Aeschylus, the Oresteia
Throughout all three plays, pay attention to the language used to describe bloodshed, murder, and justice.
Pay attention to the concept of "pollution". The story of Agamemnon continues the epic cycle – it is one of the “nostoi”, or stories of return from the Trojan War. AgamemnonThe story of Agamemnon continues the epic cycle – it is one of the “nostoi”, or stories of return from the Trojan War.
Pay special attention to the use of the words “grudge” and “blood” – how many different forms do they appear in? Why the repetition of these two words? What is the effect? How is Clytemnestra depicted? What words do others use to address and describe her? Compare Clytemnestra to Helen, who is her sister. How does the chorus refer to the Trojan War? What does the chorus think about the war? What has happened while Agamemnon was at Troy? What potential problems does Clytemnestra face while Agamemnon is off at Troy? What has happened to Menelaus and the other heroes returning from Troy? On page 28, why doesn’t Agamemnon want to walk on the carpet that Clytemnestra has prepared for him? How does Aeschylus depict Agamemnon and Cassandra compared to Homer and Euripides? What role does Apollo play in the Agamemnon? What role do you think that he might play in the subsequent two plays in the Oresteia? How does the chorus react when Cassandra tells them what is going to happen? When they hear Agamemnon cry out? Why does Clytemnestra plot Agamemnon’s death? Aegisthus? Clytemnestra’s final words are “You and I, we’ll rule this house, and set it right.” Do you think that will happen? Why or why not? What is Aeschylus saying about violence? War? The cost of war? Compare Orestes and Astyanax. (Astyanax was the son of Hector; the triumphant Greeks killed him by throwing him off the ramparts so that he could not grow up to avenge his father.) What is justice? Who is responsible for ensuring that justice is done? Can a wrong right a previous wrong? On page 44, what does Aeschylus mean by the phrase “blights in the bloodstream”? What is the source of the pollution of the house of Atreus? How might Clytemnestra and Aegisthus’s actions further pollute the house of Atreus? The Libation BearersStarting in the Libation Bearers and continuing in the Eumenides, we see tension between different generations of gods. Think back to our reading of Hesiod's Theogony - many of the older gods are depicted in monstrous forms and living within the earth. They are the "gods below". In contrast, the Olympians (the currently ruling generation of gods) are the youngest generation of gods, and they are portrayed in anthropomorphic form (for the most part) and look and act very much like humans. Throughout these two plays, Aeschylus plays with the theme of justice through the opposition of this older type of justice - advocated by the furies and the gods below - and the newer type of justice - advocated by Apollo, who disregards these older gods and feels that his will supersedes theirs.
What has happened to Electra since the death of Agamemnon? Who does the chorus represent? What does Orestes want? Why doesn't Orestes immediately reveal himself to Electra? What is your first impression of Electra? How do you think she feels about the her mother and Aegisthus? In line 120, what is the difference between judging and extracting justice? In line 121, the chorus tells Electra to ask the gods to "kill those who killed" - what type of justice are they talking about? Who has told Orestes that he must avenge the death of his father, even though it means killing his mother? What was Orestes told would happen if he did not avenge his father's death? How are Clytemnestra and Aegisthus described as opposed to Agamemnon? In line 345, why does Orestes wish that his father had been killed at Troy? Which god is responsible for justice? In line 400, what type of justice is the chorus describing? "Murder screams for the furies..." Can you foresee any problems for Orestes and Electra in the future? In line 471, how can this house be healed? What dream did Clytemnestra have that urged her to send the mourners to Agamemnon's tomb? What do you think the dream is meant to symbolize? What is Orestes' plan? How does Aeschylus appear to feel about marriage and women, particularly wives? In line 651, what is the "stain of bloodshed"? Can it be cleansed (can the House of Atreus be cleansed of its pollution) by drawing more blood? How is the House of Atreus under the authority of Clytemnestra and Aegisthus depicted with reference to hospitality? Why does Orestes tell Clytemnestra that he is here to tell her that Orestes is dead? What is Clytemnestra's reaction to this news? In line 888, what does Clytemnestra mean when she says "we killed by deceit and by deceit we die."? Does Orestes feel any hesitation about killing his mother? Why or why not? In line 923, why does Orestes say "you kill yourself."? Who bears the brunt of the blame here - Clytemnestra or Aegisthus? In line 1017, why does Orestes say that he has won a "tainted victory"? What happens at the very end of the play? Do you think Apollo's promise that Orestes would go unpunished would hold true? Why does the play end like it does? What the heck happened to Electra? Eumenides |
Characters to KnowAgamemnon
Orestes Clytemnestra Electra Aegisthus Apollo Atreus Thyestes Iphigeneia Cassandra |