Agamemnon's Return

A detailed Summary of Agamemnon's Return

In Greek poetry, the story of Agamemnon's return from the Trojan War is dramatized by Aeschylus in the Oresteia. Agamemnon has gone to war to fight for the return of Helen, who was taken by Paris, the Prince of Troy. All of the Greeks leave to wage war on Troy, and Clytemnestra, Agamemnon's wife, is left at home to await the return of her husband. In his triumphant return to the city, there is a speech given by Clytemnestra that allows a critical reader to decipher the queen's intentions toward her husband, as well as the future outcome of the play.

In the beginning of the play we learn that Agamemnon had sacrificed his own daughter in order to give the army of Greece sailing winds that would bring them to Troy. Ten years have passed and Clytemnestra, who was heart broken over it, has brooded and plotted over her husband's betrayal. Her seething hatred of her husband for killing her daughter has driven her to plan for his overthrow and his death.

The King has come home and Clytemnestra has given a long speech to welcome him back. Agamemnon acts as though he is suspicious about her speech saying, "your speech was like my absence, too long" (35). This is strange to me because he has not seen her in ten years and is immed

iately suspicious of her. Perhaps she is trying too hard and her husband sees through it and wonders why. He could remember her anger at the murder of his daughter and for that reason he is being cautious. Or perhaps Agamemnon is just being overly concerned with what the people will think. He later says that the "voice of the people carries enormous power" (36). If he were to accept her false accolades it might upset the people and the Gods, for she would like him to do something that is taboo: walking upon a tapestry. This too could account for his strange response to her homecoming speech.

Clytemnestra: Be persuaded, you have the power, surrender of your own

There are many clues that can be read to foreshadow that she is angry, and intent on revenge. What is particularly interesting is the conversation where Clytemnestra is trying to convince Agamemnon to walk on the beautiful tapestry. Agamemnon says "the thought of stepping/ on these beautiful embroideries fills me with dread" (35). She responds with "Then trust your judgment..." (35). While she may have intended to communicate a different meaning, the audience would not be amiss if they were to take her words to intimate a warning to Agamemnon to heed his feelings of dread.

For Clytemnestra's part in this, she is obviously lying to her husband blatantly. She talks about her love for him and says that she has laid out this great tapestry f

Some common words found in the essay are:
Troy Ten, Likewise Clytemnestra, Little Agamemnon, Clytemnestra Agamemnon's, Oresteia Agamemnon, , Troy Greeks, feels shame, Trojan War, surrender own, agamemnon walk, own free, contest clytemnestra, own daughter, speech clytemnestra, surrender own free, walk tapestry,

Approximate Word count = 956
Approximate Pages = 4 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: English