Aeschylus’ Agamemnon PART ONE: The Shape of Tragedy

Aeschylus’ Agamemnon

PART ONE: The Shape of Tragedy

2

1st Episode (beg.) – Comments• chorus doubts cl – why?

– b/c woman– so long?– doubt of cl – character

judged, or gender

• foreboding– cl smartest– victory doubtful

• rhythm– natural – doubting her

the thing of the town– cl responds– chorus degrading her

› can’t handle the gender thing

• chorus hesitant to show deference to cl

• she’s more convincing b/c of the doubt– more sympathetic

3

Agenda

• Backstory & Backdrop• Aeschylean Dramaturgy

– Aeschylean Epiphany– Poetry and Drama– “Tragic Formula”– Cycle of Suffering

• Clytemnestra, Chorus– Of Gender and Fire Signals…

Backstory & Backdrop

5

Play-Facts

• Playwright– Aeschylus 525-456

• Plays (tetralogy)– Oresteia 458

› Agamemnon

› Libation Bearers

› Eumenides

› Proteus (lost)

• Historical context– Areopagus court

6

Backstory…

• Feast of Thyestes• Sacrifice of Iphigenia• Abduction of Helen• Sack of Troy

map

genealogy

Agamemnon: Analysis

(numbers = Penguin pages)

Prologue 104 f.• WatchmanParodos 105 ff.• entry march (recited)

–misgivings: expedition• lyric (sung, danced)

–portent of eagles and hare1st episode 112 ff.• Leader, Clyt.

–fire signals1st stasimon 117 ff.

–Paris’ crime2nd episode 121 ff.• Herald, Leader, Clyt.

–victory. Menelaus lost?2nd stasimon 129 ff.

–Helen’s blood wedding3rd episode 132 ff.• Chorus (reciting). Ag., Clyt.

–red carpet welcome

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 powerScene 159• Leader, whole Chorus, Ag. (offstage)

– murderExodos 160 ff.• Clyt., Leader 160-162

– ekkuklēma with corpses• Clyt., Chorus (lyric dialogue) 162 ff.

– recriminations• Clyt., Aegisthus, Leader (dialogue) 168 ff.

– gloating in victory, more recriminations

Aeschylean DramaturgyEpiphany

Poetry and Drama“Tragic Formula”Cycle of Suffering

11

Aeschylean Epiphany (C.J. Herington)

verbal

ambiguity

human

visual

clarity

divineto

12

Aeschylean Dialogue

• Actor + Chorus-leader (koruphaios)• Two actors

– plus Leader (opt.)

13

Poetry & Drama: Ag. Parodos

1. Portent of eagles and hare.

2. Anger of Artemis.

3. Hymn to Zeus.

4. Sacrifice of Iphigenia. complex thought extravagant imagery riddle-like metaphor

14

Tragic Formula: Reversal as …

• koros (excess, extravagance)• hubris (arrogance, violation)• atē (delusion, ruin)• dikē (justice)

15

Cycle of Suffering

• Blood feud• Crime begets crime• Sins of the fathers …• pathei mathos (from

suffering, knowledge)– “Zeus has led us on to

know, … that we must suffer, suffer into truth,” (Chorus p. 109)

Clytemnestra, Chorus

Of Gender and Fire Signals…

17

Clytemnestra, Chorus (Your thoughts)

• [comment] • [comment]