Agamemnon, the first play of the ‘Oresteian Trilogy’ is considered the best
of all Greek dramas. Aeschylus was the first successful tragedian and his
‘Oresteia’ was the only surviving trilogy of the ancient world of which the
first play ‘Agamemnon’ is considered the greatest of all Greek dramas. The
primary theme of the ‘Oresteia’ is the continual destruction, inherited from
generation to generation but as an individual play the subject of ‘Agamemnon’
is the vengeance which Clytemnestra takes upon Agamemnon because, he sacrificed
their daughter, Iphigenia, at Aulis ten years
previously. Clytemnestra is often given the bloody attributes for this murder.
But if we take the matter neutrally, we shall find that she is not altogether
responsible for this murder. Clytemnestra’s taking vengeance can be justified
on several grounds, because the things that contributed most in killing
Agamemnon are the hereditary guilt, Agamemnon’s murder of ‘Iphigenia’, pride ,
conceited elements in his character etc. It is Agamemnon and his fate which are
mostly responsible for his tragedy in the play Agamemnon.
Let’s start our discussion with the analysis
of Clytemnestra’s personality. In Aeschylus' tragedy Agamemnon the character of Clytemnestra is portrayed as strong
willed woman. This characteristic is not necessarily typical of women of her
time. As a result, the reader must take a deeper look into the understanding of
Clytemnestra. In Agamemnon she dominates the action. Her most important
characteristic is like the watchman calls it, male strength of heart. She is a
strong woman, and her strength is evident on many occasions is the play. Clytemnestra
is Agamemnon's wife and has ruled Argos
in his absence. She plans his murder with ruthless determination, and feels no
guilt after his death; she is convinced of her own rectitude and of the justice
of killing the man who killed her daughter. She is, a sympathetic character in
many respects.
In the first place, Clytemnestra is not a
murderess but she is an executioner. She is the personification of an old curse
which haunts over the house of Atreus. Atreus , son of Pelops, had a brother
named Thyestes. Atreus and Thyestes quarreled about succession to the throne of
Argos.
Moreover, Thyestes seduced Atreus’s wife. So, Atreus wanted to make Thyestes
commit some unclear or sacrilegious act which would render him permanently
taboo in the eyes of the Argine citizens. He secretly murdered Thyestes’ two
young sons, and served their flesh to Thyestes at a banquet. Atreus himself got
away with the murder; but such debts are not forgotten. His eldest son Agamemnon inherited the throne of Argos, and with it the
curse that had settled on the family. So, sooner or later Agamemnon must die to
pay for the sin of his father. There is a ‘Fate’ above which determines the life
of everyman. And Clytemnestra during her debate with the chorus puts forward
this argument that she is not one to be blamed for the murder. In her words-
Dressed in my form, a
phantom
of vengeance, old and
bitter
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Has poured this blood in
payment.
Through these exulted words Clytemnestra
tries to convince the chorus that an old curse ‘dressed in her form’ has poured
this blood. And we, the audience see the ruin which the gods, in their
mysterious will, sent down upon the house of Atreus stands visible in
Clytemnestra.
But apart form this hereditary guilt,
Agamemnon’s own wrongdoing is also no less responsible for his downfall. When
Agamemnon found himself faced with a fearful dilemma, he made the wrong choice-
to sacrifice his daughter Iphigenia at Aulis.
‘Fate’ always confronts man with a choice, and if man chooses wrongly the sin
in his. Agamemnon chooses wrongly, so the sin in his. In his ‘Agamemnon’ Aeschylus gives us a
different kind of justice, which can be called the ‘Avenging justice’, the
successful and triumphant wrongdoing by the strong against the helpless finally
becomes intolerable to the gods. The shedder of much blood does not escape the
eyes of the gods and the wrath and power of the house of Atreus are no defense
against the indignant pity of the gods. So, to pay for the sin of slaying Iphigenia
Agamemnon must die- the slayer must be slain.
The weaknesses in Agamemnon’s character are
also to an outstanding degree responsible for his tragedy. Pride or conceit is
the striking characteristic in Agamemnon’s character, which according to the
ancient belief, invites the envy and wrath of heaven. Agamemnon’s pride is
spectacularly symbolized by his triumphant entrance in his chariot with
followers and fanfare, and in his subsequent walking on the red-carpet which
greatly evokes the disgust and hatred of men and the vengeance of the gods.
Besides these arguments, there are other
grounds on which the Clytemnestra’s murder can be considered with sympathy. We
can look at Clytemnestra from two different perspectives namely, as a mother
and as an individual woman. When we consider Clytemnestra as a mother, it
becomes our duty to defend her. She appears at her superhuman height when she
comes forth with the bodies of Agamemnon and Cassandra. She confesses her
former deception with no shame or compunction. And in the impassioned clash
with the chorus these plausible words come out of Clytemnestra-
The guile I used to
kill him
He used himself the first,
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When on my
virgin daughter
His savage sword
descended,
My tears in
rivers ran.
Clytemnestra’s defense is a mother’s
defense. Her defense is convincing, as such a cold-blooded murder can be
compensated only by another cold-blooded murder. Agamemnon slew her daughter
and at the same time violated the motherly feelings. So, we can rightly say
that the penalty matches the deed.
We can also consider Clytemnestra from
another perspective namely as a Grecian woman. We see the whole magnificent
file of the heroines in Greek tragedies such as Clytemnestra, Artigone,
Polysena, Jocasta, Phaedra and even Medea. They were free women, free in
thought and spirit. But the difference between Clytemnestra and other women of
that age lies in the fact that she had more individuality and personality than
any of the women. But Agamemnon, the muddle-headed king gave little heed to
this facet of Clytemnestra. Agamemnon cheated Clytemnestra when he had taken
Iphigenia from her bosom by giving her a false promise. So when her
individuality is at stake, Clytemnestra takes up the weapon for Agamemnon. She
appears as a monster for violating her womanness and motherly feelings.
However, it can be argued that
Clytemnestra’s illicit relation with Aegisthus induced her to kill Agamemnon.
But in growing the relationship up Agamemnon’s contributions are no less
responsible. Aegisthus honoured Clytemnestra and her personality. On the other
hand, Agamemnon wronged her. Agamemnon’s indifference to Clytemnestra’s
personality was responsible for her perverted behavior. It is hard to say
whether she would kill Agamemnon, if she had proper assessment of her
personality from him.
Concluding our discussion we can say that
we have no strong ground to blame Clytemnestra as a cruel murderess. She lays
before us certain premises which contain the truth. She speaks of the revenge
for Iphigenia’s death and all feel convinced. She draws a grim picture of the
Furies of Erinnys, hovering over the house of Atreus. We feel once again that
Agamemnon must die sooner and later because of the hereditary guilt. And
finally, we are told of two of the concubines of Agamemnon, namely Chyseis and
Cassandra, we again lend our moral support to Clytemnestra.
