Clytemnestra kills Agamemnon as revenge for his sacrifice of their daughter Iphigenia In Greek mythology, Iphigenia was a daughter of King Agamemnon and Queen Clytemnestra, and thus a princess of Mycenae. In the story, Agamemnon offends the goddess Artemis on his way to the Trojan War. She retaliates by preventing the Greek troops from reaching Troy unless Aga…Iphigenia
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Why do Aegisthus and Clytemnestra kill Agamemnon?
But, why do Aegisthus and Clytemnestra kill Agamemnon? Clytemnestra kills Agamemnon as revenge for his sacrifice of their daughter Iphigenia to Artemis 10 years earlier. Aegisthus helps Clytemnestra in order to rule the kingdom of Mycenae alongside with Clytemnestra.
How does Agamemnon die in the Odyssey?
But, it wasn’t until he returned to his native land that he was killed at the hands of his own wife, Clytemnestra and her lover Aegisthus. But, why do Aegisthus and Clytemnestra kill Agamemnon?
What is the story of Clytemnestra?
See Article History. Clytemnestra, in Greek legend, a daughter of Leda and Tyndareus and wife of Agamemnon, commander of the Greek forces in the Trojan War. She took Aegisthus as her lover while Agamemnon was away at war.
Why did Agamemnon's wife kill Cassandra?
The queen of Argos, and its ruler in her husband Agamemnon ’s absence. She murders Agamemnon to avenge the death of their daughter, Iphigenia, whom Agamemnon sacrificed during the Trojan War to ensure his fleet’s passage into Troy. She also murders Cassandra, Agamemnon’s concubine.
What is Clytemnestra's motive for killing Agamemnon?
In Aeschylus's play Agamemnon, part of his Oresteia trilogy, Clytemnestra is driven to murder Agamemnon partly to avenge the death of her daughter Iphigeneia, whom Agamemnon had sacrificed for the sake of success in the war, partly because of her adulterous love for Aegisthus and partly as an agent for the curse on ...
What is Clytemnestra's main motive for revenge?
Of course, the most prominent reason for the murder is Clytemnestra's desire for vengeance for her daughter: "Klytemnestra's motivation and intentions are announced and defended before she even glimpses Kassandra” (Komar 32).
What are Aegisthus motivations for wanting Agamemnon dead?
Aegisthus has different reasons for murdering Agamemnon. He also wants to reclaim the city for himself, since Atreus banished Thyestes from the city, fearing that he would try to take back the throne. Aegisthus admits that he helped plot this murder against the King.
What was Clytemnestra's anger against Agamemnon?
Clytemnestra starts an affair While he was away, Clytemnestra started an affair with Aegisthus, with whom she plotted against her husband. Clytemnestra was angry with her husband, both because of her daughter's sacrifice, as well as because Agamemnon had killed her first husband and taken her by force.
Why does Aegisthus seek revenge Agamemnon?
Aegisthus replies that because of his exile, he could not get close enough to Agamemnon to kill him. He claims that his henchmen and the treasury will enable him to control the city.
How is Clytemnestra's rule during Agamemnon's absence characterized?
Clytemnestra. The play's protagonist, Clytemnestra is Agamemnon's wife and has ruled Argos in his absence. She plans his murder with ruthless determination, and feels no guilt after his death; she is convinced of her own rectitude and of the justice of killing the man who killed her daughter.
Why was Agamemnon killed in the Odyssey?
During the war, but before the events of the Iliad, Odysseus contrived a plan to get revenge on Palamedes for threatening his sons life. By forging a letter from Priam, king of the Trojans, and caching some gold in Palamedes tent, Odysseus had Palamedes accused of treason, and Agamemnon ordered him stoned to death.
Who was Aegisthus in Agamemnon?
Aegisthus is the son of Fiesta and his daughter Pelopia. Aegisthus killed Atreus and, together with his father Fiesta, took possession of the Mycenaean kingdom. When Agamemnon was under Troy, Aegisthus tempted his wife, Clytemnestra. When Agamemnon returned back, Aegisthus and Clytemnestra killed him.
What is the story of Aegisthus Agamemnon Clytemnestra and Orestes why is it repeated so many times in the Odyssey?
Agamemnon was murdered by his wife, Clytemnestra, and her lover, Aegisthus, upon his return from the war. He was later avenged by his son Orestes. Their story is constantly repeated in The Odyssey to offer an inverted image of the fortunes of Odysseus and Telemachus.
Is Clytemnestra's revenge just or unjust?
Clytemnestra's murder of Agamemnon is entirely unjustified. Holding a grudge for the past ten years of Agamemnon's absence, Clytemnestra does whatever it takes to get revenge on her husband.
Who does the Chorus blame for the death of Agamemnon?
Gender 14: When the Chorus discovers that Aegisthus helped Clytaemnestra to plan the murder plot, it blames Aegisthus for Agamemnon's death, ignoring Clytaemnestra.
