CHARACTERS: Watchman, Klytaimestra, Messenger, Agamemnon, Kassandra, Aigisthos CHORUS: elders of Argos SETTING: the palace at Argos SYNOPSIS: A watchman on the roof of the palace at Argos sees the beacon announcing that Troy has fallen to the Greeks. The chorus in flashback narrate the fateful omen that attended the departure of the army, the dilemma…
Tag: Greek Drama
Aeschylus’ Oresteia: Analysis
Oresteia contains plays Agamemnon, Libation-Bearers, Eumenides; Proteus (satyr-play) DATE: 458 COMPETITION: won first prize ANALYSIS: The trilogy takes the form: action Æ reaction Æ resolution, and depends on a definition of dike (“Justice”), by which the “doer shall suffer, that is law.” We see in the first play Agamemnon come home from Troy to be…
Aeschylus’ Seven against Thebes: Summary & Analysis
DATE: 467, part of a Theban tetralogy: Laios, Oedipus, Seven, Sphinx [satyr-play] COMPETITION: won first prize CHARACTERS: Eteokles, Messenger, Antigone, Ismene, Herald CHORUS: women of Thebes SETTING: the palace at Thebes SUMMARY: The Argive army, led by Polyneikes, is at the gates of Thebes. Eteokles rallies the spirits of his terrified people and leads them…
Aeschylus’ Persians: Summary & Analysis
DATE: 472 COMPETITION: Aeschylus won with Phineus, Persians, Glaukos of Potniai, and Prometheus FireLighter (satyr-play) CHARACTERS: Queen Mother of Persia, Messenger, ghost of Dareios, Xerxes CHORUS: Persian elders SETTING: the tomb of Dareios before the Persian royal palace at Susa SUMMARY: The chorus enter and describe the glory of the great army that the Persian…