Synopsis
Agamemnon, a magnificent warrior and leader, is coming home. His son ORESTES is happy. The people of Mycenae were glad. The people of Mycenae were celebrating with their families. The people of Mycenae rejoiced as one big city…… Their leader was returning home triumphant!
But how did the people find out?
Our story opens with a Watchman joylessly waiting for a signal indicating that the City of Troy has fallen and the war is over. The Watchman is sitting on the roof of the palace, bored out of his brains looking for a signal fire coming from the hill in the distance. The Watchman sits and sighs (looking bored). The Watchman stands up and sighs (looking more bored). The Watchman stands up and paces around (looking extremely bored). Suddenly The Watchman’s total boredom with their job changes to total joy as they see a flame in the distance. The war in Troy is over and the army is coming home. The Watchman rushes off the roof top as fast as possible to go and tell The Queen.
Queen Klytemnestra was also pacing around, but she was inside her palace being attended to by her various ladies in waiting and servants. She was also being protected by her crack team of guards. Queen Klytemnestra was a very powerful Queen and everyone who worked for her was secretly scared of her. Without asking for permission THE WATCHMAN burst into QUEEN KLYTEMNESTRA’S rooms. Everyone was very shocked and CRACK TEAM OF GUARDS sprang into action to protect KLYTEMNESTRA. THE WATCHMAN shouted “Your Majesty I have news,” and proceeded to explain how they had seen the signal fire and that the war was over. EVERYONE was full of excitement and joy, except for KLYTEMNESTRA who had a cunning plan.
QUEEN KLYTEMNESTRA, however, is far from joyful at the news. She has been nursing a grudge for many years. Just before AGAMEMNON left Mycenae to sail to Troy with his fleet of many ships the winds changed, meaning that the ships could not leave the port. AGAMEMNON consulted a WISE PRIEST who told him that AGAMEMNON had offended the god of hunting ARTEMIS by killing a deer in a sacred forest and ARTEMIS required a sacrifice. ARTEMIS wanted AGAMEMNON to sacrifice his daughter IPHIGENIA. What was AGAMEMNON going to do? Eventually he agreed to sacrifice IPHIGENIA, Artemis changed the direction of the winds and the fleet of ships set sail to Troy.
So… AGAMEMNON arrived home to his palace in Mycenae and he was greeted by all the people who were full of joy. He was also greeted by his wife KLYTEMNESTRA, while in the background KLYTEMNESTRA’S new boyfriend, AEGISTHUS, watched on assessing what was happening. AGAMEMNON also brought with him his (sort of) new girlfriend CASSANDRA, which caused quite a lot of gossip. CASSANDRA was cursed by APOLLO that she could see the future but would never be believed by anyone.
KLYTEMNESTRA greets AGAMEMNON very formally, after all they haven’t seen each other for ten years. AGAMEMNON wants to enter the palace, while KLYTEMNESTRA makes the conversation as difficult as possible for him, remembering the death of their daughter IPHIGENIA. KLYTEMNESTRA comes up with a very cunning plan. She tells AGAMEMNON that because he has travelled for so long he would probably like a nice hot bath, wouldn’t he, as she would be happy to scrub his back. Slightly confused by this offer, KLYTEMNESTRA has never been that nice before he thinks to himself, he agrees to the offer of a bath and enters the palace. CASSANDRA is very worried because she knows what will happen.
AGAMEMNON goes to the palace, still bemused by the offer and begins his bath. KLYTEMNESTRA, with the help of her new boyfriend AEGISTHUS, kills AGAMEMNON with an axe as revenge for sacrificing IPHIGENIA and for bringing CASSANDRA back from Troy. CASSANDRA has to think long and hard whether she will go to the palace, knowing that she too will die if she goes. She decides to go as she cannot avoid her fate and KLYTEMNESTRA kills CASSANDRA and throws open the doors to the palace to show the public and both her and AEGISTHUS tell the people of Mycenae, who react unfavourably. The people say ‘We stand here stunned. How can you be so arrogant to vaunt above your fallen lord… You shall go homeless now, crushed with men’s bitterness.’
ORESTES, angry at his mother about this, swears that he will have vengeance for his father…
Agamemnon, a magnificent warrior and leader, is coming home. His son ORESTES is happy. The people of Mycenae were glad. The people of Mycenae were celebrating with their families. The people of Mycenae rejoiced as one big city…… Their leader was returning home triumphant!
But how did the people find out?
Our story opens with a Watchman joylessly waiting for a signal indicating that the City of Troy has fallen and the war is over. The Watchman is sitting on the roof of the palace, bored out of his brains looking for a signal fire coming from the hill in the distance. The Watchman sits and sighs (looking bored). The Watchman stands up and sighs (looking more bored). The Watchman stands up and paces around (looking extremely bored). Suddenly The Watchman’s total boredom with their job changes to total joy as they see a flame in the distance. The war in Troy is over and the army is coming home. The Watchman rushes off the roof top as fast as possible to go and tell The Queen.
Queen Klytemnestra was also pacing around, but she was inside her palace being attended to by her various ladies in waiting and servants. She was also being protected by her crack team of guards. Queen Klytemnestra was a very powerful Queen and everyone who worked for her was secretly scared of her. Without asking for permission THE WATCHMAN burst into QUEEN KLYTEMNESTRA’S rooms. Everyone was very shocked and CRACK TEAM OF GUARDS sprang into action to protect KLYTEMNESTRA. THE WATCHMAN shouted “Your Majesty I have news,” and proceeded to explain how they had seen the signal fire and that the war was over. EVERYONE was full of excitement and joy, except for KLYTEMNESTRA who had a cunning plan.
