True Tragic Figure

2 Pages 539 Words

Agamemnon is the first part of the trilogy Oresteia. It was written by Aeschylus who is often called “Father of Tragedy” in literature. Aeschylus is one of the greatest Greek writers in history. He presented audiences with the “second actor” for more complex stories. He is also known for his tragic characters and Agamemnon is no exception. He possesses all the characteristics and ultimately the fate of the majority of tragic characters, death.
Agamemnon is the King of Argos who is coming back from a ten year battle with Troy. This in itself is a trait of a tragic person. The character must be a dignified person in society. In this case, it is a King who is tragic. In the battle against Troy, he was the leader of the Greek army that went because Helen, wife of Agamemnon’s younger brother Menelaus, was taken there. He is an arrogant person that only sees what is best for him and does not care for others. When Agamemnon gets back to the castle and meets his wife Clytaemnestra for the first time in ten years, she praises and welcomes him back. Although Agamemnon says he does not deserve this, he allows her to complete this long introduction to his post Troy life. That is a flaw, but it is not the one to doom him.
During the journey to Troy, in order for the Greeks to have favorable wind push their ships onward, Agamemnon sacrificed his daughter Iphigenia to the god Artemis. Who would kill their daughter for own selfish victories? By his decision, it is clearly visible that he is proud and wants nothing more than victory. This tragic hubris ultimately results in his murder by the hands of his wife, Clytaemnestra. The devious spouse had been plotting his death because of the sacrifice he made of Iphigenia. When he returns, she says, “Zeus, Zeus/now fulfill our prayers…” (646). The Greek god fulfills her prayer and Agamemnon’s life is taken.
It is possible that Hera’s husband allowed the murder of the great leader ...