How is Agamemnon a tragedy?
(The events of the Trojan War are recounted in Homer’s Iliad.) The tragedies of the play occur as a result of the crimes committed by Agamemnon’s family. Moreover, Agamemnon sacrifices his daughter, Iphigenia, to gain a favorable wind to Troy, and Clytemnestra murders him to avenge her death.
What does Clytemnestra set out for Agamemnon upon his return?
Beside him in the chariot is Cassandra, a Trojan princess whom he has taken prisoner. Clytemnestra appears outside the palace to welcome her husband. She commands slave-women to roll out a purple fabric for Agamemnon to walk on, so he won’t have to touch the ground on his way from the chariot to the palace.
What is the message of Agamemnon?
Aeschylus’s Agamemnon, the first play of the trilogy, calls our attention to a central concept of justice; Justice as revenge.
What is the name of the sin performed by Agamemnon?
Agamemnon is what we would call a Greek tragedy of sin in the form of a family tragedy. It stresses violence in the form of sacrificing a child (Iphigenia), murdering a spouse (Agamemnon), and murdering a parent (Clytemnestra).
Why did Artemis demand human sacrifice?
Iphigenia, knowing she is doomed, decides to be sacrificed willingly, reasoning that as a mere mortal, she cannot go against the will of a goddess. She also believes that her death will be heroic, as it is for the good of all Greeks. Iphigenia exits, and the sacrifice takes place offstage.
How is Clytemnestra portrayed in the play?
Clytemnestra. The play’s protagonist, Clytemnestra is Agamemnon’s wife and has ruled Argos in his absence. She plans his murder with ruthless determination, and feels no guilt after his death; she is convinced of her own rectitude and of the justice of killing the man who killed her daughter.
Why is Agamemnon important?
In Greek mythology, Agamemnon was the commander of the Greek forces in the Trojan War, just one of many important characters in that epic saga. Defined by his overwhelming arrogance, he caused many problems for the Greeks in their invasion of Troy, not the least of which, insulting the gods, and the hero Achillies.