What does the title Oresteia mean?
tragedy. The Oresteia (Ancient Greek: Ὀρέστεια) is a trilogy of Greek tragedies written by Aeschylus in the 5th century BC, concerning the murder of Agamemnon by Clytemnestra, the murder of Clytemnestra by Orestes, the trial of Orestes, the end of the curse on the House of Atreus and the pacification of the Erinyes.
What is the main idea of Agamemnon?
Revenge is the backbone of The Oresteia, and it drives most of the action of Agamemnon. The play’s gradual build towards Clytemnestra’s violent revenge on her husband Agamemnon and the upheaval…
Who does Clytemnestra cheat on Agamemnon with?
Aegisthus
The Trojan War lasted ten years. During this period of Agamemnon’s long absence, Clytemnestra began a love affair with Aegisthus, her husband’s cousin. Whether Clytemnestra was seduced into the affair or entered into it independently differs according to the respective author of the myth.
What is Clytemnestra The Queen of?
Clytemnestra Queen of Mycenae By marrying Agamemnon, Clytemnestra would become Queen of Mycenae, for Tyndareus and his Spartan army aided Agamemnon and Menelaus in forcing Thyestes off of the throne of Mycenae, in whose place Agamemnon became king.
What is the Oresteia?
The Oresteia (comprising Agamemnon , The Libation Bearers and The Eumenides ) is the only surviving example of a complete trilogy of ancient Greek plays (a fourth play, which would have been performed as a comic finale, a satyr play called Proteus , has not survived).
How many myths does Aeschylus use in Oresteia?
These myths are used by Aeschylus in his trilogy “Oresteia” – three tragedies continuing one another: “Agamemnon”, ” Libation Bearers “, and “Eumenides”. “Agamemnon” is the longest one.
What is the first play in Oresteia?
Oresteia originally included a satyr play, Proteus ( Πρωτεύς ), following the tragic trilogy, but all except a single line of Proteus has been lost. Agamemnon ( Ἀγαμέμνων, Agamémnōn) is the first of the three plays within the Oresteia trilogy.
What is the plot of the Oresteia?
Plot Summary The Oresteia details the breaking of the curse of the House of Atreus following the murder of King Agamemnon by his wife, Queen Clytaemnestra in Agamemnon; the murder of Clytaemnestra at the hands of their son, Orestes in The Libation Bearers; and the vindication of Orestes by trial and the pacification of the Furies in The Eumenides.