Tragic Propaganda: Aeschylus" Intentions.
Language is Aeschylus' juggernaut: he uses striking, innovative words to drive an image into the mind of his audience. Clytaemestra, notorious as a villain or perhaps an anti- heroine, effectively acts as a medium for Aeschylus" brilliant rhetoric in Agamemnon. Clytaemestra's rhetoric not only invokes vivid imagery, but also confuses and perverts spheres of logic and rhetoric: sacrifice with murder, liquids with cloth, and blood with wine. These images overturn the values and traditions of her society, symbolized by the chorus, by joining spheres that were customarily kept separate. Aeschylus" perversion of values through the confusion of rhetorical spheres gives Clytaemestra ultimate power in the play and throughout the trilogy.
One of the ways Aeschylus builds Clytaemestra's power at the play's climax is through the involution of murder depicted as a sacrifice. The ritual sacrifice, a sphage, served as a means of purification in antiquity (Lebek 80). In Agamemnon, the symbolic act of sacrifice becomes corrupted and equated with murder. Death, as a sacrifice, is a constant theme. It has been alluded to many times before Agamemnon's demise, always in the form of ritual sacrifice, but never as murder. The most obvious example is the mention of Iphigenia's sacrifice. Therefore, by the time the audience comprehends Clytaemestra's murderous act, it has seen a precedent set for murder mistaken as sacrifice. Clytaemestra boldly presents her position to the chorus: "I struck him twice. In two great cries of agony he buckled at the knees and fell. When he was down I struck him the third blow, in thanks and reverence to Zeus the lord of dead men underneath the ground." She continues her plea, almost relishing in what she has done: " and as he died he spattered me with the dark red and violent driven rain of bitter savored blood to make me glad, as gardens stand among the showers of God in glory at the birthtime of the buds" (1389-1394).
Agamemnon Agamemnon was the written by Aeschylus in Ancient Greece, and recounts the events in the city of Argos after Agamemnon's return from the Trojan War. ... Agamemnon does so, and Clytemnestra asks Cassandra to follow. ... In Agamemnon, Cassandra knows her fate. ... Clytemnestra also seeks revenge in Agamemnon. ... The story begins immediately after the war and Agamemnon's return home. ...
Why does Agamemnon choose the easy way out? ... Agamemnon lacks the passion to earn his victories. ... Agamemnon is a king who feeds on his people. ... They seem to be ridiculing Agamemnon. ... This is not to say Agamemnon does not exude power, respect, and honor. ...
Firstly, Agamemnon was arrogant. ... To the interpreter, Agamemnon did not hide any of his anger. ... However, the love from god is painful for Agamemnon. ... Secondly, Agamemnon was selfish. ... Thirdly, Agamemnon was cowardly and passive. ...
Agamemnon does not always set his own interests aside in favor of his community. ... The consequences of Agamemnon's actions were detrimental because the gods punished Agamemnon by sending a plague to the Achaeans. ... This strategy backfires on Agamemnon as his army rushes for the ships to go home. ... Homer never really explains why Agamemnon did this, other than saying it was a test, but I propose it was a further display of narcissism on behalf of Agamemnon. ... Believing this dream, Agamemnon took actions in reliance of the dream. ...
In Agamemnon, the classic Greek drama, Aeschylus demonstrates the concept of the tragic flaw through the character of Agamemnon and how he is a common man with similar feelings and beliefs. ... Agamemnon's dedication reaches to his people and to the gods. ... Both lovers seek to destroy Agamemnon because of his actions and those of his father. ... Finally, Agamemnon falls to the lowest depths due to his tragic flaw. ... In The House of Atreus, Agamemnon demonstrates all the criteria of the tragic hero. ...
The hero of Agamemnon is actually Agamemnon himself because of the fact that a lot of the people looked up to his because of how much he did to protect them and what all he sacrificed for them even though he is not really talked about much in the story. Agamemnon chose to fight in the battle because he wanted his family and his home to be safe because if he did not go over there to fight in the battle then eventually the other side they were fight would had made their way over to his side to fight them and he did not want to take that risk because of his family and the people he had to look ou...
The first play, Agamemnon, introduces us to Clytaemnestra who murders her husband because Agamemnon sacrificed his daughter. Agamemnon murders his daughter in order to satisfy her to the gods, Clytaemnestra kills her husband to achieve, and she says, "a masterpiece of Justice". ... Orestes sees things the same way as his mother does in Agamemnon. ... This clearly shows the pain that Agamemnon has in this sacrifice, and his feeling of helplessness in front of fate. ... His mother deserves everything she gets because of her unjust murder of Agamemnon. ...
An example can be seen with the chorus, Agamemnon and his cousin Aegisthus. ... They feel she isn't doing as good a job as Agamemnon himself would do. ... Neither Agamemnon nor the Chorus expected her to take revenge on Agamemnon. ... Agamemnon, however, does not have this quality. ... This weakness proves that Clytemnestra is stronger than Agamemnon. ...
Agamemnon was the King of Mycenae; he was very similar to Achilles. ... Agamemnon is not well liked by his people, but he is respected. ... He told Agamemnon that he did not approve of his doings, and that he "brought calamity," and that Agamemnon was "from the depths of hell." ... Agamemnon stole Achilles lady because he had to return his. This is highly unfair, and everyone knew this except Agamemnon. ...
