...Which Play is More Tragic: Hamlet or Agamemnon In my opinion, the play Hamlet is more tragic than Agamemnon. They are both tragedies as they both fulfill Aristotle’s definition of tragedy as they both depict the downfall of a basically good person through some fatal error or misjudgment, which produces suffering and insight on the part of the protagonist and arousing pity and fear on the part of the audience. They also have all the elements of Greek tragedy such as hubris, catharsis, peripeteia, anagnorisis, and hamartia (“Ancient Greek Tragedy”). The most important reason that Hamlet is more tragic, in my opinion, is because the protagonist, Hamlet, is an integral part of the play and his character is much more developed. In Agamemnon , the protagonist, Agamemnon, is a secondary character to his wife who, in my opinion is the main character. Hamlet is a tragic hero, as is Agamemnon, following Aristotle’s criteria for the elements of a tragic hero. For example, they both evoke the audience’s pity and fear, have a major flaw of character and are destined to fall in some way (“Tragedy in Drama”). However, because Hamlet is the main character, we see, hear and understand more of his character. When Hamlet delivers his many dramatic soliloquies about mortality, betrayal, and the futility of life, he shows us his tortured world and the anguish, grief, and uncertainty which eventually takes over his life, leading to his death (“Hamlet Tone”). As the reader, I felt so much sympathy...
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...Truth behind the Mask of Agamemnon There are various debates when it comes to the authenticity of certain artworks. When determining the legitimacy of certain artworks, certain things that need to be taken into consideration, which is the case with The Mask of Agamemnon. The Mask of Agamemnon was a discovery by architect Heinrich Schliemann in Mycenae dated 1876. There have been various discussions in whether or not the mask is a fake. There has been sufficient evidence that supports this. Author Spencer Harrington, William Calder and David Traill examined how the mask of Agamemnon may be a fake, by including an overview of the Mask, questioning the faulty character of Schliemann, and the authenticity of the mask itself. Spencer Harrington author of “Behind the Mask of Agamemnon discussed the. Harrington stated that Schliemann was “supervised by Panagiotis Stamatakis, a conscientious Greek archaeologist who often accused Schliemann of destroying classical antiquities in his quest for Homeric remains.” Which raises questions of whether or not Schliemann’s work was for the preservation of Greek art or for the benefiting the “businessman-turned-archaeologist” (Harrington). The mask of Agem When it comes to the excavation of artwork individuals often judge the artwork to be real or fake based on the artwork itself, not taking into account the architects(s) whom excavated the art piece. Professor and author Calder did so by questioning the faulty character of Schliemann and then...
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...There are many comparisons between King Agamemnon, Achilles, and Prince Hector. All three of these men set out for a common goal of gaining respect of others, glory, honor, and they all show some type of leadership to acquire these personal goals. Each is willing to fight for what they desire, but go about gaining their desires in different ways. During the battle of Troy, the different character flaws set one another apart. Agamemnon, King of Mycenae and commander-in-chief of the Achaean army, shows much more of a resemblance to Achilles than he does of Hector. Even though Agamemnon is not as strong as Achilles, he shows the same hot temper and prideful streak as Achilles. Due to the demand of Agamemnon for Achilles to give up his war prize, Briseis, Achilles decided to sit out the war to repay the anger Agamemnon makes Achilles feel. Both these decisions result in many Greek losses that is owed to each mans stubbornness. Agamemnon’s pride makes him more arrogant than Achilles. Agamemnon makes others feel the effects of his pride at every opportunity possible, whereas Achilles’ prideful nature flourishes when something is done to anger or frustrate him. So normally when Achilles is in the presence of the King, things result that hurt the armies moral and make it difficult for the Greeks, who were more numerous than the Trojans, to defeat the opposing Trojan army and obtain the city of Troy. Due to these personalities, Achilles and Agamemnon also differ in their ability to appreciate...
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...endows women with sufficient virtue to maintain sōphrosunē (Self-control, chastity), to fulfill their function in the household and to obey their men.” Authors such as Sophocles, Euripides and Aeschylus used their plays to portray characters that go against how women were supposed to act during this time. Characters such as Clytemnestra, Antigone, along with Hecuba and Helen, all are...
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...In comparing the play of Hamlet to the play of Agamemnon, I believe the story of hamlet to be superiorly tragic. They are both tragedies as they both fulfill Aristotle’s definition of tragedy. Each play depict the downfall of decent if flawed person, through some fatal error or misjudgment, leading to the protagonist death, and arousing pity on the part of the audience. The tragic nature of Hamlet is superior to Agamemnon in three key ways, hamlets status as the primary character compared to Agamemnon’s as mere secondary character. Hamlets siliques reveal his emotions while little is revealed of Agamemnon’s thoughts. Finally The most important reason that Hamlet is more tragic, in my opinion, is because the protagonist, Hamlet, is an integral part of the play and his character is much more developed. In Agamemnon, the protagonist, Agamemnon, is a secondary character to his wife who, in my opinion is the main character. Hamlet is a tragic hero, as is Agamemnon, following Aristotle’s criteria for the elements of a tragic hero. For example, they both evoke the audience’s pity and fear, have a major flaw of character and are destined to fall in some way (“Tragedy in Drama”). However, because Hamlet is the main character, we see, hear and understand more of his character. When Hamlet delivers his many dramatic soliloquies about mortality, betrayal, and the futility of life, he shows us his tortured world and the anguish, grief, and uncertainty which eventually takes over his life...
