Margaret Yoon

The Agamemnon is an interesting read because I become more familiar with a character that was already mentioned in my previous reading of The Iliad. The play presents an interesting theme of gender roles from the beginning, for Clytemnestra professes, “These are a woman’s words” (line 348 Aeschylus), whereas the chorus immediately responds with, “Lady, your words are like a man’s, both wise and kind” (line 351). Because she rules Argos in her husband Agamemnon’s absence, she takes on “manly” characteristics, evident in her strength and forthrightness. She reminds me of Medea in Euripides’ play, because both are rather frightening in their clever words. They both persuade those around them, which makes their words their weapons.

One thing I had a little difficulty with was following which side Zeus is on, for in The Iliad, he listens to Achilles’ mother, Thetis’ plea to make the Achaean army suffer, but it seems that he is fully on Greece’s side in the Agamemnon. Perhaps there is a discrepancy because I have not read the entire Homeric epic.