Aeschylus Agamemnon

1
Aeschylus Agamemnon

• Part 2 A Royal Welcome

Aegisthus slays Agamemnon.
2
Libation Bearers (20-Feb) action / discussion

• Performance
• Agon (Clytemnestra v. Orestes) at pp. 216 ff.
• Clytemnestra
• Victim or criminal?
• Orestes
• Loyal son or murderer?
• Chorus
• ineffectual or valuable?

3
Agenda

• Agamemnon
• Recap, Update
• Red Carpet Scene
• to Tread or not to Tread
• Prophetic Poetics
• Cassandra scene, pp. 144 ff.

4
Agamemnon

• Recap and Update

5
Agamemnon Analysis(numbers Penguin pages)

• Prologue 104 f.
• Watchman
• Parodos 105 ff.
• entry march (recited)
• misgivings expedition
• lyric (sung, danced)
• portent of eagles and hare
• 1st episode 112 ff.
• Leader, Clyt.
• fire signals
• 1st stasimon 117 ff.
• Paris crime
• 2nd episode 121 ff.
• Herald, Leader, Clyt.
• victory. Menelaus lost?
• 2nd stasimon 129 ff.
• Helens blood wedding
• 3rd episode 132 ff.
• Chorus (reciting). Ag., Clyt.

• 3rd stasimon 141 ff.
• foreboding
• 4th episode 143 ff.
• Clyt., Leader
• Cassandra to enter palace
• Cass., Leader, whole Chorus
• Cass.s visions (spoken, sung)
• Choral recitation 158
• perils of power
• Scene 159
• Leader, whole Chorus, Ag. (offstage)
• murder
• Exodos 160 ff.
• Clyt., Leader 160-162
• ekkuklema with corpses
• Clyt., Chorus (lyric dialogue) 162 ff.
• recriminations
• Clyt., Aegisthus, Leader (dialogue) 168 ff.
• gloating in victory, more recriminations

6
Aeschylean Dramaturgy

• Aeschylean Epiphany
• Cycle of suffering
• Tragic Formula
• koros
• hubris
• ate
• dike

• pathei mathos, from suffering, knowledge
• Role of chorus

7
The Red Carpet Scene

• To Tread or not to Tread

8
Questions

• Whats the big deal with the carpet?
• Agamemnon why not walk upon the carpet?
• So if hes so opposed, why does he, then?

9
Carpet Scene Discussion

• symbolic trail of blood
• didnt want to chance fate again
• only the gods that honor
• trouble being treated like a god
• power struggle
• walking admits hubris
• he does it to appease
• level with gods thing
• cl wants him to offend gods

• hubris not good
• wants to protect good fortune
• walking over women
• walking him to death
• foreshadowing
• clash of wills
• she-man thing
• suspects her
• is aware of the fatal attraction
• hubris thing gods
• persuaded by women
• arrogant
• hubristic

10
Prophetic Poetics

• Cassandra scene, pp. 144 ff.

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Cassandra Scene Analysis(numbers Penguin
pages)

• amoibaion (lyric dialogue) 144 ff.
• impassioned cries
• self-lament
• feast of Thyestes
• Paris crime
• riddling visions

• spoken dialogue (no more riddles) 149 ff.
• vision of Furies (Erinues)
• Thyestes adultery
• Cassandras gift/credibility
• concrete prediction
• overlaid visions (pp. 151-152)