Power of the Gods Demonstrated

¶ … Power of the Gods Demonstrated in Agamemnon

One of the predominant themes in Agamemnon is that of obeying the will of the gods. The gods are fickle and often hypocritical, but they also have the power to exact revenge upon humans that break their laws. With the character of Zeus, we see how this revenge becomes an integral aspect of the play. Zeus is the enforcer in Agamemnon and the primary agent of his will is. Zeus utilizes characters in the play to impose his will is Clytaemestra. While we might think that Agamemnon would be able to enjoy the fruits of his victories, he must deal with the retribution of the gods instead. It is known that the gods have no tolerance for those that transgress, and they are "deaf / to the one who turns to crime, they tear him down" (397-8) and Agamemnon is the best example of this as he must suffer the consequences of his actions. The gods are an essential aspect of the play because we know that, in the end, their hands govern all actions and all outcomes. Man may have free will but that generally turns out to be to his detriment as Agamemnon demonstrates.

All wrongs must be addressed and the wrongdoer must pay a price for his or her crime. The Chorus explains how Zeus lays down the law and those who transgress against it will "suffer into truth" (Aeschylus 179). Perhaps the most powerful example of this kind of suffering occurs with Agamemnon. While he is the king and does defeat Troy, his success is overshadowed by the sins of his father and his own sins. Agamemnon is doomed for a life of pain and suffering even before he is born. The retribution of the gods is linked to the house of Atreus before Agamemnon's birth and because sin must be atoned, Agamemnon inherits this. This is not to say that he committed his own sins along the way. He commits horrific sins and they only compound his curse. He must not only live with his father's guilt, he creates his own with the sacrifice of Iphigenia. He is also responsible for the destruction of some of Troy's most revered places. Agamemnon stands no chance due to his inherited sin and his willful sin. Of them, arrogance is one that incites the gods more than any other. When he walks upon the red tapestries, claiming that he is "trampling royal crimson as I go" (956), he is mocking the very gods that can strike his life with one solid blow.

Agamemnon is not the only character in the play that ignites the fury of the gods. The sins of Paris infect the play and set the mood and tone for most of the plot. Zeus' law of hospitality was violated when Paris abducted Helen. This is revealed at the beginning of the play when the Chorus explains how Paris "shamed the tables spread for guests" (401). Helen, too, is condemned for leaving her house in "chaos" (403). The Trojan War becomes an outlet for Zeus' punishment as he employs the recklessness of Agamemnon on Troy. We read, "God takes aim / at the ones who murder many" (455-6). Here we see that it is widely known that sin rarely goes unpunished. Agamemnon becomes an agent of Zeus as demonstrated in the conquest of Troy but that victory is short-lived due to the fact that Agamemnon sacrifices his daughter in order to reach his destiny. Here we can see that Agamemnon struggled over what to do but finally set his eyes upon the prize. His crime becomes justified through the victory. However, when Agamemnon kills his own daughter, he is violating one of the most fundamental rules set in place by the gods, which prohibits the murder of a family member. Agamemnon is indifferent to what he has done. When Clytaemestra confronts him about it, he says, "I have no fear" (925) in relation to his sense of right and wrong. The gods will not allow him to enjoy his victory just as they did not allow Paris to enjoy his.

Zeus uses others to exact this revenge with Clytemnestra being the most powerful example of how events work out to his favor. When she murders Agamemnon, we see how the glory of the king and his victories do not matter in the gods' big picture. In fact, it is worth noting that Agamemnon's victory can never fully be enjoyed because he returns to an embittered wife. Clytaemestra becomes an agent of Zeus because she refuses to let Agamemnon forget what he has done to their daughter. When Clytaemestra murders Agamemnon, it is as if she recognizes her role in the big picture by announcing that is "proud to tell the truth" (1392). She believes that she is completely justified in taking the actions of Zeus in her own hands. She is not remorseful nor is she afraid of any retribution. Even thought she, too, has committed her own sin of infidelity, she is vindicated in the play. The Chorus does hint that Agamemnon will be avenged but we do not see it in this play. In fact, at the end of Agamemnon, Clytaemestra and Aegisthus seem to walk away unscathed. Aegisthus even claims that he is the "weaver of Justice" (1635) because he is the one that plotted the murder in the first place. The play ends with the two of them claiming to restore order to the house and walking away.