Abstract This paper compares and contrasts the stories of two heroes returning from war, as expressed in Homer's Odyssey. The paper describes the differences in family life in the two stories. The paper explains that Agamemnon left for battle, sacrificing his daughter. As a result, Agamemnon's homecoming is a tragedy. His wife has been unfaithful and wants to avenge her daughter. By contrast, the paper explains, Odysseus goes through many trials and tribulations before he is able to return home. The author explains, though, that once he arrives at home, he finds a faithful wife with whom he is able to rebuild a good family life.
From the Paper "Aeschylus and Homer portray two different versions of a post-war homecoming by the central protagonists of the texts "Agamemnon" and "The Odyssey." Agamemnon and Odysseus are both Greek generals who fought successfully in the Trojan War. Both men are kings. While the dramatist Aeschylus portrays an ungrateful homecoming on the part of the central protagonist's wife, and dramatizes a dark prophesy of death that is ultimately fulfilled, as well as stresses the inevitability of fate at the hands of vengeful women, Homer shows a far different possibility for a wartime homecoming. Homer shows how unexpected happy endings can occur, despite the persistent influence of the gods in human affairs. Homer depicts a loyal wife and son waiting for the main protagonist, upon Odysseus' return from the Trojan War. These different family portraits suggest that in Aeschylus' point of view, war destroys family alliances and a true post-war homecoming that recaptures the past is impossible, given the moral as well as territorial destruction of war. But Homer suggests, even though years may be lost, there is still a family bond that can be sustained, despite years of separation."
Abstract This paper compares the character Agamemnon in Homer's "Iliad" with the character Agamemnon in Aeschylus' play of that name, and examines in what ways the Agamemnon of Homer is consistent with the Agamemnon of Aeschylus, and in what ways are they not consistent.
Abstract In this paper the author looks at the role of women in "Agamemnon" and "Antigone" from the Oedipus trilogy. He compares the characters of the main women in the both books, Clytaemestra and Antigone, looking at the way they deal with certain circumstances. For example, how Clytaemestra is devious and plans to murder her husband, Agamemnon, out of fury over his sacrifice of their daughter, Iphigenia. Whereas Antigone defies an edict by insisting on the burial of her brother, Polynices because she is acting out of a sense of duty to fulfill a promise made to him before his death. The author concludes that Clytaemestra and Antigone can be seen as personification of woman's most extreme emotions and conflicts. The values that in Antigone are good and true become distorted into hatred and violence in Clytaemestra.
From the Paper "The strength of Clytemaestra's personality is evident in her first speech, which follows immediately after the scene in which the sacrifice of Iphigenia takes place. She is majestic in her wrath and dominates the entire work from this scene on. She personifies the theme of the conflict between ethics and principles and human emotions. She easily convinces the elders of her story of the fall of Troy. She impresses them with her intellect by which she arranged a complex system of beacons to relay the news. She is audacious and proud, even hinting subtly of her plans, almost inviting the wrath of the gods."
Abstract The paper is written in the form of a legal argument by the prosecuting counsel. The writer argues that, when her trial began, there was no question that Clytemnestra was guilty of the murder of her husband Agamemnon and the slave Cassandra. The paper discusses how not only was she seen holding the murder weapon by the Chorus, but the prophet Cassandra indicated that Clytemnestra was killing Agamemnon and would be the instrument of Cassandra's death. In addition, Clytemnestra freely admitted that she committed both murders. The paper shows how Clytemnestra deserves the highest penalty possible: the death penalty.
From the Paper "On the surface, Clytemnestra's argument that she murdered Agamemnon for the good of Argos has some appeal; it is unquestioned that he led Argos in war against Troy. However, a deeper investigation of the argument reveals its weaknesses. The first weakness is that the Argonauts supported the war. They believed that Paris had abused Menelaus' hospitality by seducing Helen. In addition, they believed that Paris abused their state hospitality by doing so. The argument's second weakness is that, even if the Argonauts had not supported the war, Clytemnestra's actions did nothing to reduce either the duration or the severity of the war."
Tags: Aegisthus, war, justice, Trojan, revenge, killing
Abstract This paper shows the differing leadership skills of Agamemnon and Henry V, and ultimately arrives at the conclusion that the latter is a better leader.
