If you love to explore the creations of such authors as Sophocles or Euripides, then you surely must discover the works of Aeschylus. He was born in Greece and is often considered the father of Greek drama and tragic dramaturgy genre as it is today. It’s hard to believe, but he was the first to introduce more than one actor on the stage. 

“Agamemnon” is the first play of the trilogy called Oresteia. This is the only trilogy from the Ancient Greek era that has made it to the modern times. It is also often called the finest tragedy written in Ancient Greece. A good enough feedback to read the book!

Agamemnon has won the battle of Troy, but in order to do so, he had to sacrifice his own daughter. This isn’t the only reason for him to incur tragic fate. His father also killed the kids of his brother Thyestes. The revenge and guilty legacy theme are all around the text. 

The structure of the text is unusual: the choir occupies a major role in the tragedy and the core idea of the text isn't revealed until the very end. The prophecies of Cassandra bring more confusion than clarity. And the internal connections between the characters’ families and external links to other plays create an impression of a deeper story that is hidden behind the lines. 

Aeschylus tragedies are not an easy read; they are the elite of the Ancient texts. Everything here makes sense: all the events refer to certain common knowledge that exists behind the text, the choir sings at a very particular moment, all the parts are mathematically connected, all the words are keys to greater meanings. 

Should the art be so complicated or should it be easy to understand by all? Do you want to be like everybody, or do you consider yourself a chosen one? What is better: simplicity and fun or complexity for the sake of sophistication? The unusual configuration employed by the author provokes all these and even more questions. 

Author: Arnold Campbell