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Example research essay topic: Choral Ode Impending Doom - 1,142 words

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... his opening speech. 7). Agamemnon's Arrival: o Agamemnon's first act upon arriving safely back in Argos is to praise the gods which is the correct thing to do; he does not boast and happily attributes his success to the drawn lots of the gods "First, with justice I salute my Argos and my gods, " and "we must thank the gods with a sacrifice our sons will long remember, " are good examples of this. o He goes on to portray the men of Greece as a lion lapping on the blood of kings, but he is not overly boastful or arrogant at this stage.

o He greets the chorus (the old men) and gives them the respect they are due and thanks them for their pride in him "men with the character to praise a friend's success without a trace of envy." o Lastly in his opening words he pays respect to those who fell in Troy and for heroes such as Odysseus and offers up yet another prayer to the gods "I give the gods my right hand, my first salute. The ones who sent me forth have brought me home. " o Clytaemnestra then begins her greeting to Agamemnon, again full of double meanings and impressive dramatic Irony. in this speech she says "how I love the man" likely meaning Aegisthus instead of Agamemnon, she also says how she was lonely and miserable (from the loss of one of her children only) and how she almost killed herself when she heard that Agamemnon may have been wounded (because she wished to enact her revenge and lives only for this "when a woman sits at home and the man is gone, the loneliness is terrible." This whole speech is obviously an attempt to lull Agamemnon into a false sense of security and further establishes her portrayal as a manipulative woman. o She goes on to say "our child is gone... Orestes. You seem startled" seemingly bringing up the death of Iphiginia but then twisting her speech as a way of telling him that his son has been sent away she claims to protect him from civil unrest etc in Argos (more likely so that he cannot stop Clytaemnestra from murdering his father).

o She continues to butter him up and at one point call him "the father's one true heir" alluding to Thyestes feast, where Atreus (Agamemnon's father) fed his brother Thyestes his own children for his crime of adultery. Clytaemnestra is no doubt attributing Agamemnon with the more horrific characteristics of his father. o She goes on to suggest that the woman who attend her lay out a crimson carpet to pave the way for his entry to the palace. This is an attempt to get Agamemnon to commit the crime of hubris, paralleling ones self with the gods by walking on red tapestries reserved only for them.

Agamemnon is initially at unwilling to commit this act "Never cross my path with robes and draw the lightning" the red tapestries are comparable to the blood of Agamemnon. o Agamemnon is compared to light and the sun keeping up the repetitive theme. o Throughout this whole scene, (Agamemnon's only scene at that) he is cold and apathetic towards Clytaemnestra and presents Cassandra with little explanation to his wife. This sort of behaviour (although not particularly terrible) is not to be expected especially as Agamemnon has not seen his wife in over a decade and has never talked with her about the sacrifice of Iphiginia.

This makes Clytaemnestra somewhat more justified in her actions at this stage. o Clytaemnestra convinces Agamemnon to walk on the tapestries by suggesting that he is less of a man by not doing so and by saying that another king such as Priam would certainly walk the red carpet, further establishing her as a manipulative and clever woman. Agamemnon reveals Cassandra for the first time (her presence a public humiliation for Clytaemnestra) and eventually gives in; although he pauses to contemplate his crime "trampling royal crimson as I go" he still goes ahead with it after Clytemnestra's encouragement. He is defeated by a woman's wiles and loses respect built up in previous events. (It is worth noting that like Creon in the Medea, Agamemnon realises his mistake even as he commits it).

o Clytaemnestra compares Agamemnon to Zeus "And you are Zeus... " and he does not deny this further enforcing his crime of hubris. 8). 3 rd Choral Ode: to direct the audience, provide a time lapse and to praise the gods. o The third choral ode begins with the chorus expressing their fears that something terrible is about to happen but they do not know what. There is another reference to the furies and justice. The Chorus's sombre mood reflects the impending doom that will soon befall Agamemnon. o The chorus provide the revelation that you fall farthest the higher up you are, bad things can happen when you are at your peak. "Even exultant health, well we know, exceeds its limits, comes so near disease it can breach the wall between them. " The fact that death cannot be undone is also alluded to. o Agamemnon is compared to cargo on a sinking ship (the house of Atreus).

The ship can be saved if the cargo is thrown overboard. Another metaphor; after harvest things re-grow but you must cut down old growth (Agamemnon) first. o The chorus directs us to a sense of impending doom and the fact that once a man is dead he cannot come back. o Zeus is hailed as a powerful god. 9). Cassandra: o Clytaemnestra invites Cassandra to "share some victory libations with the house" which is a reference to her impending victory over Agamemnon; she is inviting Cassandra to share his fate. o She gives a further insight concerning wealth by saying that those who have newly attained riches are corrupted by it and can become cruel masters.

o Cassandra does not answer Clytaemnestra or the leader of the chorus when he encourages her to go with Clytaemnestra. Clytaemnestra becomes angry and makes a reference to "victims waiting for the fire and the knife" meaning Agamemnon and now Cassandra. The leader of the chorus is sympathetic to Cassandra but Clytaemnestra makes a reference to how horses (Cassandra) are hurt by their bridles if they do not submit to their masters and storms of into the palace. o Cassandra has a vision and cries to Apollo the god of prophecy. The old men of the Chorus are confused. Cassandra senses the presence of death and suffering in "the house that hates god" and makes a reference to Thyestes feast.

She then senses Clytaemnestra's plot to kill Agamemnon "a plot, a monstrous thing" The Chorus recognize the first omen (regarding Thyestes) but they cannot understand her new prediction...


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