Agamemnon and The Princess Bride
After reading Agamemnon in its entirety, I became plagued as to how to relate it or correlate it with anything. In its time this play was probably an intriguing notion with originality on its side. I soon came to realize, however, that this story is most definitely recapitulated continually in different light with slight modifications over the course of history. I've read Kyle's comparison to The Lion King, and like his, I chose to compare it to a movie.
The Princess Bride contains a character that is full of ambition and fury for vengeance, Inigo Montoya. Although the murderer that he seeks is not a strong, independent woman, the story line is mostly the same. In the stead of Clymnestra, a six-fingered coward is the one who committed the murder.
The actual search for his father's killer is what takes place during this movie, which is more closely related to The Libation Bearers. However, the expository play Agamemnon is crucial in the development of sympathy for both Clymnestra and her vengeful son. The Princess Bride does not have this element of setting up, we only see Inigo Montoya and learn of his past through his dialogue.
In short, the characters of Agamemnon are strikingly similar to that of The Princess Bride. Buttercup correlates similarly to Cassondra, the beautiful bride that has been taken away as a concubine (maybe not an exact carbon copy of Cassondra, but its close). Westley embodies Agamemnon, and Inigo Montoya does the same for Agamemnon's son.
Once again, the storyline of at least one the characters in The Princess Bride is similar to that of Agamemnon, but as one can also see, it is very different as well. This work is so great that Aeschylus' story will continue to be retold through different persepectives and modified plot structure.
posted by Paul @ 11:05 AM
3 Comments:
I like the idea of comparing it to a movie obviously, and you chose a very good movie to compare it to. I have seen The Princess Bride and I feel that these characters of these two stories are very similar in many ways just like you said. I would like to actually see the play of Agamemnon in person (in movie form or in an actual performance) and see how it compares in my imagination and how it is actually presented. I think that would help make even more connections between it and The Princess Bride or many other movies for that matter.
I'm very impressed with this meditation. I never would have used that movie to relate with Agamemnon. I think that was a very unique way, and a very smart way to get others to connect the stories together. And now, the next time I watch the Princess Bride, I'm going to have Agamemnon characters running through my mind! Wonderful meditation!
First of all mad props for being able to bring the Princess Bride into a meditation, which I regard as the best romantic comedy of all time. I think your comparisons to each character making sure to cite how they are similar is a very effective method of bringing your point home, when it comes to comparing movies to plays you just can't get much better than this. Them not falling exactly into play is to be expected because they are not the same exact work. well done.
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