From Suffering, Knowledge?

Aeschylus’ Agamemnon 2

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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.)

6-oct-11

Tragedy in Performance

“Words, Endless Words”—Role of the Chorus

Recap & Update

Tragic Patterns, Tragic Themes in Aeschylus’ Agamemnon

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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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Discussion

Cassandra Scene (pp. 143 ff.)