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GREEK TRAGEDY
Greek theatre was something new in its time; it developed out of a mixture of ancient myths, stories and religious rituals, contemporary lyric poetry, the genius of a remarkably few men, and the Greek love of theatrical spectacle.
This theatre developed in some relation to the god Dionysus. Although scholars disagree about just how classical Greek theatre was involved with the religion of Dionysus, they generally agree that the early forms of Greek theatre stem from poems and dances performed for Dionysus, a rather disorderly god of mixed blessings.
Whether we see the fully matured Greek theatre as Dionysian or not, we can certainly look for and see the elements of Dionysus in Greek tragedy and comedy: insanity, violence, intoxication, wildness--these are properties of Dionysus as well as of the theatre that developed in Greece. And we do know that performances of dithyrambs (poems celebrating Dionysus), as well as satyr plays, tragedies and comedies, took place at the festivals of Dionysus in Athens.
AGAMEMNON
Early Greek tragedy can be difficult for a modern audience to appreciate. Practically nothing happens in Agamemnon except an offstage murder of a man we have just met by a woman we don't like.
Because Greek dramas developed originally out of the lyric satyr choruses, they have large sections of lyric poetry (the choruses) interspersed with sections of dialogue. Agamemnon's lyric sections are especially long. They are supposed to be especially beautiful in the original Greek; unfortunately, the translations I've read have not been particularly attractive. Frankly, as a modern reader, I wish the choruses of this play were shorter and the dialogue longer. If you have a chance to see a film or play of Agamemnon, do so; It can be more accessible with real actors than as a text.
Agamemnon is the first of three plays which display the unending and terrible consequences of a private blood feud which continues from one generation to the next until it is finally stopped by instituting a public legal process to replace private revenge.
Agamemnon focuses on Clytemnestra's murder of Agamemnon. She wants vengeance because Agamemnon sacrificed their daughter Iphigenia at Aulis ten years earlier in order to placate the goddess Artemis. This goddess had been sending contrary winds to prevent the Greek Armies from sailing to Troy. It is easy for us to be horrified at what Agamemnon did and want to excuse Clytemnestra, but the play offers no excuses for her--she is presented as thoroughly dislikeable, wicked, and dangerous.
The play starts at night with a watchman awaiting a fire signal passed from hill top to hill top to indicate that the Trojan War has ended. Clytemnestra has arranged for these fires which cross many miles between Troy and Greece. She is a clever woman as well as a dangerous one, and even worse, she has the heart of a man in her woman's breast, as the watchman tells us at the very start.
There is not much action in Agamemnon; the first half of the play is spent anxiously awaiting the arrival of Agamemnon. Here, the real action begins, centered on an argument between Agamemnon and his wife Clytemnestra which displays Agamemnon's conceited pride and Clytemnestra's treachery. She wants him to walk into the palace on a valuable blood-red tapestry; he objects that this would be an act of excessive pride. Their argument, which is the only time we see them together in the play, reveals each of their characters.
Philip Harsh remarks that "the essential weakness of [Agamemnon's]...character is only too apparent in this clash with the strong-willed Clytemnestra.... In attempting to make Agamemnon accept her base flattery and walk upon the blood-red tapestry, Clytemnestra is attempting to cause him to commit an act of insolence ...which will evoke the disgust and hatred of men and the vengeance of the gods." (69)
Agamemnon surrenders to his wife and, walking on the blood-red tapestry, enters the palace, shortly to die. Now the most intense scene of the play occurs, the raving prophecy of the prophetess Cassandra outside the palace, predicting murder most foul, while Clytemnestra, with help from her lover Aegisthus prepares to murder Agamemnon within. Agamemnon's death cries follow and the play is essentially over. Agamemnon has been murdered, but there will be more murder to avenge his death. Murder is not able to solve the problems of this cursed household; indeed that is the whole point of the trilogy. Murder only begets murder; setting up a court of law is the only way to stop the series of bloody feuds. This is a message about the need for civilization, but it is not yet made in Agamemnon, so we are left with only darkness and death. For this reason, the three plays of this trilogy should be read as a set; Agamemnon is really only the first act of a three act play.
Revenge in Greek Tragedies
Revenge
in Greek Tragedies The theme of revenge is ever present within the Iliad, the
Odyssey, and The Oresteias Agamemnon. Within the Iliad and its ever present
themes, the theme of revenge is against the Trojans due to Paris taking Meleanus’ wife Helen who was
claimed to be the most beautiful woman of the land. Also Achilles goes against
Agamemnon who to take revenge on Achilles takes away his prize that he rightful
deserved and won. The theme of revenge is also in the Odyssey when Poseidon
takes revenge on Odysseus for blinding his son the Cyclops Polyphenus. Finally
with Agamemnon, the House of Atreus is cursed from an ancestor that was
punished directly from the gods of Olympia
themselves. Thus the idea of an eye for eye is taken in utmost seriousness
within these three books and through many Greek tragedies. Along with many
themes in the Iliad, none is shown more then the hate that had been built up
between Achilles and Agamemnon. When Agamemnon is forced to return Chrysies to
her father in order to stop the plague that had been brought forth from the god
Apollo, Agamemnon feels that he should not suffer and as the leader of the
Achaean army he feels he should not be put in that embarrassing situation. To
avenge this, h
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