QUEEN KLYTEMNESTRA, however, is far from joyful at the news. She has been nursing a grudge for many years. Just before AGAMEMNON left Mycenae to sail to Troy with his fleet of many ships the winds changed, meaning that the ships could not leave the port. AGAMEMNON consulted a WISE PRIEST who told him that AGAMEMNON had offended the god of hunting ARTEMIS by killing a deer in a sacred forest and ARTEMIS required a sacrifice. ARTEMIS wanted AGAMEMNON to sacrifice his daughter IPHIGENIA. What was AGAMEMNON going to do? Eventually he agreed to sacrifice IPHIGENIA, Artemis changed the direction of the winds and the fleet of ships set sail to Troy.
So… AGAMEMNON arrived home to his palace in Mycenae and he was greeted by all the people who were full of joy. He was also greeted by his wife KLYTEMNESTRA, while in the background KLYTEMNESTRA’S new boyfriend, AEGISTHUS, watched on assessing what was happening. AGAMEMNON also brought with him his (sort of) new girlfriend CASSANDRA, which caused quite a lot of gossip. CASSANDRA was cursed by APOLLO that she could see the future but would never be believed by anyone.
KLYTEMNESTRA greets AGAMEMNON very formally, after all they haven’t seen each other for ten years. AGAMEMNON wants to enter the palace, while KLYTEMNESTRA makes the conversation as difficult as possible for him, remembering the death of their daughter IPHIGENIA. KLYTEMNESTRA comes up with a very cunning plan. She tells AGAMEMNON that because he has travelled for so long he would probably like a nice hot bath, wouldn’t he, as she would be happy to scrub his back. Slightly confused by this offer, KLYTEMNESTRA has never been that nice before he thinks to himself, he agrees to the offer of a bath and enters the palace. CASSANDRA is very worried because she knows what will happen.
AGAMEMNON goes to the palace, still bemused by the offer and begins his bath. KLYTEMNESTRA, with the help of her new boyfriend AEGISTHUS, kills AGAMEMNON with an axe as revenge for sacrificing IPHIGENIA and for bringing CASSANDRA back from Troy. CASSANDRA has to think long and hard whether she will go to the palace, knowing that she too will die if she goes. She decides to go as she cannot avoid her fate and KLYTEMNESTRA kills CASSANDRA and throws open the doors to the palace to show the public and both her and AEGISTHUS tell the people of Mycenae, who react unfavourably. The people say ‘We stand here stunned. How can you be so arrogant to vaunt above your fallen lord… You shall go homeless now, crushed with men’s bitterness.’
ORESTES, angry at his mother about this, swears that he will have vengeance for his father…
Characters
- Agamemnon
- Klytemnestra
- Chorus
- Cassandra
- Aegisthus
- The Watchman
- The Herald
Relationships
Agamemnon and Klytemnestra
Agamemnon and Cassandra
Cassandra and Klytemnestra
Key scenes
Klytemnestra lays out the red carpet when Agamemnon arrives home - This symbolises the he is believed to be godly. Also symbolises how Klytemnestra is making him feel special and loved before she kills him. A big difference between appearance and reality.
Key Questions
Is Agamemnon a hero or a villain?
Would you applaud or condemn the killing of Agamemnon?
Is Klytemnestra right to have killed her husband?
What would you do if you were Agamemnon? Would you kill your daughter to save all your people?
Playwrights Biography
The writer of the oldest surviving plays.
Said to have introduced the third actor to allow for more debate and conflict to be performed on stage.
In 490 BC Aeschylus fought for the Athenian army with his brother at The Battle of Marathon. The Athenian army was victorious, but Aeschylus’s brother was killed.
Why did the playwright write the play?
“Agamemnon” is the first of the three linked tragedies which make up “The Oresteia” trilogy by the ancient Greek playwright Aeschylus, followed by “The Libation Bearers” and “The Eumenides”. The trilogy as a whole, originally performed at the annual Dionysia festival in Athens in 458 BCE, where it won first prize, is considered to be Aeschylus’ last authenticated, and also his greatest, work. “Agamemnon” describes the homecoming of Agamemnon, king of Argos, from the Trojan War, and his return to his wife, Clytemnestra, who had been planning his murder (in concert with her lover, Aegisthus) as revenge for Agamemnon’s earlier sacrifice of their daughter, Iphigenia.
Agamemnon and Klytemnestra
Agamemnon and Cassandra
Cassandra and Klytemnestra
Key scenes
Klytemnestra lays out the red carpet when Agamemnon arrives home - This symbolises the he is believed to be godly. Also symbolises how Klytemnestra is making him feel special and loved before she kills him. A big difference between appearance and reality.
Key Questions
Is Agamemnon a hero or a villain?
Would you applaud or condemn the killing of Agamemnon?
Is Klytemnestra right to have killed her husband?
What would you do if you were Agamemnon? Would you kill your daughter to save all your people?
Playwrights Biography
The writer of the oldest surviving plays.
Said to have introduced the third actor to allow for more debate and conflict to be performed on stage.
In 490 BC Aeschylus fought for the Athenian army with his brother at The Battle of Marathon. The Athenian army was victorious, but Aeschylus’s brother was killed.
Why did the playwright write the play?
“Agamemnon” is the first of the three linked tragedies which make up “The Oresteia” trilogy by the ancient Greek playwright Aeschylus, followed by “The Libation Bearers” and “The Eumenides”. The trilogy as a whole, originally performed at the annual Dionysia festival in Athens in 458 BCE, where it won first prize, is considered to be Aeschylus’ last authenticated, and also his greatest, work. “Agamemnon” describes the homecoming of Agamemnon, king of Argos, from the Trojan War, and his return to his wife, Clytemnestra, who had been planning his murder (in concert with her lover, Aegisthus) as revenge for Agamemnon’s earlier sacrifice of their daughter, Iphigenia.