From the Paper "Commitment, honor, bravery, and a high moral code are all important qualities in determining a good leader. A leader is one who leads by example and upholds the principles that have been established by the law. A strong leader is able to take the advice of others while adhering to their own personal beliefs. Upon close examination of Henry V and Agamemnon, it is clearly seen that Henry possesses the stronger leadership characteristics of the two. Both men are descendents of war-like cultures where the strongest performers on the battlefield are the most revered; however, there is a clear distinction between good and poor leadership. Although both experience great success in warfare, it is the compassion and political savvy of Henry which distinguishes him as a good leader, and the vain and egotistical tendencies of Agamemnon which make him a poor leader."
An analysis of Book I of Homer's "The Iliad" including the proem, the presentation of Achilles and Agamemnon, the argument and the presentation of the gods.
Abstract The paper highlights the main events and functions of Book I, especially those which emphasise the poet's skill. The proem's seven lines are dwelt on, since they encapsulate the whole poem admirably and the rest of the paper deals with the causes and results of the argument between Achilles and Agamemnon. It also points out with special clarity the motifs which recur throughout the epic.
From the Paper "After the skilful and concise detail about Achilles, Homer launches into the narrative. The first hero in this section to appear is Agamemnon, who answers Chryses' plea. He is unambiguously portrayed in a bad light here by the poet, with arrogance and cruel gloating foremost in his behaviour. Firstly, he makes a personal decision which goes against the wishes of his men. The listener is clearly told that the men support the priest, for good reasons (emphatically summed up in line 23). Agamemnon's limited, self-centred view of the problem facing him is shown by the frequent pronouns he uses in his speech, which refer only to him, his addressee and the prize, Chryseis."
Abstract This paper examines how the character of Cassandra in the ancient drama "Agamemnon", first in the Oresteia trilogy written by the Greek playwright Aeschylus, initially may seem relevant only as a secondary character who appears in a minor scene. It attempts to show how Cassandra provides very necessary, crucial elements to the plot and dramatic action which help to portray Aeschylus' messages concerning justice and vengeance. It also looks at how one of the most important aspects of Cassandra's character is her unique style of prophetic vision, which allows her to foresee the past, present and future, yet denies her the luxury of actually being believed in her predictions.
From the Paper "One basic reason why Cassandra apparently does not actively assist the play in advancing its dramatic action is that she does not actually act at all. Her character only speaks and passively conveys information to the chorus and audience about what will happen, instead of aggressively making things happen. Despite this fact, the information with which she provides us is crucial to our comprehensive understanding of the entire Oresteia trilogy and its background. In particular, Cassandra aids us by developing the theme of justice as well as by informing the audience of essential background knowledge."
Abstract This paper takes a look at four questions of women and politics as reflected in the Greek plays 'Medea' and 'Agamemnon'. The paper discusses the relationship between women and politics, the social and political position of women, how Greek stereotypes of women further each play's dramatic action and how the presentation of women plays into the themes of each play.
From the Paper "In ancient Greek classics, two of the most common themes involved the role of women in society and the part that politics played. The most intriguing plots occurred when these two themes intersected during a single work. Women and politics indeed come into breathtaking contact in Euripides' play, Medea. The play begins with a nurse telling of the happenings that will lead to tragedy. The action which sets the ball rolling toward tragedy is that "deserting his own children and my mistress [Medea], Jason has taken a royal wife to his bed, The daughter of the ruler of this land, Creon" (Medea 17-19). Here women are not used for love, but instead for the political clout that they might bring, in this case because of the princess, Glauce."
Abstract This paper discusses how the choral odes in Greek tragedy served a very specific purpose in the promotion and explication of the theme. It explains that close familial bonds are interrelated with the tragedy in Agamemnon, as is observed in the relationship between Helen and her sister, Clytemnestra. It claims that the entire play follows the paradoxical theme of deep hate in a context of love.
From the Paper "The choral odes in Greek tragedy served a very specific purpose in the promotion and explication of the theme. Close familial bonds are interrelated with the tragedy in Agamemnon as is observed in the relationship between Helen and her sister Clytemnestra. Helen instigated the Trojan War as well as Iphigenia's death, and the entire play follows the paradoxical theme of deep hate in a context of love. The choral ode to be examined (ll. 585-651) is not pure chorus but almost amounts to a conversation between the chorus, Clytemnestra, and the herald. "Early drama was choral, and the life of Attic tragedy ..."
Abstract "The choral odes in Greek tragedy serve to explain and promote the theme. The overall theme of the "Agamemnon" is a contradictory one, extreme hatred within a context of love. The choral ode analyzed in this paper is pure chorus and is an address to Clytemnestra which had commenced "My lady, no grave man could speak with better grace". The ode is therefore a challenge to male dominance. This choral ode is a continuation of the theme of male-female conflict begun in the first choral ode that also was addressed to Clytemnestra.
