- Written in 458 BC.
- First part of the trilogy Oresteia: Agamemnon, Choephoroe and Eumenides.
- The trilogy shifts from a domestic, personal tragedy to a supernatural scope (Murray).
- Leda and the Swan (Zeus) -> Helena and Clytaimnestra + Castor and Polydeuces. Tyndareus played their father.
- Eris not invited at marriage Thetis and Peleus -> Apple for the fairest -> Judgement of Paris
- Oath of Tyndareus: all the greek kings vowed to protect Helena if harm would come to her.
- Agamemnon had killed the favourite stag of Artemis and had been boastful towards her.
(Very) Short Summary
- Watchman’s prologue (ll: 1-39)*
- Chorus and Clytaimnestra (ll: 40- 502)*
- Herald arrives (ll: 503-781)*
- Agamemnon and Cassandra arrive -> Carpet scene (ll: 782)
- Prophecy of Cassandra (ll: 1069-1330)
- Murder of Agamemnon and Cassandra (l. 1343)
- Bodies thrown on stage. Chorus and Clytaimnestra
- Enter Aegisthus (ll: 1577-end)
*notice the 3 by 3 structure before the Arrival of Agamemnon: 3 different actors announce his arrival -the Watchman, Clytaimnestra and the Herald- alternated by 3 choral odes - line 40, 351 and 681 – (Goldhill)
Theme: Vengeance and Dikè
- Goldhill points out that the word Dikè is all over the play. Build-up to Eumenides.
- The concept of Dikè “on him that doeth shall it be done” is twofold: It is both a law of nature (vengeance is like karma) as well as a duty to avenge. (Murray)
- Domestic offences lead to kinslaying. Compare: 1) Menelaus and Agamemnon punish Paris which leads to Agamemnon sacrificing Iphigeneia, 2) Clytaimnestra’s adultery and murder of her husband leads to Orestes slaying his own mother, 3) Thyestes sleeping with Atreus wife leads to Atreus feeding Thyestes his own children (more or less infanticide)
- The motivation for revenge and murder may be multi-layered, for example, Clytaimnestra: death of Iphigeneia, jealousy, new lover, curse of Thyestes.
Theme: Prophesies and animal imagery
- Calchas had a dream where two vultures/eagles eat a pregnant hare (ll: 122-138), meaning that the Greeks will conquer Troy, but will anger the gods. He also knew that Artemis wanted Agamemnon to sacrifice his own daughter. The Chorus fears his prophecies, and hopes that in time his prophecies will not “count” anymore (l.975-987)
- Cassandra foresees the death of Agamemnon and herself. Clytaimnestra & Aegisthus as a lioness and a wolf, Agamemnon as a lion (ll: 1256-1260). Clytaimnestra as a bull, Skylla, and an Amphisbaena.
- “A man reared in his house a lion welp” (l.717) Applicable to: Troy welcoming Helena, Troy bringing in the wooden horse: “the ravenging lion” (ll: 825-828), Agamemnon marrying Clytaimnestra, possibly the whole Oresteia.
Theme: Gender Reversal
- “For thus rules my Queen, woman in sanguine heart and man in strength of purpose” (l.13)
- “Lady, like a prudent man thou speakest wisely.” (l. 351)
- “Woman, that thou art!” (l. 1625)
Bibliography
Conacher, D.J. Aeschylus’ The Oresteia: A Literary Commentary. Toronto: University Press, 1987
Goldhill, Simon Aeschylus’ The Oresteia. 2nd ed. Cambridge: University Press, 2004
Murray, Gilbert Aeschylys, The Creator of Tragedy. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1940
