The story in one page
Agamemnon returns to Argos after destroying Troy, bringing with him the prophetess Cassandra as a spoil of war. His wife, Clytemnestra, has spent the decade planning his death in retaliation for the sacrifice of their daughter, Iphigenia. She greets him with feigned adoration, lures him into a bathhouse, and nets him like a fish before striking him down. When the chorus of elders protests, she claims the mantle of justice for her daughter's blood. The play concludes with Clytemnestra and her lover Aigisthos seizing control of the kingdom, leaving the city in a state of uneasy, blood-stained transition.
Who's who
- Agamemnon
King of Argos and commander of the Greek forces at Troy.
- Clytemnestra
The vengeful queen who orchestrates her husband's violent homecoming.
- Cassandra
A captive prophetess cursed to speak truth that is ignored.
- Aigisthos
Clytemnestra's lover and collaborator in the regicide.
- Chorus
The elderly citizens of Argos who observe the house's ruin.
What it's really about
- Vengeance
- The inescapable cycle of blood-feuds within royal lineages.
- Sacrifice
- The heavy cost of divine and military ambition.
Why it's memorable
- A king trapped and helpless inside a heavy, woven robe.
- A captive woman screaming prophecies into a deaf wind.
The ending, explained
Spoilers — show the ending
Clytemnestra and Aigisthos stand over the bodies while the chorus waits in dread for the absent Orestes to eventually return and take his revenge.
For your book club
- The bathhouse is the site of both hygiene and homicide.
- The house of Atreus has a remarkably high fatality rate.