Agamemnon Reconstructed

1. Agamemnon Reconstructed Agamemnon Reconstructed

2. Aeschylus • playwright, librettist, composer, choreographer, producer, and chief actor • born 525/4 BCE, member of Athenian nobility • fought Persians under Darius at Marathon, Salamis, and Platea • author of about 70 plays • first victory 484 • 13 wins (52 plays in 13 trilogies with satyr plays) Agamemnon Reconstructed

3. Aeschylus's Subjects • like Phrynichus used historical subjects, closely related to public issues • particularly etiological subjects which explain origins of social, political, religious customs • patriliny • foundation of a system of justice under law Agamemnon Reconstructed

4. Other Features • early user of prologue • added new features: female characters, 2nd actor, trilogy? • Made use of 3rd actor, added first by Sophocles • simple plots little intrigue little concealed identity thus few recognition scenes Agamemnon Reconstructed

5. Emphasizes theatrical effects • processions • magnificent costumes • men-at-arms • chariots, cars • trumpets • gods, demons, ghosts • graves, altars • later plays: machines, stage devices Agamemnon Reconstructed

6. Agamemnon • first play of Orestia, trilogy about Orestes • written, performed 458 BCE at Athens • only surviving Greek trilogy • tragedies of Libation Bearers, Eumenidies followed • day ended with Proteus, a satyr play Menelaus consults the old man of the sea • focus is (initial) consequences of Agamemnon's error Agamemnon Reconstructed

7. Agamemnon a typical tragedy • Plot of exceptional suffering and calamity • Characters ones-like-ourselves • Thought • nature of human nature • conditions of human life • consequences of wrongdoing or sin Agamemnon Reconstructed

8. Plot • serious threat to life or well-being of protagonist • carried out • usually death of tragic protagonist Agamemnon Reconstructed

9. Characters • one like ourselves, basically good, but prone to error • own error contributes to his disaster • internal conflict • often a fatal tendency to pride • or one-sidedness--blind on other sides • highly placed • fate bound up with that of polis • so consequences extend beyond protagonist and/or family Agamemnon Reconstructed

10. (Almost) Typical in form: • Prologue • Parados • Episodes divided by choral odes • No Exodos Agamemnon Reconstructed

11. Performance Circumstances • festival situation of City Dionysia • (others Lenea, Rural Dionysias) • state support • also support of wealthy patrons (choregoi) Agamemnon Reconstructed

12. State support • theatre • prizes • poets' honoraria • actors fees, costumes Agamemnon Reconstructed

13. Choregos • civic, religious duty and privilege • chorus fee, training, costumes • flute player • extras, as for the procession Agamemnon Reconstructed

14. Production Process • festival controlled by chief civil magistrate • choregoi chosen by lot in July • poet • cast actors (until 449) • trained chorus, including choreography and singing • conducted rehearsals • played lead Agamemnon Reconstructed

15. City Dionysia of 458 BCE • March or early April • procession of cult statue from temple to Academy • sacrifices, rituals • two days of dithyrambs, ending with processions and revels • five comedies • three days of tragedies with satyr plays Agamemnon Reconstructed

16. Audience • 15-17 thousand, mostly males, citizens in citizens’ meeting place, aware of civic responsibilty to evaluate conduct of others • of population 155,000 • privileged had honored seats, with backs, • others merely stone benches • admission free • participants in a religious rite • spectators at an entertainment • citizens at a civic festival, excitable, voluble, volatile, and knowledgeable Agamemnon Reconstructed

17. Agamemnon Reconstructed

18. Chorus • predates actors • citizens, acting citizens • same entrance as citizens • primary locus orchestra, formerly agora, a meeting place for citizens • shared light • shared in evaluation of officials and audience • so actor/chorus/audience are in essence same, with different and temporary practical tasks Agamemnon Reconstructed

19. Actors and Acting • amateurs, citizens, but increasingly dominant performance element • highly trained, especially vocally • emphasis enunciation, resonance, flexibility • doubling, even tripling • males played all roles • praised for naturalness, not to be confused with naturalism Agamemnon Reconstructed

20. Likely only 3 actors • Clytemnestra • Herald and Cassandra, perhaps Aegisthus • Agamemnon and Watchman, perhaps Aegisthus Agamemnon Reconstructed

21. Style likely formal, rather than realistic • masks • huge space • doubling • speech, recitative, and song • actors admired for vocal beauty, virtuosity; skillful handling of poetry; appropriate gestures skillful movement • situations far from domestic, present Agamemnon Reconstructed

22. Prologue: monologue prologue of watchman (protatic) • antecedent events, particularly since departure of Agamemnon • characterization of the king • hints of secrets, tales stones could tell, fear, decline of royal house • ends with beacon: end of war Agamemnon Reconstructed

