arms out, one after another, dealing blow after blow at him.
Chorus: Now we are lost and bewildered amidst a jungle of prophetic riddles and the darkness of their meaning.
Cassandra: No, No! Look here! Can you not see that thing? Isn't that some net of death? Nay, it is the snare that shares his bed. Let the merciless troop that never has enough descend upon this family howling loud about this heinous sacrifice.

Chorus: What Fury are you summoning up to howl over the house? What you say brings us no cheer.

[The chorus now sings, as well as Cassandra.]

Chorus: Drops of yellow blood have flowed to our hearts, like those which flow from men speared in battle, slowly dying, reaching the sunset of their lives. Ruin is near and swift.
Cassandra: No! Look! Keep the bull away from the cow. She has ensnared him with the robe, and is goring him with her iron horn. She strikes. He collapses in the water-filled vessel. I am telling you the story of the outcome of the bath where treachery commits the murder.
Chorus; We cannot boast that we are skilled in interpreting prophecy. But even we can see the evil in this matter. What good ever came from divination for mankind? The sayings of seers ring with evil in the ears of Man striking mortal apprehensions with a religious awe.

Cassandra: Alas for my fortune, O ill-starred maid. I chant forth the agony of my own fate, that I may mingle it with yours [Agamemnon]. Why have you brought me here in all my misery? Of course, to die along side you. Why else?

Chorus: You are mad! possessed by some god; chanting some ode concerning your own lot, like a nightingale, always mourning, with a never-tiring group of dissonant notes from its frenzied mind: "Itys" ever "Itys", through a life that is overburdened with miseries.

Cassandra: Were my fate like hers. The gods gave her wings and a sweet existence exempt from sorrow. The keen-edged sword that cleaves is the fate that awaits me.

Chorus: Where do these prophecies come from these unmeaning fits of grief? Why does your song resound with terror? What divine power laid out your prophetic pathway with baleful sounds?

Cassandra Oh Paris! what a marriage was yours! It has destroyed your kin! By the waters of the Scamander which quenched the thirst of our fathers, on its shore I grew to womanhood, unhappy that I was. Now it seems I shall soon be chanting my prophecies by the banks of the rivers of woe in Hades.

Chorus: The words that you sing are so clear that even a child would understand them. We are stricken. Your fate bites deep causing mortal pain. It shatters us to listen.

Cassandra: O sorrow for my city dragged to its utter destruction and death. O for the many sacrifices that my father before his walls: they did not stop the city from suffering. I shall soon go down into the underworld with my mind afire.

Chorus: You are repeating yourself. You've said this all before. Some god has put all this misery in your head. Disaster is your song Death is your passionate suffering. We see no end. We are helpless.

[Cassandra now ceases chanting her lines, but speaks.]

Cassandra: No longer shall my prophecies be like those of a newly married maiden peeping out from underneath her veil, but will be bright and strong like the winds that blow in the morning as the sun rises. Dawn will bring a wave crashing down on the shining of this agony. I will instruct you in plain speech, not riddles. Bear witness to what I have to say. This house carries the scent of ancient wrongs which will not be driven away. There is a choir of voices singing ugly melodies in unison, a deadly song. Now that it has drunk human blood it lays siege to this house, and cannot be banished. These are the Furies. They spit curses on that man who has spoiled his brother's bed. Over and over they done with the song of ancient destruction. Did I miss my mark, or hit it like a real archer? Am I like some swindling seer who hawks lies from door to door? Upon your oath and bear witness that I know the truth of the ancient wickedness that resides in this house.

Chorus: How could an oath honestly struck bring healing? We stand in awe before you knowing as much as you do. You were born across the sea in a city which has a different language and yet you have hit the mark with what you have said, just as if you had been here when it happened.

Cassandra: The god Apollo gave me this power.

Chorus: Smitten with desire for you, and yet he himself is a god?

Cassandra: I was ashamed before now to speak about this.

Chorus: When matters go well people show greater delicacy.

Cassandra: He was like a mighty wrestler breathing with passion.

Chorus: Did you bear his child?

Cassandra: I promised Apollo [Loxias] that, but cheated him.

Chorus: Were you already possessed with skill of a soothsayer like a god?

Cassandra: Yes, I foretold my city's destiny.

Chorus: So the wrath of Apollo did not harm you? Why so?

Cassandra: For the wrong which I did him, I ceased to be able ever again to convince anyone of the truth.

Chorus: We do: everything you have foretold seems true to us.

