1 Agamemnon

1. Trammels: 1 : a net for catching birds or fish; especially : one having three layers with the middle one finer-meshed and slack so that fish passing through carry some of the center net through the coarser opposite net and are trapped
2 : an adjustable pothook for a fireplace crane
3 : a shackle used for making a horse amble
4 : something impeding activity, progress, or freedom : restraint —usually used in plural
5 a : an instrument for drawing ellipses b : a compass for drawing large circles that consists of a beam with two sliding parts —usually used in plural c : any of various gauges used for aligning or adjusting machine parts
-Merriam-Webster Online

Lines 424-428: "...Till neither warrior may 'scape,
Nor stripling lightly overleap
The trammels as they close, and close,
Till with the grip of doom our foes
In slavery's coil are bound!"


2. The story begins with a watchman in Argos waiting for the lighting of the beacons that will signify the end of the war. The Greeks have been fighting the Trojans under the command of Agamemnon, Argos' king. In the King's absence, his wife, Clytemnestra, has been ruling. The piles light, telling that the war is over. He tells Clytemnestra, who orders celebrations throughout the city, much to the confusion of the unknowing Chorus. Clytemnestra also recounts her husband's willing sacrifice of their daughter, Iphigenia, to appease the gods' bluff. The Chorus then questions Clytemnestra, disbelieving her claims of victory over Troy. She says that she is not foolish, and that she would not spread gossip. The war is over, and the soldiers will be returning home.


3. By having Clytemnestra document the sacrifice of her daughter, Iphigenia, by her husband, Agamemnon, Aeschylus draws support for the Queen and disdain toward the King before we even meet him. The Gods asked for Iphigenia as a sacrifice as a bluff; they did not ever require sacrifices, and Agamemnon should have known that. However, his pride got the best of him, and his desire for war and to relive his glory days was so strong that he killed his own daughter in order to do so. This would obviously have infuriated the gods, not to mention his wife. Having the gods angry with you is never a good thing in Greek legend, so Agamemnon is doomed from the start. The audience sees this hubris and likely has already formed a bias against Agamemnon, which I think is interesting. Before meeting a character, we have already turned against him.
Clytemnestra is presented as an extremely strong, self-confident woman. When her husband left for war she took over for him and ended up doing a better job. She does not need a man to help her rule; in fact, she flourished alone. When the Chorus harassed her regarding the accuracy of her report of the downfall of Troy, she did not back down or get flustered. Rather, she stood her ground and defended herself well, stating that she was above rumors. A lot of old work shows women as meek and feeble, so I was really excited to read about such a powerful woman.
Another strong woman, Helen, appears in the play, but in not nearly such a favorable light. Helen was married to Menelaus, but after Aphrodite promised the most beautiful mortal woman to Paris, he took her away from Menelaus to Troy. There Paris and Helen were married, provoking the war that ensued to try to get her back. Because of this, Helen is seen as promiscuous and seems to be looked down upon by the Chorus. Although Clytemnestra may have had an affair, she is seen in a much more positive light than Helen. These two women contrast each other in a way, although both strong women.


4. Did Aeschylus personally side with Clytemnestra? Did he think Agamemnon was foolish for going to war, even when the gods clearly did not approve? It certainly appears that way from his play.

Will the gods directly punish Agamemnon for his hubris? What will happen? I'm sure they won't let his disobedience go unpunished.

Will Clytemnestra abdicate her power over Argos to her husband, or will she retain it? She is said to have done a better job than he.