Robert Fagles Translation
AGAMEMNON - STUDY GUIDE
Order of Events
❖ Watchman opens the play
❖ The Signal fire is burnt
❖ The Chorus tell of Iphigenia’s death
❖ Clytaemnestra informs the leader of the signal fire from the east (he doubts her reliability as a
woman)
❖ The Chorus rejoice in the news, tell of Helen’s destructive beauty and explains that the citizens
are not in a good way after their warriors have been away for so long
❖ The Herald explains what the greek fleet had to go through and expresses his joy to be home
❖ Clytaemnestra acts like she is happy to have her husband back with her to the Herald/Chorus
❖ The Chorus welcome Agamemnon home and he makes a short speech
❖ Clytaemnestra also welcomes him and orders for her women to lay a crimson tapestry for him to
walk on
❖ He rebukes her knowing that it would incur the wrath of the gods but proceeds to walk on it
anyway with Clytaemnestra’s encouragement
❖ Agamemnon introduces Cassandra and asks his wife to treat her kindly
❖ Clytaemnestra invites Cassandra to join in the libations but she doesn’t reply so the queen
believes that she is mad
❖ Cassandra starts seeing the future and cursing Apollo for not saving her from her imminent fate.
❖ She prophesies the death of Agamemnon and herself at the hands of Clytaemnestra and also
that Orestes will return to avenge them. She then walks in the palace
❖ The Chorus hear screams and the doors open to Clytaemnestra standing over their corpses
❖ Clytaemnestra explains that justice has now been served despite The Chorus rebuking her
❖ Aegisthus joins and after an exchange of threats the Chorus submit to their authority but also
remind them that Orestes will make them pay. They ignore this and become the rulers of Argos.
Detailed Summary
Agamemnon by Aeschylus is the story about the death of Agamemnon at the hands of his wife
Clytaemnestra. The context of the story revolves around the Trojan War as Agamemnon and his brother
Menelaus had lead an army to attack Troy after Paris abducted Menelaus’ wife, Helen. This war lasts 10
years and during this time many wives of the Greek heroes (for example Penelope in The Odyssey) have
been waiting for their husbands to return home and certain cities have been left without a definitive
ruler. In Argos, Agamemnon’s wife Clytaemnestra has ruled the city in his absence however she holds a
deep hatred towards her husband because he sacrificed their daughter Iphigenia at Aulis so that the
Greek fleet could continue to Troy. Clytaemnestra has been unfaithful during Agamemnon’s years away
from her with Aegisthus and the two have made plans to murder Agamemnon when he comes back to
Argos.
The Story opens with the watchmen giving an overview of the current situation before a signal burns in
the east to signify that the Trojan War has ended and the survivors will soon return home. The Chorus,
who are not yet aware that the signal has burnt briefly talk about Helen in quite a derogatory way, give
Zeus high honour and recount the story of Iphigenia’s death at the hands of her father after Calchas
AGAMEMNON - STUDY GUIDE
Order of Events
❖ Watchman opens the play
❖ The Signal fire is burnt
❖ The Chorus tell of Iphigenia’s death
❖ Clytaemnestra informs the leader of the signal fire from the east (he doubts her reliability as a
woman)
❖ The Chorus rejoice in the news, tell of Helen’s destructive beauty and explains that the citizens
are not in a good way after their warriors have been away for so long
❖ The Herald explains what the greek fleet had to go through and expresses his joy to be home
❖ Clytaemnestra acts like she is happy to have her husband back with her to the Herald/Chorus
❖ The Chorus welcome Agamemnon home and he makes a short speech
❖ Clytaemnestra also welcomes him and orders for her women to lay a crimson tapestry for him to
walk on
❖ He rebukes her knowing that it would incur the wrath of the gods but proceeds to walk on it
anyway with Clytaemnestra’s encouragement
❖ Agamemnon introduces Cassandra and asks his wife to treat her kindly
❖ Clytaemnestra invites Cassandra to join in the libations but she doesn’t reply so the queen
believes that she is mad
❖ Cassandra starts seeing the future and cursing Apollo for not saving her from her imminent fate.
❖ She prophesies the death of Agamemnon and herself at the hands of Clytaemnestra and also
that Orestes will return to avenge them. She then walks in the palace
❖ The Chorus hear screams and the doors open to Clytaemnestra standing over their corpses
❖ Clytaemnestra explains that justice has now been served despite The Chorus rebuking her
❖ Aegisthus joins and after an exchange of threats the Chorus submit to their authority but also
remind them that Orestes will make them pay. They ignore this and become the rulers of Argos.
Detailed Summary
Agamemnon by Aeschylus is the story about the death of Agamemnon at the hands of his wife
Clytaemnestra. The context of the story revolves around the Trojan War as Agamemnon and his brother
Menelaus had lead an army to attack Troy after Paris abducted Menelaus’ wife, Helen. This war lasts 10
years and during this time many wives of the Greek heroes (for example Penelope in The Odyssey) have
been waiting for their husbands to return home and certain cities have been left without a definitive
ruler. In Argos, Agamemnon’s wife Clytaemnestra has ruled the city in his absence however she holds a
deep hatred towards her husband because he sacrificed their daughter Iphigenia at Aulis so that the
Greek fleet could continue to Troy. Clytaemnestra has been unfaithful during Agamemnon’s years away
from her with Aegisthus and the two have made plans to murder Agamemnon when he comes back to
Argos.
The Story opens with the watchmen giving an overview of the current situation before a signal burns in
the east to signify that the Trojan War has ended and the survivors will soon return home. The Chorus,
who are not yet aware that the signal has burnt briefly talk about Helen in quite a derogatory way, give
Zeus high honour and recount the story of Iphigenia’s death at the hands of her father after Calchas
