Hereditary guilt in Agamemnon

The sacrifice of his daughter, Iphigenia, is perhaps one of Agamemnon’s major crimes, which brought about the domestic tragedy of his fate. Because of this crime, he was killed at the hands of his wife.

It should be known to all that Agamemnon sacrificed his innocent daughter due to another woman’s promiscuity. He did not do this of his own will but was compelled to commit such a grievous act so that the Greek forces could avenge the reckless actions of Paris and Helen.

Agamemnon and his crew could not continue their journey due to a strong west wind sent by the goddess Artemis. This wind was a punishment for Agamemnon having offended Artemis by killing an animal sacred to her. The only way to appease Artemis and stop the wind was for Agamemnon to sacrifice his daughter to her.

To seek revenge for Paris’ crime and to help his brother retrieve his wife, Agamemnon felt he had no choice but to sacrifice his daughter. Although the wind was obstructing Agamemnon and his crew from continuing their journey, most sensible fathers would have forsaken Helen if it meant saving their own daughter. As punishment for his crime, Agamemnon was murdered at home upon his return from the war as a victor. 

In this example of hereditary guilt, Agamemnon’s actions make it easy for readers to develop hatred toward him and sympathy for Clytemnestra.

Another significant reason that prompted Clytemnestra to kill her husband was that Agamemnon brought back a concubine, Cassandra, from the war. Not only did Agamemnon have the audacity to get Cassandra into the palace, but he also expected her to be treated with appropriate care and attention. He instructed, “Escort this stranger in, be gentle.” By doing so, he only strengthened Clytemnestra’s resolve and removed any doubts she might have had before his return.

Examining Agamemnon’s family history reveals the curse that plagued his lineage for generations. Atreus, Agamemnon’s father, initiated the cycle of violence by killing the children of his brother, Thyestes. As a result, Agamemnon inherited this curse and found himself in an ongoing rivalry with his cousin, Aegisthus. Coincidentally, Aegisthus is Clytemnestra’s lover, and his desire to kill Agamemnon makes Clytemnestra’s decision easier. It is clear that Aegisthus influenced her thoughts regarding Agamemnon’s death.

The Chorus explains another crucial reason for Agamemnon’s murder: they believe that the victors of the Trojan War must suffer for their success. This notion proves true in the end, as Agamemnon loses his life upon returning home as a victor of the Trojan War.

How did the interference of gods and goddesses shape the lives of the characters in Agamemnon?

Agamemnon, written by ancient Greek playwright Aeschylus, is the first part of a trilogy, The Oresteia. The trilogy submitted at the Dionysia festival in 458 BC won him the first prize. In Agamemnon, the writer talks about the arrival of Agamemnon after the fall of Troy and his death at the hands of his wife Clytemnestra and her lover Aegisthus. This play actually shows how Agamemnon has become the victim of the curse of the House of Atreus.

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Before going to tell the role of gods and goddesses in the play, it is important to give a brief description about their power with which they establish their influence on living beings. The position of gods and goddesses is above all. They are known to their believers as the supernatural, immortal and of course the most powerful being. With their power, they play an influential role in the lives of ordinary human beings. People worship them with a belief that their demands or prayers will be taken care of by the deities. To get the favor of their gods, people show respect, obedience and also give honor and praise to them. Gods are glorified by their celebrants, but if they are not admired properly, they show the negative side of their character.

After reading the play Agamemnon, readers might think that human beings are the mere puppet of gods and goddesses. They did what they were intended to do. The frequent interference of gods shaped the lives of the characters in this play. Long before the start of the play, we can see that the Greek fleet cannot sail to Troy. So, to get the favorable wind and soothe the goddess Artemis, Agamemnon will have to sacrifice his daughter Iphigenia. This is the activity that has made his wife Clytemnestra take revenge at the end of the play. If Agamemnon did not sacrifice his daughter, he would have remained alive at the end of the play.

Another character whose fate was determined by the interference of god is Cassandra. Apollo, the god of prophecy, falls in love with her and gives her the power of foretelling, but when he is rejected by her, he gives her the curse that no one will believe her words. At the end of the play we can see this thing coming true. When she tells the chorus about the fate of Agamemnon, no one listens to her.

At the beginning of this essay, I have mentioned the curse of the House of Atreus. Why is this house cursed? The heinous activity of Tantalus, the great-grandfather of Agamemnon and Menelaus, has made the house and its members cursed. Atreus killed his own son Pelops and tried to feed him as a meal to the gods. When gods came to know about it, they took the son back to life. However, Tantalus was punished and cursed, which was carried forward by his predecessors.

It is like that Pelops’ marriage with Hippodamia was a part of this curse. Many people died for this lady. Myrtilus helped Pelops with a request that he would sleep with Hippodamia first after the race. After emerging victorious, Pelops killed Myrtilus. Pelops and Hippodamia gave birth to two sons- Atreus and Thyestes. Thyestes fell in love with Atreus’ wife. To take revenge, he killed Thyestes’ two sons and fed him. For this crime, Atreus’ children suffered.

I think most of us have heard this phrase- “What is lotted cannot be blotted”. It means, what is written in our fate will happen either today or tomorrow. We can try but cannot avoid it.