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Agamemnon | Study Guide

Aeschylus

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Check out this Infographic to learn more about Aeschylus's Agamemnon. Study visually with character maps, plot summaries, helpful context, and more.

agamemnon-aeschylusAeschylus458 BCEGreekPlayAuthorFirst PerformedOriginal LanguageAgamemnonTragedyChorusOld citizens of ArgosMain CharactersAgamemnonKing of Argos; leader of expedition to TroyAegisthusClytaemnestra’s lover; co-usurper of throne of ArgosClytaemnestraUnhappy wife and murderer of Agamemnon; co-usurper of throneCassandra Daughter of the king of Troy; prisoner given to AgamemnonHeraldSoldier serving alongside AgamemnonWatchmanAgamemnon and Clytaemnestra’s servantChorus, Lines 182–183or in the home a dreadful anger waits./It does not forget and cannot be appeased. SymbolsWatchdogSymbolizes the shamelessness of both Clytaemnestra and AgamemnonPurple CarpetEmbodies Clytaemnestra’s treachery in encouraging Agamemnon’s prideNetsRepresent the inescapable power of fateAgamemnonby the NumbersPlays Aeschylus wrote in his lifetime First prizes Aeschylus’s works won in ancient Greek drama festivalsAeschylus’s tragedies that have survived in their entiretySons of Aeschylus who wrote tragedies 2>90~13~6AuthorGrowing up as democracy emerged in ancient Greece, Aeschylus served in the war against the Persians and participated in Athens’s dramatic competitions as one of the three best-known tragedians. His innovative handling of themes, plots, and language have given the father of tragedy’s numerous works enduring value.AESCHYLUSc. 525-456 BCETHEMES“O God What’s This She Has in Mind?”The first play of the Oresteia trilogy, Agamemnon tells the story of Argos’s king, home victoriously after the Trojan War. Clytaemnestra, nursing a grudge because Agamemnon killed their daughter Iphigenia, has taken a lover—Aegisthus. Soon after Agamemnon’s return, Clytaemnestra kills him and with Aegisthus becomes ruler of Argos.FateAgamemnon believes he acts out of free will, but the Furies sabotage him because of his unjust actions. Righteousness vs. EvilHonor and fulfillment come from virtue; power and wealth lead to evil and catastrophe.Revenge vs. JusticeClytaemnestra lets vengeful feelings rather than a sense of justice dictate her actions when she avenges her daughter. Sources: Encyclopaedia Britannica, Introduction to Aeschylus II: The Oresteia edited by Mark Griffith and Glenn W. Most, Merriam-Webster's Encyclopedia of LiteratureCopyright © 2016 Course Hero, Inc.
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