Lecture Notes: Agamemnon

Introduction

• Set in the Greek city of Argos, on the roof of the Royal Palace.
• A watchman awaits news of the Trojan War.
• The victory is signaled, leading to the watchman's rejoicing.

Rising Action

• Chorus of Argive Elders: Reflects on the 10-year war, hoping for victory.
• Queen Clytemnestra: Informs that Troy has been captured.
• Prophet Calchas: Predicted Argive victory, recalls Artemis' demand for Iphigenia's sacrifice.

Characters

• Agamemnon: Tragic hero, proud, suffers from hubris.
• Clytemnestra: Complex, shrewd, seeks vengeance, plots Agamemnon’s assassination.
• Cassandra: Trojan prophet, sees future doom, cursed to be disbelieved.
• Aegisthus: Clytemnestra's lover, driven by revenge, seeks power.
• Chorus: Represents Argos citizens, provides moral commentary.

Plot Points

• Agamemnon returns with Cassandra, praises the gods.
• Clytemnestra greets him with a purple-red carpet, argues over honoring him as a god.
• Cassandra's Vision: Sees murder and tragedy in the palace, foretells her own death.
• Climax: Clytemnestra kills Agamemnon and Cassandra.
• Falling Action: Clytemnestra justifies murder as revenge for Iphigenia's sacrifice.
• Resolution: Aegisthus and Clytemnestra rule Argos.

Symbols

• Nets: Represent fate, entrapment, death.
• Watchdog: Symbolizes responsibility, protection, yet misused by characters.
• Purple Carpet: Symbolizes wealth, bloodshed, and foreshadows death.
• Birds: Reflect characters’ traits, omens from gods.

Themes

• Fate: Preordained events, limited human control, role of gods.
• Revenge vs. Justice: Bloodline feuds, righting wrongs through vengeance.
• Righteousness vs. Evil: Tension between personal justice and evil acts.

Motifs

• Ships and Sailing: Hierarchies, journeys, exile imagery.
• Prophecy: Time transcendence, foretelling inevitable doom.

Conclusion

• The play ends with Clytemnestra and Aegisthus as rulers.
• The chorus separates, highlighting the unresolved tensions in Argos.