Agamemnon by Aeschylus | Summary & Analysis

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Course Hero Literature Instructor Russell Jaffe provides an in-depth analysis of the plot, characters, symbols, themes, and motifs in Aeschylus's play Agamemnon.
Download the free study guide and infographic for Agamemnon here: www.coursehero.com/lit/Agamem...
Aeschylus's play Agamemnon, part of his Oresteia cycle, relates the story of the tragic downfall of the titular mythological king.
Agamemnon is leader of the Greek forces assailing Troy in an effort to reclaim the wife of his brother, Helena. Tragically, he has sacrificed his daughter Iphigenia in the hopes of success in his conquest.
As this history is relayed by the Chorus, Agamemnon returns home to his wife Clytemnestra, who has been plotting revenge for the loss of her child. A decade's worth of resentment and plotting comes to a boil within the formal constraints of this Greek tragedy.
Interestingly, in this famous tragedy Agamemnon appears on stage only during his death scene. It may be argued Clytaemnestra is the play's more influential character.
Greek dramatist Aeschylus’s Agamemnon was first performed in 458 BCE. Considered the father of tragedy, Aeschylus was prolific, but only 6 of his rumored 90+ works survive in their entirety today. His innovative handling of themes, plots, and language has given his numerous works enduring value.
The play contains many powerful themes such as revenge vs. justice, righteousness vs. evil, and fate. Other symbols include the watchdog, the purple carpet, and nets.
Explore Course Hero’s collection of free literature study guides, Q&A pairs, and infographics here: www.coursehero.com/lit/
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Пікірлер: 64

  • @aeschylus1995
    @aeschylus19953 жыл бұрын

    yep, I wrote that

  • @johnhogan8327

    @johnhogan8327

    3 жыл бұрын

    Nice 👍

  • @lashantacurry5978

    @lashantacurry5978

    3 жыл бұрын

    No you didn't stop that. I prefer the version of your crushing the internet for content that pertains to greek culture and claiming ownership of it cause what does anyone on the internet know. Half of the content is altered and recreated stolen ownership and warped material.

  • @lashantacurry5978

    @lashantacurry5978

    3 жыл бұрын

    @@maeshamarium find a different course?

  • @bloomingorchid9407

    @bloomingorchid9407

    2 жыл бұрын

    punish apollo and zeus for me, please...😑

  • @lashantacurry5978

    @lashantacurry5978

    2 жыл бұрын

    @@bloomingorchid9407 writing a story where they suffer isn't exactly how believing in greek or roman pantheons persists.

  • @alexkanga9131
    @alexkanga91314 жыл бұрын

    Not only is the entire play summed up in less then 10 minutes, they provide symbols, description of the characters, and themes as well. They answered every question on my study guide! Not all heroes wear capes!

  • @calm.girlie
    @calm.girlie4 жыл бұрын

    Thanks saved me from failing

  • @Arte.mi.

    @Arte.mi.

    4 жыл бұрын

    Hope it will save me too

  • @calm.girlie

    @calm.girlie

    4 жыл бұрын

    @@Arte.mi. goodluck!

  • @rhonaldneitzel2410

    @rhonaldneitzel2410

    3 жыл бұрын

    @@Arte.mi. lol same

  • @themadhatter5273
    @themadhatter52732 жыл бұрын

    Y'all are my saviors. My prof wants me to buy each individual book we read. Y'all are saving me BANK!! I truly thank y'all!

  • @adamseffens9541
    @adamseffens95414 жыл бұрын

    I swear this guy never blinked once. Still well done

  • @borowka333

    @borowka333

    Жыл бұрын

    he did at 3:40

  • @carterkim591

    @carterkim591

    Жыл бұрын

    🤣🤣🤣

  • @korinnab.2318
    @korinnab.23183 жыл бұрын

    thanks man, I read the whole thing and didn't retain any of it

  • @hydraelectricblue

    @hydraelectricblue

    3 жыл бұрын

    I literally don’t know how you did that. If I’m not intensely interested in something I can’t even get through it. Which is why I’m reading this for fun and also why I’m here because I really want to understand it.

  • @aesdr

    @aesdr

    3 жыл бұрын

    @@hydraelectricblue I wish, If we don't study this we going fail this is the easiest one to read cuz the other readings are longer.

  • @abigailpoling2701
    @abigailpoling2701 Жыл бұрын

    Me, who was supposed to read this for class by 9:30, watching this at 6 am: 👁👄👁✍️

  • @reallybangtan
    @reallybangtan Жыл бұрын

    love how enthusiastic this speaker is. makes the information more interesting :)

  • @ahmedelhadary3447
    @ahmedelhadary34473 жыл бұрын

    Thank you so much I hope that you will discuss the other two parts of the trilogy.

  • @michaelsimon6470
    @michaelsimon64702 жыл бұрын

    thank you so much bro you are a life saver, love the energy too!!

  • @foodfrenzi
    @foodfrenzi Жыл бұрын

    Thank you!!!! I have a short essay due on this and this video was amazing!!! everything that I needed in order to gather my thoughts. THANK YOU!!!!

  • @stevenblann5805
    @stevenblann58052 жыл бұрын

    Very helpful. I somehow missed precisely why he had sacrificed Iphigenia, and even the history between Thyestes and Atreus went completely over my head

  • @hellsyt9037

    @hellsyt9037

    2 жыл бұрын

    Agamemnon offends the goddess Artemis on his way to the Trojan War by accidentally killing one of Artemis' sacred stags. This made Artemis very angry and He threw a storm at Agamemnon's fleet. Agamemnon's fleet ran out of supplies, lost its path. The only way out was the sacrifice of Agamemnon's eldest daughter Iphigenia. And for the history of Thyestes and Atreus, they were brothers. Thyestes was banished from Mycenae by Atreus for the betrayal and conspiracy Thyestes made with assistance of Atreus's wife Aerope. Thyestes even slept with Aerope. As for revenge, Atreus killed Thyestes children and tricked him into eating his own children's cooked flesh. Then Thyestes placed a curse on Atreus's palace.

