Agamemnon:
The excerpt highlighted helps to emphasize the fact that the characters of this story act based on justifications from past experiences they have had. The main characters whose lives and actions are depicted in this story are Agamemnon, his wife Clytemnestra and the Chorus who are a collection of old men with knowledge of the kingdom’s history. A common creative device or theme that was favored by playwrights during this period was the inclusion of a tragedy or several in the story. The tale of Agamemnon is no exception and the main characters also double up as characters of their own undoing through the decisions which they make. This is termed to be an occurrence of Harmatia (Sherman, 177). Harmatia is manifested in a story when the character under the impression that he or she is on a noble path, ends up carving for themselves a self-destructive destiny. This is what befell Agamemnon and his wife. The narration by the Chorus also helps to highlight this through the focus on past events that may have triggered the respective passions held by different characters. Both Agamemnon and Clytemnestra believe that they are on a virtous path based on experiences they or people close to them had in the past.
The Chorus’ decision to mourn Agamemnon is indicative of not just his demise but the fact that this is something that was being planned for a long time before it happened. The premeditated nature of his murder is aptly captured by the allegory of a ‘black-widow’ spider in reference to his wife. The spider gets it name from the fact that it always kills the male and eats it following a mating sequence. This is to state that Clytemnestra had vengeance and murder on her mind for a long time, The Chorus also seem to be focused on the fact that this kingdom of Troy seems to endure endless cycles of death. It should be noted at this point that Agamemnon’s father literally cannibalized the siblings of her lover Aegisthius. Agamemnon makes a triumphant entry back home following the victory over the Trojan people. The Chorus also seem to be focused on Agamemnon’s false sense of modesty in his interactions with his subjects and how this could have led him to place himself in such a vulnerable position.
Clymnestra on the other hand acted on the belief that her killing of Agamemnon would eventually bring an end to the tyrannical legacy left by his father. She believes that her actions are not to be blamed on her but rather on his father who feasted upon his nephews. She justifies herself by stating that it is only human nature to take revenge and the act Agamemnon’s father committed only deserves an equally malicious action. She also believes that the killing of Agamemnon was more of a sacrifice than anything else; they sacrificed their daughter too to provide their armies with good tidings from the gods. This is a classic case of Hamartia and virtue. She feels that she did the best anybody in her position could have done. She is certain that she has saved the day. The oracles however foreshadow her murder by Agamemnon’s son and this then illustrates the self-destructive nature of this action.
Reference:
Sherman, Nancy. “Hamartia and virtue.” Essays on Aristotle’s poetics (1992): 177-196.