Aeschylus agamemnon summary

Aeschylus ' Agamemnon was originally performed at the City Dionysia of B. Aeschylus won 1st prize for his tetralogy the trilogy and a satyr play.

A Watchman , stationed on top of the palace, waits for a signal fire indicating that the ten-year Trojan War between the Greeks and the Trojans has come to an end. He sees the fire light and rushes out to tell queen Clytemnestra the good news. The Chorus , a group of elderly men too old to have fought in the war, come out and explain that the Trojan War began out of a feud between Paris , the Trojan prince, and Menelaus , the Greek king. Clytemnestra enters and the Chorus asks why fires of sacrifice are being lit around the palace. Clytemnestra tells the Chorus that Troy has fallen, but they remain skeptical, so she explains the system of signal fires that allowed the news to travel so quickly. A Herald enters and confirms that Troy has indeed fallen, and recounts some of the hardships of the war.

Aeschylus agamemnon summary

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Previous section Full Play Summary. Sign up and get instant access to bookmarks. From the roof of the palace, the Watchman begs the gods for respite from his interminable watch.

The play opens with a watchman standing on the roof of the palace of Agamemnon at Argos. He explains that Clytaemestra has ordered him to keep a lookout each night for the light from a series of beacon fires that will signal the long-awaited fall of Troy. He has carried out this duty faithfully for several years already and is getting demoralized. Suddenly he observes a beacon burning in the distance and realizes that the war is over. The watchman is excited for a moment by the happy thought that his long vigil is ended and that his king will finally return home, but then a feeling of gloom comes over him.

Agamemnon is the first play in the Oresteia , the only trilogy of Greek tragedies that has survived intact from classical times. Indeed, we might go so far as to say that, with these plays, Aeschylus essentially invented classic Greek theatre. Before we offer an analysis of Agamemnon , the first volume in the trilogy, it might be worth briefly recapping the plot of the play. The action of Agamemnon takes place at the end of the ten-year Trojan War. The Greek hero Agamemnon has been heavily involved in the fighting against Troy, and back home his wife Clytemnestra eagerly awaits his return. However, although she is making a show of welcoming her husband, in truth she plans to murder him when he returns to the marital home, in retribution for what Agamemnon did on his way out to war. In order to persuade the gods to provide him and his ship with fair winds on the way to Troy, Agamemnon had sacrificed Iphigenia, his own daughter by Clytemnestra. Now, Clytemnestra is out for revenge. When the god Apollo took a shine to her, Cassandra was given the gift of prophecy, in return for her virginity.

Aeschylus agamemnon summary

Welcome to the LitCharts study guide on Aeschylus's Agamemnon. Created by the original team behind SparkNotes, LitCharts are the world's best literature guides. Ancient Greek Staging. At the time Agamemnon was originally staged, it would have been performed in a huge amphitheater. The actors would have worn character masks so that the huge audience could distinguish whom each performer represented. Civil War Adaptation. The first play in the trilogy, The Homecoming , is an adaptation of Agamemnon, and focuses on the wife of a Civil War general, who exacts revenge on him when he returns from the Civil War. Plot Summary. Lines Lines Lines Lines Lines All Symbols The Purple Tapestries.

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What is to come, the future, the action of the play, apparently lies in the hands of Clytaemestra. Complete Purchase. These papers were written primarily by students and provide critical analysis of Agamemnon. The play is considered as one of the great Greek Tragedies. But, just then, Aegisthus , exiled son of Thyests and the queen's secret lover bursts into the palace crying that he hatched the plot - he helped murder Agamemnon in revenge for his father His father, Thyestes, was tricked by Agamemnon's father into devouring his two sons, Aegisthus' brothers. Type your email…. During the fourth episode, Clytemnestra asks Cassandra to follow Agamemnon into the palace, but she refuses. Summary Agamemnon Full Play Summary. Get access to this full Study Guide and much more! However, although she is making a show of welcoming her husband, in truth she plans to murder him when he returns to the marital home, in retribution for what Agamemnon did on his way out to war. He does so barefoot, as a human, but there is still something ominous in this. You may accept or manage your choices by clicking below, including your right to object where legitimate interest is used, or at any time in the privacy policy page. She portrays herself as an instrument of divine causality, of destiny. Sign up and get instant access to creating and saving your own notes as you read.

A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more. Lines Character Analysis.

Continue to Payment Continuing to Payment will take you to a payment page. The Herald replies that a terrible storm seized the Greek fleet on the way home, leaving Menelaus and many others missing. The Chorus , a group of elderly men too old to have fought in the war, come out and explain that the Trojan War began out of a feud between Paris , the Trojan prince, and Menelaus , the Greek king. Then the Herald , a warrior, appears with word of Agamemnon's imminent arrival. The divisions of ancient plays were marked by interludes of choral odes. There is controversy about the performance dates for the Greek tragedies and the components of Greek tragedy. Use limited data to select content. The Chorus, in a panic, disintegrates, and the individual members speak frantically among themselves. Clytemnestra then asks Zeus to work his will. List of Characters in 'The Iliad'. The chorus describes the multi-generational blood-guilt of the House of Atreus and hears shrieking from within the palace. Develop and improve services. Agamemnon enters, riding in his chariot with Cassandra, a Trojan Princess whom he has taken as his slave and concubine. Name on Card.