Cassandra: I see evil. The pain of true prophecies grips my mind. Look! Can you not see the young children seated before the house? They are like an image from a dream. These are children killed by those who loved them most dearly. Their hands are filled with their own flesh as food to eat. I see them holding out their vital parts in their outstretched hands, and their father who tasted of their meat. I tell there is one who seeks vengeance for this, a cowardly lion roaming free is his master's bed. This lion has kept it warm for my lord's return, for he whose slave I am. My master, King of the fleet which destroyed Troy will meet with his own destruction through evil fortune. That hateful bitch yonder what does he know of her, she who licks his hand and fawns on him with ears lifted, who will strike with a coward's stroke? No, this is an audacity when the female shall strike the male down. What can I name her and be right? What loathsome monster should I aptly call her? A double-fanged viper? A Scylla perched on the rocks bewitching sailors to their deaths, as the bane of men who roam the sea? A hell-raised mother of death breathing relentless hate and war on those most dear? How she cried out boldly and unashamed, and happy when he returned home safely. I cannot persuade you. What does it matter if men believe it or not? What will be will be. It makes no difference. Soon you will admit that my prophecies were true.

Chorus Leader: Thyestes feasting upon the flesh of his children, this I fully understand. It makes me shudder to hear the truth of the horror. The rest, I heard it, but am lost, I stumbled far off from the course.

Cassandra: Soon you will look upon Agamemnon dead.

Chorus Leader: Be at peace poor woman: your words wound us.

Cassandra: There is no god of healing in this story.

Chorus Leader: Not if this is to be: it may never come to pass.

Cassandra: You may pray, but they plan to strike and kill.

Chorus Leader: Who is the man who intends to bring this evil into being?

Cassandra: What man? Did you misconstrue what I prophesied?

Chorus Leader: That may be the case. I did not quite understand how the schemer would bring the plot into being.

Cassandra: Yet I know the Greek language all too well.

Chorus Leader: And the Pythian oracles, they too are in Greek, but are so damnably hard to interpret.

Cassandra: The pain of the fire of Apollo rises up in me, my Lord and king of Light. This is the lioness who stands on two legs, who beds with the wolf when her proud lion is ranging far away. And she will cut me down too, wretch that I am. As she mixes a poison for me and as she sharpens the blade for the man she boasts how he will pay with his blood for having brought a mistress home with him. Why then do I wear these mockeries, dressed as I am in the garb of a priestess, bearing this staff of prophecy and wearing the garlands of a seer round my neck? At least I will destroy you before I die.

[She hurls her staff and the garlands round her neck to the ground and curses them]

Damn you for all that which you have done to me. Fall there and be damned. Make some other woman rich in disaster. Apollo has stripped me here of my vestments of prophecy. He has overseen me all the time. He saw to it that I was mocked by all my dearest ones whilst wearing these robes. They hated me with all their hearts and was made to wander from door to door as a beggar seeking alms, half-starved. Now he has done with me as his prophetess and has led me here in captivity to my death. My father's altars may be lost, but the butcher's block is here ready to reek with my sacrificial blood. We two have to die, yet we will not die unavenged by the gods, for there will come one to exact revenge for us, one born to slay his mother and inflict death for his father's blood. An outlaw and wanderer driven far from his homeland. He will return to cap these stones of inward hate. destruction of his kin. The gods have sworn a great oath that he

Final scene and Exodos [Lines 1372–1673]:

The Character Arc of Agamemnon in Aeschylus' play of the same name

In Aeschylus' Agamemnon, the character's arc of its central personality is less a dynamic transformation than a journey toward his inevitable downfall, driven by his character flaws and the forces of fate, hubris, and inherited guilt. Here's an overview of his arc:

1. The Heroic Yet Flawed King

Agamemnon begins the play as a victorious king returning home from the Trojan War. He is celebrated for his role as a warrior and leader, yet his glory is tainted by personal and moral failings:

Hubris: Agamemnon's pride is evident in his interactions with others, particularly when he allows himself to be persuaded to walk on the crimson tapestries, an act symbolising sacrilegious arrogance. This act underscores his overreach and foreshadows divine retribution.

Moral Compromise: His willingness to sacrifice his daughter, Iphigenia, to secure favorable winds for the Greek fleet reveals his capacity for cruelty and his prioritisation of public duty over personal morality.