Do you believe Clytemnestra was justified in her killing of Agamemnon?
The actions of Agamemnon and Clytemnestra are not justified because they are caused by their blinding hubris and desire for power. Agamemnon makes the choice to kill his daughter just so he could lead his troops to Troy.
Why does Aegisthus kill Agamemnon?
But, why do Aegisthus and Clytemnestra kill Agamemnon? Clytemnestra kills Agamemnon as revenge for his sacrifice of their daughter Iphigenia to Artemis 10 years earlier. Aegisthus helps Clytemnestra in order to rule the kingdom of Mycenae alongside with Clytemnestra. Agamemnon had sacrificed Iphigenia to appease the anger of the goddess Artemis.
Who killed Clytemnestra and Aegisthus?
Orestes had committed matricide and so they attacked and tormented him. Even the god Apollo whose advise Orestes had taken in killing Clytemnestra and Aegisthus could not help him. He suffered greatly for the deed and eventually succumbed to madness. He was hauled in front of the gods to stand trial for the crime.
What happened when Agamemnon returned in triumph?
When Agamemnon returned in triumph, the people celebrated the return of their victorious king. But, Aegisthus and Clytemnestra had other plans. Clytemnestra had a deep burning hatred for her husband and the unforgivable sacrifice of their daughter Iphigenia. She could not forgive him and she wanted revenge.
What is the death of Iphigenia?
The death of Iphigenia is one part of a much greater saga centring around the Curse of Atreus. To understand why Aegisthus and Clytemnestra kill Agamemnon, I think it is worth while diving into some of the background of the family.
Why did Agamemnon sacrifice Iphigenia?
Agamemnon had sacrificed Iphigenia to appease the anger of the goddess Artemis. She was angered because Agamemnon had hunted and killed one of her sacred stags before he planned to set sail to Troy. To show her displeasure, Artemis sent a strong wind from the north which prevented the fleet of ships from sailing.
Why did Aegisthus want revenge?
She could not forgive him and she wanted revenge. Aegisthus on the other hand, wanted to maintain his position of power as the lover of Clytemnestra. When Agamemnon entered the palace the two of them cornered the king and stabbed him to death.
What did Agamemnon say about Artemis?
The Greeks waited and waited but the winds would not change direction. Agamemnon sought the advice of an oracle and they said that the goddess Artemis was angered . The oracle said he must sacrifice the most beautiful of his daughters, Iphigenia.
Why does Clytaemnestra murder Agamemnon?
Clytaemnestra hopes vengeance will visit Agamemnon in the beyond just like it has in waking life. Another reason for the murder of Agamemnon is Clytaemnestra's love for Aegisthus. Although Aegisthus is a weak character in the play, his presence is often felt. For instance, when Agamemnon returns from Troy, Clytaemnestra mentions in her speech how ...
What does Clytaemnestra say about Agamemnon's death?
Much later, right after the murder of Agamemnon, Clytaemnestra, as she stands over her dead husband's corpse, declares that his death is “a masterpiece of Justice”. It is evident that Clytaemnestra is proud of her accomplishment, her fulfillment of the ancient blood law. She declares in triumph: “My heart is steel ….
Why did Aegisthus want to seize the throne?
Perhaps the most obvious reason for Agamemnon’s murder is that it has been preordained by the curse on the House of Atreus.
What does Aegisthus see in Agamemnon's murder?
Aegisthus sees the curse as having a leveling effect, meaning it must come to avenge previous crime. Aegisthus views Agamemnon’s murder as a fulfillment of this need for a leveling saying that: “Now at last I see this man brought down. in the Furies’ tangling robes.
Why was Agamemnon murdered?
These three reasons happen to be Agamemnon’s sacrifice of their daughter Iphigeneia, Clytaemnestra’s love for Aegisthus, and the curse upon the House of Atreus.
What were the motives for Clytaemnestra's murder?
Without a doubt, one of the major motivations behind Clytaemnestra's murder of Agamemnon is Agamemnon's sacrifice of their daughter Iphigenia.
Why does Aeschylus ask us to remember the sacrifice?
Through a retelling of this episode, Aeschylus is not only asking us to remember the cruelty and horror of the sacrifice itself, but he is also reminding us of the reason for the sacrifice. It is due to Artemis' anger at Agamemnon, he having killed one of her sacred, precious deer.
Who is Clytemnestra in the book?
Clytemnestra Character Analysis. Clytemnestra. The queen of Argos, and its ruler in her husband Agamemnon ’s absence. She murders Agamemnon to avenge the death of their daughter, Iphigenia, whom Agamemnon sacrificed during the Trojan War to ensure his fleet’s passage into Troy. She also murders Cassandra, Agamemnon’s concubine.
What is Clytemnestra's femininity?
Clytemnestra is decisive, resolute, and aggressive, and her femininity is often called into question. However, she is able mask her anger in public moments in order to carry out her revenge plot. The nobility of her revenge is complicated by her affair with Aegisthus.