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AGAMEMNON PROLOGUE: Lines 1-39 AGAMEMNON PROLOGUE: Lines 1-39 GUARD: Watching from a WatchTower in Argos for the beacon of light announcing the fall of Troy! Laments of how long he has waited and watched with “elbow-bent, doglike,” without sleep. At prologues end, the beacon of light has brightened the sky. Guard has much joy, and hope that this will turn the house around. Imagery: Light/ Dark Lines 16-18: We know there is something amiss with how the house is being “administered.” The mix of anticipation and foreboding sets mood of the play. Something’s Coming. PARADOS: Prelude Lines 40- 103 What Character is the Chorus Playing? Lines 72-76 PRELUDE Continued WHAT’S GOING ON? - Trojan War has just ended after 10 years, but how did it began? MENELAUS- KING OF SPARTA AGAMEMNON- KING OF ARGOS/ BROTHER OF MENELAUS Vs. PARIS (ALEXANDER)- PRINCE OF TROY HELEN- Once Wife of Menelaus now Wife of Paris (Clytemnestra's Sister) “Promiscuous Girl, Stop Teasing Me” NESTRA: WAIT, SO MY HUSBAND LEFT TO FIGHT A WAR TO FORCE MY \ SISTER TO STAY MARRIED TO HIS BROTHER? CHORUS: YES, CLYTEMNESTRA. NESTRA: ALRIGHT, COOL. SO, I’M JUST GONNA TRY TO TAKE CARE OF THIS KINGDOM OF ARGOS THEN, I GUESS. CHORUS: BUT, WHY ARE YOU BURNING ALL THESE SACRIFICES FOR THE GODS AND ORDERING ALL THESE CELEBRATIONS? NESTRA: WELL… CHORUS: IMMA LET YOU FINISH BUT, I GOTTA TELL YOU ABOUT THIS OTHER MESS REAL QUICK.. PARADOS: Three-Part ODE Part One: STROPHE (East To West, or From Stage Right) ANTISTROPHE (West to East, or From Stage Left) EPODE (From Center, could be by one member of chorus or multiple) CALCHAS: I’m a Soothsayer and those two eagles eating that pregnant rabbit means VICTORY for the two brothers! ARTEMIS: Yes, but those eagles killed a pregnant rabbit. That Is NOT COOL, bro! So, yeh, I’m gonna need something in return if you want to keep this victory! Why Artemis/ The Fresh King of Argon PARADOS: Three-Part Ode Part Two: An Word On Zeus CHORUS: So Zeus, if that name still pleases you, you were once great when you freed your swallowed siblings and beat your dad, Chronos, and all. But you kind of make us suffer to teach us valuable lessons. Why do you do that, sir? Why? I mean, you could just tell us the lesson without the suffering? Right? PARADOS: Three-Part ODE Part Three: AGAMEMNON’S DILEMMA (Sacrifice His Daughter or Sacrifice His Victory) Aeschylus View on JUSTICE (Lines 250-255) CALCHAS: So Artemis is going to keep this wind coming and prevent victory in Troy if you do not sacrifice virgin blood. ARTEMIS: Yeh, what he said. Questions to Consider from the Prelude & the Parados (1-40) Where is the watchman as he speaks the prologue? What is he doing? What does the watchman's speech tell the audience about the situation in the palace? (40-103) Who are the chorus? How do they interact with Clytemnestra? (104-54) What associations might be evoked for the audience by the image of the eagles feeding on a pregnant hare? How does Calchas interpret the omen to the Greeks? Why should the goddess Artemis in particular be evoked in this context? (160-82) What is the chorus' attitude to Zeus? What events of Zeus' past does it allude to? What lesson is Zeus said to teach? How does notion reflect Aeschylus' view of the workings of justice? (183-253) Is any specific motive given by the chorus for Artemis' anger and demand for Iphigenia's sacrifice? Why do you think Aeschylus preferred to present the event as he did? How might the way in which Aeschyus chose to present the event here reveal his notion of the workings of "justice"? What is the attitude of the chorus toward Agamemnon's decision to sacrifice his child? EPEISODION 1 NESTRA: SO ARE Y’ALL DONE SINGING NOW? CHORUS: YES, CLYTEMNESTRA. NESTRA: ALRIGHT, COOL. SO, WE KICKED TROY’S BUTT! THAT’S WHY WE ARE CELEBRATING AND BURNING OFFERINGS TO THE GODS! CHORUS: BUT, ARE YOU SURE ABOUT THIS, HOW DO YOU KNOW? NESTRA: BECAUSE... NINE STAGES OF THE BEACON RELAY TROY TO ARGOS (258 MILES) TOTAL 1) Troy to Mount Ida (38 mi) 2) Mount Ida to Mount Lemnos (90 mi) 3) Lemnos -Mt. Athos (50 mi) 4) Mt Athos - Macistus (100 mi if in Eubaea) 5) Macistus-Mt Messapion (15 mi) 6) Messapion-Cithairon (26 mi) 7) Cithairon- Acrocorith (30 mi) 8) Acrocorinth- Korfos (16 mi)‘ 9) Korforth- Argos (20 miles) The Conundrum of Time Why Does Aeschylus Compress Time? Clytemnestra says, “The argives hold the town of Troy this very day.” The same evening the Watch Guard spotted the the beacon. Agamemnon arrives the next day. (Remember from Argos to Troy is 258 miles.) Do you believe this time delay is for dramatic effect? OR Do you believe this time delay is purposeful to marking something is off? The Glory and The Grief: A Discussion on War EXERCISE: Person A: Tragedy of War Person B: Glory of War Turn to your partner, using Clytemnestra’s Second Monologue in Epeisodion 1 as your source, take a stance for war or against war. Each of you will have 1 minute to either support your assigned argument. We will then create a five minute share out of your thoughts STASIMON 2 Strophe/Antistrophe A: (Group 1) Paradigms For Avoiding Wrong Doings “The Volt of Zeus Strophe/ Antistrophe B: (Group 2) Helen’s Effect on Menelaus Strophe/ Antistrophe C: (Group 3) Citizen’s Thoughts on Trojan War Epode: (Group 4) Back to The Now: Elder’s Concern Questions to Consider from Epeisodion 1 and Stasimon 2 (254-350) What are some ways in which Clytemnestra's two long speeches redefines the role of the woman’s voice? (355-475) How does the chorus here present its "anatomy" of wrongdoing that leads to punishment? How does it represent the attitude of the citizenry toward its leaders who took them to war? What are some ways the use of time compression can serve the tension in a play?.
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