Does Agamemnon Deserve His Fate
Did Agamemnon Deserve His Fate?
In asking this question we must remember to look at both sides of the 'coin'. On one hand we have Agamemnon's uncompromising position and his good qualities, and on the other, we have Clytemnestra and her reasons for killing her husband. We shall start with Agamemnon.
The first time we hear of Agamemnon is from the Watchman in the opening scene. He speaks of the feeling of longing he has to take his master's hand in his. The Chorus are ready to criticize the king when they feel he deserves it, but clearly respect and love him. He must have ruled well before the war, or the simple fact that he is the rightful king would not have generated such good will for him. Moving on to Iphigenia, no one questioned …show more content…
He feels the inappropriateness of him, a mere mortal, taking an honour due only to the gods, but he also seems to feel affection for his wife, if winning the victory means so much to her, he is willing to let her win. And his entrusting Cassandra to her, with the request that she be kind, the right of a man to take concubines was not unremarkable at that time, and he was no more unreasonable than any other man, in expecting his wife to accept the presence of a mistress. Moreover, he shows his humanity by requesting his wife to treat Cassandra with kindness and respect. It is not surprising, therefore, that Cassandra says no word against Agamemnon, and it strengthens the case for him immensely that she feels only horror at the prospect of his death at his wife's hand. His case is underlined and strengthened, by the readiness of the Chorus to take up their sticks and die by Aegisthus' hand rather than accept a tyrant, and by their longing for the coming of Orestes, the rightful …show more content…
Aeschylus, even though he probably did not sympathize with her as much as a modern audience would, still does her far more justice, and gives us a sympathetic enough portrayal that it is even possible to have more sympathy with Clytemnestra than Agamemnon, whatever Aeschylus intended.
Aeschylus, even though he probably did not sympathize with her as much as any modern audience would, still does her far more justice, and gives us a sympathetic enough portrayal that it is even possible to have more sympathy with Clytemnestra than Agamemnon.
In an early part of the play, it is Clytemnestra who sympathizes with the common soldiers who, now that Troy is taken, will finally be able to eat well and sleep peacefully in beds again. It is also Clytemnestra who sees clearly that the Greeks will only return safely if they honour the altars and temples in Troy, and neither the Herald nor Agamemnon says a word that indicates that they understand that their actions brought on the storm that destroyed so much of the fleet. Even the false words in which she speaks of her longing for her husband's return remind us of the real suffering of the woman who must stay at home and wait while her husband fights, even if in this case what she is waiting for is the chance to avenge her daughter's
In asking this question we must remember to look at both sides of the 'coin'. On one hand we have Agamemnon's uncompromising position and his good qualities, and on the other, we have Clytemnestra and her reasons for killing her husband. We shall start with Agamemnon.
The first time we hear of Agamemnon is from the Watchman in the opening scene. He speaks of the feeling of longing he has to take his master's hand in his. The Chorus are ready to criticize the king when they feel he deserves it, but clearly respect and love him. He must have ruled well before the war, or the simple fact that he is the rightful king would not have generated such good will for him. Moving on to Iphigenia, no one questioned …show more content…
He feels the inappropriateness of him, a mere mortal, taking an honour due only to the gods, but he also seems to feel affection for his wife, if winning the victory means so much to her, he is willing to let her win. And his entrusting Cassandra to her, with the request that she be kind, the right of a man to take concubines was not unremarkable at that time, and he was no more unreasonable than any other man, in expecting his wife to accept the presence of a mistress. Moreover, he shows his humanity by requesting his wife to treat Cassandra with kindness and respect. It is not surprising, therefore, that Cassandra says no word against Agamemnon, and it strengthens the case for him immensely that she feels only horror at the prospect of his death at his wife's hand. His case is underlined and strengthened, by the readiness of the Chorus to take up their sticks and die by Aegisthus' hand rather than accept a tyrant, and by their longing for the coming of Orestes, the rightful …show more content…
Aeschylus, even though he probably did not sympathize with her as much as a modern audience would, still does her far more justice, and gives us a sympathetic enough portrayal that it is even possible to have more sympathy with Clytemnestra than Agamemnon, whatever Aeschylus intended.
Aeschylus, even though he probably did not sympathize with her as much as any modern audience would, still does her far more justice, and gives us a sympathetic enough portrayal that it is even possible to have more sympathy with Clytemnestra than Agamemnon.
In an early part of the play, it is Clytemnestra who sympathizes with the common soldiers who, now that Troy is taken, will finally be able to eat well and sleep peacefully in beds again. It is also Clytemnestra who sees clearly that the Greeks will only return safely if they honour the altars and temples in Troy, and neither the Herald nor Agamemnon says a word that indicates that they understand that their actions brought on the storm that destroyed so much of the fleet. Even the false words in which she speaks of her longing for her husband's return remind us of the real suffering of the woman who must stay at home and wait while her husband fights, even if in this case what she is waiting for is the chance to avenge her daughter's