Agamemnon by Aeschylus | Characters

Summarize videos instantly with our Course Assistant plugin, and enjoy AI-generated quizzes: https://bit.ly/ch-ai-asst Aeschylus’s Agamemnon explained with scene summaries in just a few minutes!

Course Hero Literature Instructor Russell Jaffe explains the main characters in Aeschylus's play Agamemnon.

Download the free study guide and infographic for Agamemnon here: https://www.coursehero.com/lit/Agamem...

Aeschylus's play Agamemnon, part of his Oresteia cycle, relates the story of the tragic downfall of the titular mythological king.

Agamemnon is leader of the Greek forces assailing Troy in an effort to reclaim the wife of his brother, Helena. Tragically, he has sacrificed his daughter Iphigenia in the hopes of success in his conquest.

As this history is relayed by the Chorus, Agamemnon returns home to his wife Clytemnestra, who has been plotting revenge for the loss of her child. A decade's worth of resentment and plotting comes to a boil within the formal constraints of this Greek tragedy.

Interestingly, in this famous tragedy Agamemnon appears on stage only during his death scene. It may be argued Clytaemnestra is the play's more influential character.

Greek dramatist Aeschylus’s Agamemnon was first performed in 458 BCE. Considered the father of tragedy, Aeschylus was prolific, but only 6 of his rumored 90+ works survive in their entirety today. His innovative handling of themes, plots, and language has given his numerous works enduring value.

The play contains many powerful themes such as revenge vs. justice, righteousness vs. evil, and fate. Other symbols include the watchdog, the purple carpet, and nets.

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