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...Throughout all of history people have been writing about the temptations of mankind and their rise to glory and honour, which can ultimately lead to their demise. Through the three plays Agamemnon by Aeschylus, Oedipus the King by Sophocles and Hippolytus by Euripides, there are three prevalent themes. These are the role of the gods, the difference between good and evil and human responsibilities. All three of these tragedies reveal the importance of the role the gods play to mankind. The gods have control over mankind and sometimes use them as pawns to achieve their ambitions; the gods also ensure that each individual’s fate is secured. The tragedies also reveal to the audience the difference between good and evil; quite often the individual’s good intentions are misconstrued and in turn cause them to do evil. Another common theme in the tragedies is the responsibility of humanity; although often tempted or controlled by the gods individuals need to learn to control their emotions and take responsibility for their own actions. The role the gods play is an essential part of the Greek tragedies and without them the stories would be drastically different. The role of the gods is to watch over the people and ensure that they fulfill their destiny. In the ancient times, they believed that each person’s life was determined by destiny or fate, which they could not escape; no matter what a person does to avoid their fate, the gods made sure that their destiny was fulfilled. An individual’s...
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...Agamemnon- Personal Response Agamemnon is a play that takes place in the city of Argos while tying in places such as Troy. The three main characters of the play Agamemnon are Agamemnon, Clytemnestra, and Cassandra. Agamemnon is the tragic hero of the play, while Clytemnestra is the villainess, and Cassandra is the innocent. The play is encompassed by hubris, revenge and power. Hubris is associated with Agamemnon, power is linked with Agamemnon and Clytemnestra and finally Clytemnestra displays acts of revenge towards her husband. Clytemnestra displays acts of revenge towards him and Cassandra is the innocent war-prize Agamemnon claims after he defeats Troy. Agamemnon is the main character of this play. Agamemnon’s tragic flaw is his hunger for power. When he is back from war the entire city is at his palace’s doorstep to celebrate his home-coming but his wife is not. He gives in too soon into the script-writing of Clytemnestra. Although he allows himself to run through what is happening around him, he does not give it enough time to make the correct decisions. His head is held up too high not thinking of what exactly he is getting into. It is utter ignorance. Agamemnon giving up their daughter Iphengeia as sacrifice to god Apollo sticks with Clytemnestra and builds up as revenge towards Agamemnon. Agamemnon keeps his head held high and displays hubris through some of his actions which is illegal in the city of Argos. Agamemnon is the tragic hero of the play. When he was about...
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...One must fulfill its’ duty as the Gods (Ancient Greek Religion) has bestowed upon them. In the books of The Iliad, one character shows the two contradicting sides of fulfilling a duty: one to thyself, and one to others. If you fulfill a duty to yourself, you tend to forget how it affects others. If you fulfill your duty to others, where does that leave you; you had to sacrifice and maybe even sacrifice yourself for the job. Homer illustrates theses duties in the books concerning Agamemnon. Agamemnon, the king of the Achaean army obviously has a duty to his men, and his country. However, Agamemnon feels betrayed and angry after his best warrior Achilles leaves the army after sacrificing his trophy woman to the Agamemnon. Hate can leave a man in ruins; it can leave a man in...
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...Homer’s Iliad, explain how the concept of shame functions for the characters of the poem. What, generally, is shame, and how and why are people supposed to be affected by it? In your answer, select an example of shaming from the text which has what you would call a standard effect, and also indicate at least two instances where shame does not have the standard effect. In the two exceptional instances, explain why you believe the concept does not function “properly”. THE SHAMELESS OF THE ILIAD The shame concept holds a significant part of life in ancient times. Especially, among the Greeks, shame was widely regarded as a matter of life and death, which can be observed in numerous noticeable works such as the Iliad. In the Iliad, when the characters try to make the one who acts against the society or needs to be motivated, feel ashamed by talking and insulting. This can be observed with dialogues of many characters like between Achilles and Agamemnon or Odysseus, and between Paris and Hector. There are numerous instances; some are acceptable and standard while some are really abnormal and extraordinary, in the Iliad Books 1, 3 and 9. There is an emphasized standard effect of shame In Book 1. Because Agamemnon feels himself superior, he gets Briseis, Achilles’ prize as a symbol of honor. Achilles becomes extremely angry and humiliates Agamemnon. In front of the army, he calls Agamemnon ‘shameless’. Then, Agamemnon shoots back, questions if he is a good warrior and says: “Desert...
