Revenge in Agamemnon - 3

Greek Tragedies are often characterized by very dark plotlines involving themes like betrayal, murder, and deceit. Agamemnon, the first play in Aegisthus’s trilogy The Oresteia, is no different. In this play, revenge acts as the main force that drives the characters Clytemnestra and Aegisthus to murder Agamemnon and Cassandra. One can see such acts of revenge in theatrical productions throughout time. Two examples of plays that contain acts of vengeance similar to those in Agamemnon are Shakespeare’s tragedies Hamlet and Macbeth.

In Agamemnon, Clytemnestra’s husband, Agamemnon, sacrificed their daughter, Iphigeneia, to gain support from the gods in the Trojan War. Clytemnestra was greatly angered by this and plotted to kill her husband to avenge Iphigeneia’s death. This idea of seeking vengeance for the murder of a family member is evident in Shakespeare’s Hamlet and Macbeth. In Hamlet, King Hamlet’s ghost tells Prince Hamlet that he was murdered by his brother, the new King Claudius. The Prince becomes determined to plot against his uncle and avenge his father’s death.

Another example of a character that seeks revenge for the murder of a loved one is in Shakespeare’s play, Macbeth. In this piece, Macbeth learns from three witches that he should beware of the Scottish nobleman Macduff. In fear of losing his title as king, Macbeth orders for Macduff’s family to be killed. Upon hearing that his wife and children were executed, Macduff promises to defeat the person responsible as a reprisal for his loss.

Like many Greek Tragedies, the action in Aeschylus’ Agamemnon is driven by a mother that seeks revenge for the death of her daughter. However, by examining Shakespeare’s plays Hamlet and Macbeth one can see that this idea of seeking vengeance is not only evident in ancient theatre, but in Shakespearian theatre as well.