  • @TheSdzfr
    @TheSdzfr3 жыл бұрын

    Out of all the characters I hate Agamemnon the most. Clytemnestra's daughter was sacrificed she had a good reason of killing this Cursed guy. Nothing would have gone wrong, Hector and Achilles would have been alive if he never bought Helen of Sparta for his brother Menaleus. As for Paris's bribe by Aphrodite is concerned for the Apple, I think Helen ran with him because she wasn't happy with Menaleus.

  • @johnhogan8327

    @johnhogan8327

    3 жыл бұрын

    Yeah he hella sucks, because of the curse and stuff

  • @tommyscott8511

    @tommyscott8511

    2 жыл бұрын

    Yeah, Agamemnon killed his daughter when he didn't really need to. Troy wasn't his war. I feel most sorry for Cassandra, a young girl abused by the gods, then abused by men, then finally killed by another woman for something she had no choice in.

  • @Maskedlapis64
    @Maskedlapis643 жыл бұрын

    I greatly enjoyed this. Thank you so much for speaking clearly and animatedly. Great quality

  • @phoebekoeries2029
    @phoebekoeries20292 ай бұрын

    Excellent analysis! Thank you Course Hero!

  • @PanatonicGaming
    @PanatonicGaming4 жыл бұрын

    very well done

  • @Emraedav
    @Emraedav4 жыл бұрын

    I owe you my entire grade : ' )

  • @user-uw8jw4mi6d
    @user-uw8jw4mi6d2 ай бұрын

    Great piece

  • @samirasouli897
    @samirasouli897 Жыл бұрын

    This is so helpful for me, could you please do The Persian of Aeschylus ?

  • @arejayheix
    @arejayheix3 жыл бұрын

    A few points of contention: 1. The description of red has more to do with Greek words for color than some symbology. 2. It’s hard to understand why exactly you consider Agamemnon or Clytaemnestra are watchdogs? Watchman is explicitly referenced that way by his own words but the other two do not fill that roll. I could give you Cassandra, but that was not asserted in this video.

  • @cherylharewood2549
    @cherylharewood25492 жыл бұрын

    Thank you very much.

  • @reddeadmj2756
    @reddeadmj27562 жыл бұрын

    Good guide.

  • @striverfor7628
    @striverfor76283 жыл бұрын

    3:24 Analysis

  • @erickf8347
    @erickf83472 жыл бұрын

    If your professor asks about the hamartia, know it's supposed to be when Agamemnon walks on the carpet

  • @MiniskirtMenace
    @MiniskirtMenace2 жыл бұрын

    mind if i yoink all this info for my entire English minor? thx bro I'll get you on the next one

  • @savagetata1284
    @savagetata1284 Жыл бұрын

    Thanks😊

  • @droy1714
    @droy17143 жыл бұрын

    Someone buy these people a beer.

  • @yeetslees5283
    @yeetslees5283Күн бұрын

    hes so locked in bro

  • @cahdey8554
    @cahdey85542 жыл бұрын

    5:54 symbols

  • @faithmagallanes3010
    @faithmagallanes30104 жыл бұрын

    who's the prophet? 0:44

  • @PabloEscobar-ns1bw

    @PabloEscobar-ns1bw

    4 жыл бұрын

    Calchas

  • @WEBTEAM1000

    @WEBTEAM1000

    4 жыл бұрын

    Seven months late, but he said Chalchas. Probably a non-recurring role.

  • @mareamattalla6826

    @mareamattalla6826

    3 жыл бұрын

    Faith Magallanes it is Cassandra

  • @lashantacurry5978
    @lashantacurry59783 жыл бұрын

    Episode three?

  • @hydraelectricblue
    @hydraelectricblue3 жыл бұрын

    I guess I’m the only one here not for a grade 😅 I just needed some info for personal reasons .

  • @yungfaas6688
    @yungfaas66884 жыл бұрын

    Agamemnon was king of Mycenae, not Argos.

  • @Fordo007

    @Fordo007

    3 жыл бұрын

    legends switch between Argos and Mycenae from time to time.

  • @ellyiiis

    @ellyiiis

    Жыл бұрын

    Homer put the palace in Mycenae and another lyric poet, Stesichorus put it in Sparta. Aeschylus put the palace in Argos cause back then, Athens made an alliance with Argos. Aeschylus grew up in the golden era of Athens and he wanted to show that he supports that alliance.

  • @helen.cabo.villanueva97
    @helen.cabo.villanueva974 жыл бұрын

    hello

  • @calvinlastname1690
    @calvinlastname16904 жыл бұрын

    Nice

  • @user-ov9qe8wk9s
    @user-ov9qe8wk9s8 ай бұрын

    13:28▪ ▪Yes ❗much more than a like ❗

  • @coppermilearts9656
    @coppermilearts96563 жыл бұрын

    ohhh thats why batman called it that!

  • @indhiranipichai9656
    @indhiranipichai96564 жыл бұрын

    Sir I want detail summary in tamil pls tomorrow kulla upload p annunga pls

  • @reshmah606

    @reshmah606

    4 жыл бұрын

    This is an American owned website's channel. You may expect videos only in English.