Abstract While Agamemnon is the title character of Aeschylus' play it is Cassandra who, both as prophetess and victim, stands at the play's center. This paper explores the circumstantial and symbolic background against which the events of this play are set and considers Clytaemnestra's motives for killing Agamemnon and Cassandra.
From the Paper "Aeschylus calls his play Agamemnon, but this is not because Agamemnon is its main character; on the contrary, Agamemnon is actually a particularly flat character in the drama. He enters the play midway, makes two speeches (Agamemnon lines 794-839 and 907-924), each of which is paralleled in the text by a speech of equal length by Clytaemnestra. Then, after a quick interchange with his wife (11.925-955) Agamemnon enters his palace and is not heard from (with the exception of his death cries) or seen (alive) again. Even the Herald, whose role in the drama (unlike that of the messenger in Oedipus and Antigone) is not particularly important (since his main task is to confirm the signal fire's report of the victory at Troy), speaks many more lines than the title character. The real tragic hero of Agamemnon is Cassandra..."
Abstract This research examines the portrayals of Phaedra, Clytaemnestra, and Antigone in Greek drama and what it says avbout the role of women in causing calamity.
From the Paper "Agamemnon and Ulysses both fought in the Trojan war and then set out to return home. Agamemnon managed to go directly home, but Odysseus had offended Poseidon and was made to wander for many years before he was able to make his way home. Each man had a wife waiting for him, though these women show very different natures while at the same time reflecting the fact that they have very different husbands. Clytaemnestra has a lover and is plotting the death of her husband, but she has reason for doing so given that he killed one of her children. Penelope is dutifully waiting for her husband to return as she is surrounded by suitors who want Odysseus's kingdom. The two women have different reactions not only to their husbands but to their children, and each story shows a social complexity that helps shape the reactions of the women. Each woman possesses a role in ..."
Abstract This paper explains that the plays "Libation Bearers" and "Eumenides" are part of a trilogy of ancient Greek plays written by Aeschylus telling the story of King Agamemnon, his wife Clytaemnestra and their children. The author points out that, appearing in these plays, the Furies, who are the three daughters of Mother Earth, represent man's evil and hold him accountable for his evil actions thereby moving from justice to social change and merciful reform. The paper relates that the Furies, creatures of the underworld who become creatures of Athens, show that change and growth is good for society and good for individuals, like Orestes.
From the Paper "The Furies are not evil, they avenge evil deeds, but they certainly are frightening and cause tumult around them. As they pursue Orestes throughout this play, they do indeed seem evil and vengeful. They can smell the blood of Orestes murdered mother, and that is how they track him all the way to Athens. Ultimately, the Furies could destroy Orestes, but Queen Athena intervenes, and changes the entire aspect of Orestes torment when she takes him to trial before a judge and jury. The Furies represent an old, archaic form of justice based on revenge, and that is another reason makes them ugly. Revenge and its' motives are often just as ugly as the Furies, and so, they represent a form of justice that may be quick, but is not always fair or even just. The Furies are living in the past, and Orestes, with his crime, will pull them into the future, where they can change the way they view the world and are viewed by the world."
Compares the situation and characteristics of the character, Hamlet, from Shakespeare's play "Hamlet" with those of the character, Orestes, from Aeschylus' play "The Oresteia".
Abstract This paper relates that two of the most prominent characters in revenge tragedy plays are Hamlet, from William Shakespeare's play, "Hamlet" and Orestes, from Aeschylus' play "The Oresteia". The paper notes that, even though there is a vast time period separating the two plays, the main characters, Hamlet and Orestes respectively, are placed in several similar family situations and have identical characteristics that are displayed throughout the texts. The paper further notest that, while there are many situations and characteristics that the characters have in common, there are also differences. The paper attempts to show that Shakespeare and Aeschylus use these familial situations and characteristics so that the audience of the plays can both relate and respond to their dramas.
From the Paper "Although Hamlet and The Oresteia were both written many years apart, the familial situations surrounding both plays are strikingly similar. In Hamlet, Hamlet is plagued by the death of his father who is murdered by his uncle, Claudius. After his father's death, Hamlet's mother, Gertrude, does not waste any time marrying Claudius. Even though Gertrude does not know until later in the play that Claudius killed her late husband, Hamlet still resents her for abandoning his father so quickly. Shakespeare uses this tragedy-ridden family's situation to elicit a response of shock within the audience when they learn about the state of affairs of Hamlet's family. A family that has a character who is murdered, a widow who marries the murderer, and a son looking for revenge brings shock to the audience and gets their attention. In The Oresteia, Orestes's father, Agamemnon, is murdered by his wife Clytaemnestra after coming home from battle. "