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...Unit 1 Ancient Greek Tragedy Lesson 1: How do past narratives influence today’s ideas? Notes: Tragedies often deal with a lot of love, lost, pride, abuse of power, problematic relationships between humans and gods. Protagonist often commit a terrible crime without realizing how foolish or arrogant they have been, then the world crumbles around them. Satyr plays performed by half goat half men creatures called satyrs who often made fun of the plots and characters of tragedies. Satyrs play at intermissions of tragedies to give the crowd a fun break from the misery they've endured. Tragedy is derived from the greek term tragos oide, tragos meaning goat oide meaning song, Oides are often songs that singers would sing in competitions much like todays televised singing contests, but the top prize was a goat. Because they were a popular offering. Aristotle was a famous greek philosopher who had good ideas why people enjoyed tragic plays, he believed they were important because they show how good ordinary people can make terrible mistakes that can lead to their downfall. These events cause the protagonist to suffer or gain insight. The goal of the tragedy is to evoke fear and pity to the audience. Why wouldn't the audience endure a play that makes them feel all these painful emotions? Aristotle explain that pity and fear are natural human responses to pain and suffering. By the end of the play these feelings are replaced by another feeling called catharsis which is an...
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...loyalty affect the way we live? In both Agamemnon and Libation Bearers, we see the importance of these aspects to both Clytemnestra and Orestes, for they are willing to murder to attain them. The overarching goals of duty and loyalty lead the characters to violent actions that not only impact their lives, but also the lives of those involved. The importance of pertaining to characteristics and actions that embody those of someone with a sense of duty and loyalty is shown through the violent deeds Clytemnestra and Orestes are willing to commit. In the stories of Clytemnestra and Orestes, we can see both similarities and differences in the ways they demonstrate duty and loyalty through the...
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...Tragedy is centered around a character with an important role in the universe, and how they handle it through intense emotions like revenge, lamentation, and suffering. These characters are often presented with a task, either through their own choices or from influence by the Gods. These influences can offer the audience a way that they may safely feel emotions like pity and fear towards the characters, allowing them to be engrossed in a tragic story. Most of our principle characters were given their circumstance by forces out of their control, however a handful of them made their decisions themselves. For example, in The Agamemnon, while Clytemnestra and Aegisthus choose to murder Agamemnon (because he sacrificed Iphigenia), there were more influential circumstances at play. Most of the characters are aware of the curse of the house of Atreus, and mention it themselves several times throughout the Oresteia. They know that Agamemnon is a son of Atreus, he is afflicted by this very curse. Rationally they need not act on the curse, but they feel like they must enact revenge to make up for other loses....
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...are the ones that participate, with the exception of some female goddesses. Some are used mainly for a comparison to the male characters. Though the women play very small roles, they play a big part in humanizing the men affecting their actions. Women are overshadowed throughout the course of The Iliad, but still...
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...motivated in some way by considerations of their social standing or by their sense of self-importance, which is why people, at times, are driven to act in a selfish manner at the cost of someone else’s own self-interest. While it is important for one to have self-respect and dignity, it is wrong to let those feelings get in the way and cause unnecessary problems. In the Ancient Greek epic The Iliad by the poet Homer, the actions of nearly all of the characters are influenced by their sense of pride. In the story, arrogance is the main reason behind all of the conflicts that take place, and throughout the entire epic, pride is depicted as a destructive force. Pride is the cause of the war, the source of sub-conflicts between the characters, and the motive behind the actions taken by Achilles throughout the story. The entire epic of The Iliad occurs in the middle of a ten-year conflict in the city of Troy between the Trojans and Achaeans. As is the case with most wars, the cause of the Trojan War is arguably quite pointless because it stems from nothing more than wounded egos. The clash of the egos begins when Paris “launches the war” (Homer 14. 33) when he offends Athena and Hera by choosing Aphrodite in a beauty contest between the goddesses. The two who lose the contest feel dishonored, and as a result they take the side of the Achaeans in the war, which causes the Trojans to have a huge disadvantage on the battlefield. Paris continues on his path to starting the war when he insults...
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...Nixon and Agamemnon Richard Nixon and Agamemnon have an interesting parallel that would not be visible at first glance. Both were beloved leaders initially. Both made an awful mistake which did significant damage to their group. Richard Nixon, an American president during the late 1960s to early 1970s, was the first American President ever impeached. His impeachment did great damage to the republicans, and nearly got him indicted. Agamemnon had taken a girl, and though he was offered a ransom, held her until a plague forced him to let her go. He then proceeded to take the strongest, greatest Achaean warriors’ “mead of honour” (term first used on pg.15, Iliad), which meant that Achilles, son of Peleus, was aggrieved and angered with him who...
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