Why does Agamemnon die? An analysis of Aeschylus's 'Agamemnon' from the Orestia trilogy which examines the multiple causes of his death. Based on a reading of the play in translation.

Aeschylus' Oresteia: Agamemnon Why did Agamemnon die? Aeschylus' tragedy, the Agamemnon, is the opening play in the only surviving Greek trilogy: the Oresteia. The Agamemnon has a multifaceted plot, charting the reasons for the hero's legendary unexpected death on his victorious return from Troy. Aeschylus manipulates the original myth in order to accentuate the dangers of giving power to a woman, hence Clytemnestra's murder of Agamemnon as opposed to her lover, Aegisthus, who is given …

…y Agamemnon's death was inevitable. It seems that it was Aeschylus' aim was to incite his audience in to considering all the causes for themselves, whilst at the same time presenting tragic situations that require contemplative thought. A cunning playwright in his time and in history, he manipulates the myth to suit his didactic ideas, emphasising the horrors of war, the consequences of defying the Gods, and the danger of letting a woman have power.