From Suffering, Knowledge? Aeschylus’ Agamemnon 2
Dec 17, 2015
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Agenda
• Tragedy in Performance• “Words, Endless Words”—Role of the Chorus
• Recap & Update• Tragic Patterns, Tragic Themes in Aeschylus’
Agamemnon
• Discussion• Cassandra Scene (pp. 143 ff.)
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Oresteia So Far:Ideological Conflicts, Social Resonance
man v. womancivic harmony v. civic chaos
persuasion v. violenceJUSTICE v. JUSTICE
Tragic consciousness as social critique?
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• Prologue (pp. Penguin 104 f.)• Watchman
• Parodos (105 ff.)• Entry march (recited). misgivings:
expedition• Lyric (sung, danced). portent of
eagles and hare
• 1st episode (112 ff.)• Leader, Clyt. Fire signals
• 1st stasimon (117 ff.)• Paris’ crime
• 2nd episode (121 ff.)• Herald, Leader, Clyt. Victory.
Menelaus lost?
• 2nd stasimon (129 ff.)• Helen’s blood wedding
• 3rd episode (132 ff.)• Chorus (reciting). Ag., Clyt. Red-
carpet welcome
• 3rd stasimon (141 ff.)• Foreboding
• 4th episode (143 ff.)• Clyt., Leader. Cassandra to enter
palace• Cass., Leader, whole Chorus. Cass.’s
visions (spoken, sung)
• Choral recitation (158)• Perils of power
• Choral scene (159)• Leader, whole Chorus, Ag. (offstage)
• Exodos (160 ff.)• Clyt., Leader. Ekkuklēma with
corpses• Clyt., Chorus (lyric dialogue).
Recriminations• Clyt., Aegisthus, Leader (dialogue).
Gloating in victory, more recriminations
Agamemnon: Analysis
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Theoretical Models/Frameworks
• Aristotelian• Pity, fear, catharsis• Hamartia• Recognition, reversal
• Aeschylean (+ “Heringtonian”)• Law of hubris and atē (“tragic formula”)• Aeschylean epiphany• Tragic cycle
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Aristotelian
• Pity, fear, catharsis• Hamartia• Recognition, reversal
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Tragic Formula
• koros• excess, extravagance
• hubris• arrogance, violation
• atē• delusion, ruin
• dikē• justice
• Carpet and aftermath• “Precious as silver,
inexhaustible, ever-new, it breeds the more we reap it—tides on tides of crimson dye our robes blood red” (Cly, p. 140)
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Tragic Epiphany
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verbalambiguity
human
visualclaritydivine
to
Clytaemnestra’s revenge:“Words, endless words I’ve said to serve the moment” (Cly,
p. 160)“Here I stand and here I struck and here my work is done”
(Cly, p. 161)
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Tragic Cycle
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“Each charge meets counter charge. None can judge between them. justice. the
plunderer plundered, the killer pays the price. … The one who acts must suffer - that
is law” (Cho, p. 167)
Cassandra Scene:Stack O’ Woe
Feast of Thyestes
Murder of Agamemnon & Cassandra
Trojan War
Murder of Clytemnestra
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Associative Poetics
• Fire signals• Carpet scene• Cassandra scene,
murder scene
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