Abstract The paper explains how Agamemnon represents an individual who has the potential to avert extensive tragedy not by means of the typical heroic act, but by a simple compromise which, under the circumstances, would have been truly heroic. The paper notes that Agamemnon did not act alone and his behavior must be viewed in the overall context of the ongoing conflict. The paper discusses how at the most decisive moment for Agamemnon, the motivations of Achilles and Peleus are at work while Chryses and Apollo function as a closed team; however, Agamemnon is not absolved of responsibility.
From the Paper "The story of Agamemnon is situated in a context of feud which makes later literature such as Shakespeare's "Romeo and Juliet" also emerging from feud seem normal. Furthermore, the saga of Agamemnon and the events leading up to his murder consist of the very lowest in human depravity. At the same time, Agamemnon's sacrifice of his daughter does not seem so deranged by comparison with the forced cannibalism of Atreus against Thyestes who discovers he has eaten his own sons. What is most significant, however, is the question of human action as opposed to fate and the designs of the gods."
Abstract This paper examines how in his play "Agamemnon", the Greek playwright Aeschylus offers a character study of a complex woman, Clytemnestra, the wife of Agamemnon, the Greek ruler who conquered Troy. It looks at how when considering the characterisation of Clytemnestra provided in the "Agamemnon", many have made a comparison to the much weaker and insignificant character presented by Homer and how unlike Homer, Aeschylus creates a strong version of this character, a woman who manipulates the will of men in order to get what she wants. It discusses her duplicity and the complexities of her character, her strong character portrayal and the fact that she was a powerful women of her time.
From the Paper "She stands firm in the continued celebration of a war finally won and stands in opposition to the warnings of the chorus about celebrating too soon. This is a form of action on the part of Clytemnestra. This action speaks volumes as it gives the audience great insight into her strength. The Chorus did not believe what Clytemnestra had told them; rather they had a typical male view of her and seemed to think she was just being a weak hearted person who is blinded by her longing for her husband. The image that the Chorus has of Clytemnestra was very different from the type of woman she proved herself to be at the end of the play. She emerges a stronger person because in comparison to Agamemnon she tends to dominate, thus showing the reversal of roles between herself and her husband."
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 paper examines the qualities of the character of Agamemnon in the epic poem, "The Iliad". The qualities of Agamemnon's foolish behavior and his arrogance are examined.
Abstract This paper compares and contrasts two female characters from the Greek classics: Clytemnestra from Aeschylus' "Agamemnon" and Penelope from Homer's "Odyssey." The author shows how the lives of both characters are profoundly affected by the Trojan War and the absence of their husbands. However, the author also demonstrates how the two have completely opposite natures and motivations -- Clytemnestra's hate for Agamemnon and Penelope's love for Odysseus.
From the Paper "Penelope is the perfect match to Odysseus. Strong and determined, she has been hanging on to the hope that he will return to her one day. In the meantime, she has to make use of her intelligence to keep the suitors away from her and the throne. In an effort to protect her only son Telemakhos, she keeps the suitors' hopes of marrying her alive. She learns the ways of deceit as a means of survival. Smarter than the men who crowd her hall, she slips through their fingers with ingenious stratagems such as the weaving of the shroud and the bow competition. But her condition as a woman only allows her liberty of action to a certain extent. Even though her intelligence is enough to trick even the clever Odysseus as it is told in Book Twenty-three (the olive tree trunk bed), she knows that with the return of her husband her power is no more. As a woman, her will is accepted as long as it does not interfere with the male fancy. "This question of the bow will be for men to settle, most of all for me. I am master here" (Fitzgerald, 414), declares Telemakhos, neutralizing his mother's orders concerning the bow competition. Penelope does not question the limitations she has to accept because of her condition as a woman. She bows down to them, realizing that it is not for her to contradict a man's order. Penelope has never really wanted to ascend to the throne and govern Ithaca. It is the immediacy of the threat to Odysseus' power that pushes her to find a way to preserve what belongs to her man by right -- or, in this case, by marriage, since Odysseus has become ruler of the land by means of taking Penelope as his wife. Unlike Clytemnestra, whose ability to reign over Argos is admired and praised, Penelope is unable to maintain the order in Ithaca."
Tags: trojan, war, ithaca, power, love, hatred, odysseus
