"You can praise or blame me as you will;

it is all one to me.  That man is Agamemnon,

my husband; he is dead, the work of this right hand

that struck in strength of righteousness.  And that is that."

-- Clytemnestra in Aeschylus' Agamemnon

Some Questions To Consider

Should this play be called Clytemnestra rather than Agamemnon?  Is she not clearly the protagonist?  Why do you think Aeschylus chose the latter as his title?

Is Clytemnestra a hero?

What portrait does Aeschylus offer of Agamemnon?  Is Agamemnon ultimately responsible for his own downfall?

Assess gender as a theme in Agamemnon.

Analyze the famous scene in which Clytemnestra lays down a crimson tapestry into the palace upon the arrival of her returning warrior-husband.  Why does Clytemnestra link her appeals to persuade Agamemnon onto the red carpet to her concept of justice?  How would you compare the tapestry of Clytemnestra to the tapestry of Penelope or to that woven by Helen at Troy?  How would you compare and contrast Agamemnon's palace in his absence with the palace of Odysseus?

Assess the famous beacon-signals at the beginning of Aeschylus' play as a metaphor and symbol.

How does a legacy of violence that precedes the action of the play itself shape the context for Agamemnon?  What does Aeschylus' play have to say about the Trojan War and its impact on Greece?  What role does the curse of the House of Atreus play in the tragedy?  How does the palace represent the family its curse?

How would you compare and contrast the fate of the House of Atreus with that of the House of Priam?

To what extent should we describe Agamemnon as a tragedy?

Who is the Chorus and what is its role in Agamemnon?  Does it represent the playwright's voice?

How would you assess the role played by Cassandra in this tragedy?  In what ways is Cassandra similar to and different from Iphigenia?

How would you compare and contrast the sacrifice of Iphigenia with the "sacrifice" of Agamemnon?

What role do the gods play in this tragedy?

How is justice discussed and defined in Agamemnon?