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Klytemnestra in the Agamemnon of Aeschylus

University of British Columbia

In the last eighty years a great deal has been written about the character and symbolic significance of Klytemnestra in Aeschylus' trilogy, the Oresteia. These studies have contributed much that is useful to the understanding of Klytemnestra's character and her role in the trilogy. However, by concentrating on her position in the Oresteia, some aspects of her role in the first play (the Agamemnon), of which she is the protagonist, have been neglected because they are not absolutely relevant to the themes of the whole trilogy. Equally, the significance of some aspects of her character and role in the Agamemnon have frequently been blown out of proportion in that play simply because they become important later in the trilogy. This thesis attempts, by careful consideration of the text of the Agamemnon alone, to arrive at a balanced view of Klytemnestra 's character and role in that play. Her personal characteristics, and her relationship with the themes developed and images used in the Agamemnon, are discussed in the order in which they are revealed in the text. Appendix A traces the development of the Oresteia myth in literature and art before Aeschylus, and discusses the changes he made in the story as he received it. Appendix B analyses the arguments surrounding Klytemnestra' s stage movements in the Agamemnon, and suggests a sequence of entrances and exits which satisfies most of the points raised.

Text

2010-07-13

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http://hdl.handle.net/2429/26376

Classics

University of British Columbia

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