23. Parados • Chorus of old men, elders, sages, visionaries • somber, dirge-like poetic rhythm • danced in same vein • sets mood, ethical, social, historical framework for events • wrongs and vengeance • horrors of war • anger of gods • transcience of human life Agamemnon Reconstructed

24. Very brief transition • Chorus addresses Clytemnestra • who doesn't answer Agamemnon Reconstructed

25. First Ode • antecedent events • introduces thought • "bitterness in the blood" • "secret anger" • transcience of greatness • "wisdom comes alone through suffering Agamemnon Reconstructed

26. Episode 1 • Clytemnestra announces fall of Troy • characterizing • fear of violations by conquering army • "Let there be no fresh wrong done!" Agamemnon Reconstructed

27. Ode 2 • prayer to Zeus, thanks for victory • awful conditions of war • sin of Paris, "mortals who trample down the delicacy of things inviolate" • sin of Helen, "daring beyond all daring” • extends thought Agamemnon Reconstructed

28. Thought on Multiple Levels • domestic level: Menelaus's grief • social level: "now in place of the young men / urns and ashes are carried home" • political level: "slow anger creeps below their grief" • ethical level: curse on daring, injustice, "the man fortunate beyond all right" Agamemnon Reconstructed

29. Episode 2 • actor speaks (sings?) to actor • messenger, a soldier • context of Agamemnon's earlier mistakes • fresh wrongs: "twice over the sons of Priam have atoned their sin" • terrible voyage home • end to unhappiness • Clytemnestra claims wifely virtue • "May he find a wife within his house as true as on the day he left her." Agamemnon Reconstructed

30. Ode 3 • Causes of evil and wrongdoing: pride, ruthlessness Agamemnon Reconstructed

31. Episode 3 • halfway into play, title character appears • train of returning soldiers, Cassandra • chorus welcomes, but recalls cost of war • Agamemnon straightforward, contrast Clytemnestra's appeal to pride • "treading down lovely things" • request to treat Cassandra well Agamemnon Reconstructed

32. Ode 4 • Chorus's fear • excess, limitation, nets and snares Agamemnon Reconstructed

33. Episode 4 • Cassandra's silence drives Clytemnestra to fury • Cassandra's vision of sin within the house • Her own sin, word broken with Apollo • Agamemnon's death cries Agamemnon Reconstructed

34. Ode 5 • Chorus hesitates to respond Agamemnon Reconstructed

35. Episode 5 • bodies disclosed • Clytemnestra threatens Chorus • Chorus recollects history of doomed house • Aegisthus justifies self, to control by power and money • Clytemnestra hopes that all will be well, house brought into order Agamemnon Reconstructed

36. The Citadel of Mycenae Agamemnon Reconstructed

37. No Exodos, but a brief forward link Agamemnon Reconstructed

38. Thought • Any highly placed person must err • Sin leads inevitably to retribution Agamemnon Reconstructed

39. None who undertakes a duty for the god can do so without error • antecedent: ancient blood wrongs within family • position, pride require return of straying Helen • sacrifice of Iphigenia • decade of inattention to marriage and family • failure to take Clytemnestra sufficiently into account • conquering Troy overmuch Agamemnon Reconstructed

40. Sin leads inevitably to retribution • Agamemnon's sins already committed, his character irrelevant • fear dominant emotion Agamemnon Reconstructed

41. Theatre Buildings • evidence • important theatres • general features • Theatre of Dionysus at Athens Agamemnon Reconstructed

42. Evidence • few records of theatre buildings • architectural remains • theatres frequently remodeled and reconstructed during and after the fifth century Agamemnon Reconstructed

43. Important Theatres • Theatre at Thorikos (oldest, 6th c.) • Theatre of Dionysus in Athens most frequent performance site (stone theatre late 5th-4th c.) • Theatre of Epidauros (late 4th c.) especially well-preserved Agamemnon Reconstructed

44. General Characteristics • sacred shrines • located all over the Greek world • including Greek colonies in Asia Minor • built in natural bowls Agamemnon Reconstructed

45. three elements • Orchestra (dancing place) circle? • skene or scene house • theatron (hearing place) Agamemnon Reconstructed

46. Theatre at Epidauros Agamemnon Reconstructed

47. Theatre of Dionysus in Athens • first performances of tragedy in 534 BCE • earliest, audience seated on hillside • flat dancing place supported by retaining wall, backfill • perhaps altar South side, opposite audience • small temple of Dionysus Eleuthereus Agamemnon Reconstructed

48. Conjectural reconstruction Agamemnon Reconstructed

49. Auditorium of mid-fifth century • wooden benches (early century) • separated from skene by paradoi • curves around orchestra • audience, chorus entered through paradoi Agamemnon Reconstructed

50. Stone auditorium (330 BCE) • Divided into 13 blocks by 12 stairways Agamemnon Reconstructed