2. The Tension of Authority and Responsibility

Agamemnon is portrayed as a man caught in the web of expectations placed upon him by his role as a king and military leader. His decisions, particularly the sacrifice of Iphigenia, highlight the tension between personal agency and the demands of leadership. He carries the burden of inherited guilt from the curse on the House of Atreus, which shapes his fate and his sense of inevitability.

3. The Hubristic Return

Upon his return to Argos, Agamemnon's actions and demeanour reflect a mixture of pride and complacency. His interactions with Clytemnestra are tinged with condescension, and his decision to walk on the crimson tapestries signals his willingness to embrace excess and defy divine limits.

4. The Victim of Retribution

Agamemnon's arc culminates in his assassination by Clytemnestra, an act that serves multiple symbolic purposes:

Revenge: Clytemnestra murders him as revenge for Iphigenia’s death, portraying her as an agent of justice, albeit a flawed one.

Cycle of Violence: His death continues the cycle of vengeance and bloodshed within the cursed House of Atreus.

Moral Judgement: Agamemnon's downfall can be interpreted as divine retribution for his hubris, moral failings, and participation in the Trojan War.

5. Lack of Transformation

Agamemnon's arc is notable for its lack of internal change. He does not exhibit significant growth or self-awareness; instead, he remains steadfast in his role as a powerful yet flawed figure. His story is less about personal evolution and more about the inevitable consequences of his character and choices within the larger framework of fate and justice.

Conclusion

Agamemnon's character arc in Aeschylus' Agamemnon is tragic in its inevitability. His pride, moral compromises, and entanglement in the hereditary curse of the House of Atreus set him on a path to destruction. Rather than undergoing personal growth, Agamemnon serves as a cautionary figure whose fate reflects the consequences of hubris, the demands of power, and the inexorable nature of divine and familial justice.

The Central Themes in Aeschylus' Agamemnon

The central themes in this the first play of the Oresteia trilogy, delve into justice and vengeance, the destructive nature of power and hubris, gender roles and dynamics, sacrifice and its consequences, and fate and divine intervention. Below is an exploration of these themes:

1. Justice and Vengeance

The play sets the stage for the trilogy's exploration of justice by portraying a world dominated by personal revenge and retributive justice.
Clytemnestra seeks vengeance against Agamemnon for sacrificing their daughter, Iphigenia, which she frames as justified retribution. Her actions raise questions about the morality and consequences of seeking justice through revenge.

2. The Destructive Nature of Power and Hubris

Agamemnon’s arrogance, particularly his decision to walk on the crimson tapestries upon his return, reflects his hubris (excessive pride). This act symbolises his overreach and ultimately contributes to his downfall.
The theme warns of the corrupting influence of power and the dangers of ignoring divine warnings and human limits.

3. Gender Roles and Power Dynamics

Clytemnestra’s character challenges traditional gender roles. She exhibits intelligence, manipulation, and political power, traits often reserved for male figures in Greek drama.
Her dominance contrasts sharply with the portrayal of Agamemnon and other male characters, highlighting tensions between traditional and subverted gender expectations.

4. Sacrifice and its Consequences

Agamemnon’s sacrifice of Iphigenia to appease the goddess Artemis is a pivotal event that haunts the play. It illustrates how acts of violence and injustice ripple through time, sparking cycles of vengeance.
The sacrifice symbolises the tension between public duty (Agamemnon’s need to lead the Greek army to Troy) and personal obligations (his role as a father and husband).

5. Fate, Divine Will, and Human Responsibility

The gods’ influence is ever-present, shaping the characters’ actions and fates. The chorus frequently alludes to Zeus’s will and the curse on the House of Atreus, suggesting an inescapable destiny.
However, the play also emphasises human agency. Clytemnestra and Agamemnon make choices that lead to their outcomes, highlighting the interplay between divine will and personal accountability.

6. The Cycle of Violence

Violence and revenge dominate the narrative, illustrating how one act of bloodshed begets another. Clytemnestra’s murder of Agamemnon continues the curse of the House of Atreus, which has been marred by familial betrayal and murder for generations.
The theme underscores the difficulty of breaking free from cycles of violence and revenge.

7. Prophecy and Omens

Prophetic visions and signs, such as Cassandra’s foreknowledge of the murders and the omens seen by the chorus, are woven throughout the play.
These elements highlight the tension between foreknowledge of fate and the inability to alter its course, adding to the tragic inevitability of events.

These themes, interwoven with complex characters and rich symbolism, make the Agamemnon a profound exploration of human and divine dynamics, the costs of ambition and vengeance, and the enduring struggle for justice in an imperfect world.

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