Aeschylus agamemnon summary

Aeschylus ' Agamemnon was originally performed at the City Dionysia of B. Aeschylus won 1st prize for his tetralogy the trilogy and a satyr play.

A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more. Lines Character Analysis. Important Quotes. Essay Topics. Discussion Questions. It was followed by the tragedies Libation Bearers and Eumenides , which also survived, and by a satyr play titled Proteus , which was lost.

Aeschylus agamemnon summary

The play opens with a watchman standing on the roof of the palace of Agamemnon at Argos. He explains that Clytaemestra has ordered him to keep a lookout each night for the light from a series of beacon fires that will signal the long-awaited fall of Troy. He has carried out this duty faithfully for several years already and is getting demoralized. Suddenly he observes a beacon burning in the distance and realizes that the war is over. The watchman is excited for a moment by the happy thought that his long vigil is ended and that his king will finally return home, but then a feeling of gloom comes over him. He refuses to state aloud the cause of his foreboding but remarks that the walls of the palace could tell the story if they were able to speak. The watchman determines to remain silent. He will be satisfied to welcome his beloved king home again. He goes out to tell the news to Clytaemestra. The watchman's speech sets the gloomy, tense mood that will be maintained throughout the play.

Episode I:

In the immediate aftermath of the fall of Troy, the play opens at King Agamemnon 's palace in Argos with the lonely Watchman 's soliloquy. From the roof of the palace, the Watchman begs the gods for respite from his interminable watch. The stars, his sole, plentiful and steadfast, companions seem to him like so many "dynasties" revolving in endless cycles, waxing and waning, moving out of winter into summer and back again. What he wishes, in short, is rest. He relates how he has been obliged by the queen to keep watch for a fire. Further he cannot sleep for restless fear. In his musings he hints of a great bygone woe, "the pity of this house," which he hopes will soon be redeemed.

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Aeschylus agamemnon summary

A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more. Lines Character Analysis. Important Quotes. Essay Topics. Discussion Questions. It was followed by the tragedies Libation Bearers and Eumenides , which also survived, and by a satyr play titled Proteus , which was lost. The play inspired numerous adaptations, performances, and translations, and it remains one of the most widely read and recognized ancient tragedies. Get access to this full Study Guide and much more! In a brief Prologue, a watchman explains that Clytemnestra stationed him on the roof of the palace to watch every night for the signal fires that will indicate the fall of Troy.

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Clytemnestra and Agamemnon exit. You'll also receive an email with the link. Popular pages: Agamemnon. Go ad-free AND get instant access to grade-boosting study tools! The Chorus will not hear of it and continues to wonder how they should mourn the dead king. Renew your subscription. Your subscription will continue automatically once the free trial period is over. Free trial is available to new customers only. The chorus sings another song, expressing its fear. The families suffer and begrudge their losses when their men follow Agamemnon to war to avenge Paris' theft.

Welcome to the LitCharts study guide on Aeschylus's Agamemnon. Created by the original team behind SparkNotes, LitCharts are the world's best literature guides. Ancient Greek Staging.

Something went wrong If you don't see it, please check your spam folder. Requesting a new guide requires a free LitCharts account. Prometheus Bound Aeschylus. He explains that Clytaemestra has ordered him to keep a lookout each night for the light from a series of beacon fires that will signal the long-awaited fall of Troy. Discussion Questions. But justice has come at great cost, and the lives of young men burn to dust in the flames - the people of Argos hate the war. Billing Address. They accuse him of womanly cowardice for not having killed Agamemnon himself. Log in. Log in Sign up Sparknotes. Go ad-free AND get instant access to grade-boosting study tools! They take over the government, and the Chorus declares that Clytemnestra's son Orestes will return from exile to avenge his father. Card Number. Daring is recorded as the undesirable offspring of aged Pride. Log in Sign up Sparknotes.