She’s pausing, but what she says is clear…but perhaps you’ll disobey.” (Aeschylus, 29) Clytemnestra thinks that Cassandra may not be able to understand her, but the chorus lets us know that she can, though she chooses to ignore her. In Agamemnon,… I agree that Cassandra tends to get short changed even in much of the modern, revisionist tellings of Classical Greek literature. In Greek mythology King Agamemnon of Mycenae, leader of the Greeks in the Trojan War, returns home victorious after the War, having captured the Trojan princess Cassandra to be his slave. (including. Initially, she does not have much dialogue; she seems quiet and submissive. The character that becomes the most sympathetic is Agamemnon’s war prize, the prophetess Cassandra. *Our system only provides suggested monologues or songs for select characters if we have matching monologues and song information in our database. Cassandra doesn't answer. Our summaries and analyses are written by experts, and your questions are answered by real teachers. Cassandra appears in the play, Agamemnon, by Aeschylus.Though she is not the main character, she has powerful powers of prophecy. The slave Agamemnon has taken back to Argos as his prize for winning the Trojan War. When she is alone, she is extremely distressed and cries out to Apollo. Educators go through a rigorous application process, and every answer they submit is reviewed by our in-house editorial team. It could be expected that the events in Agamemnon come as no surprise to the audience, so the author's goal isn't to create plot twists. I've always loved the character of Cassandra. Already a member? What truth did Agamemnon acquire from his suffering. For gods have made a powerful promise— his father’s stretched out corpse will bring him home. Cassandra Timeline and Summary. By signing up for this email, you are agreeing to news, offers, and information from Encyclopaedia Britannica. Initially, she appears timid and is horrified by her prophecy of her own death, but becomes strong-willed despite that she is destined to die. Cassandra, Agamemnon's war captive, is emotional and distraught by the destruction of her homeland. Cassandra. But we’ll not die without the gods’ revenge. Not only do they represent the voice of the populace within the play, but by that time, they represent the voice of audience as well that, like them, must sit by and watch the events unfold as Aeschylus shows them. from Kent State University M.A. The character Cassandra in Aeschylus ’ authoritative trilogy, The Oresteia, plays a little yet acutely of import function in the promotion of the full play. Other characters perceive Cassandra as barbaric, animal, or incomprehensible this should be taken as a faithful sign of vision. B.A. In lines 1319 to 1319 the Leader says, “So much pain, poor girl, and so much truth, / you’ve told us so much.” He suggests she flee her fate if she can, but she refuses. We only provide suggested audition monologues or songs for an individual character if our system finds content that matches a character's traits. Struggling with distance learning? The last words Cassandra hears are the Leader’s lines 1343 and 1344, “Poor creature, you / and the end you see so clearly. to read our character analysis for Cassandra and unlock other amazing theatre resources! Omissions? The ancient Greek tragic play Agamemnon, first performed at the Festival of Dionysus in 458 BCE, is the first of the three plays of the Oresteia trilogy written by Aeschylus (c. 525–455 BCE), who is known as the Father of Greek Tragedy. Agamemnon by Aeschylus revolves around the occasion of the titular character’s return from the Trojan War. ...returning to the image of the man (Agamemnon’s uncle Thyestes) eating his own cooked children, ...palace doors open, revealing a blood-soaked Clytemnestra standing over the dead bodies of Agamemnon and, “Would not have made it through AP Literature without the printable PDFs. Agamemnon is the older brother of Menelaus, whose wife Helen was stolen by a Trojan prince, thus igniting a decade-long war. Initially, she appears timid and is horrified by her prophecy of her own death, but becomes strong-willed despite that she is destined to die. Upgrade to PRO Sign Up for PRO to view suggested audition pieces! When Agamemnon returns from the war, he brings back Cassandra, a Trojan priestess. Ah, ah the fire! Instant downloads of all 1373 LitChart PDFs Teach your students to analyze literature like LitCharts does. From the creators of SparkNotes, something better. She has captured her at Troy by Agamemnon and carried her away (possibly as a concubine). Her powers are great, but they are often overlooked. Cassandra. After Clytemnestra kills Agamemnon and Cassandra, she curses both Agamemnon and Cassandra, claiming to have avenged her daughter. Lord of the streets, my destroyer!” (Aeschylus, 30) We then learn from the chorus and Cassandra that Apollo wanted to have a child with Cassandra and in return, he would give her the gift of prophecy. They're like having in-class notes for every discussion!”, “This is absolutely THE best teacher resource I have ever purchased. Join the StageAgent community After the capture of Troy, Cassandra, Priam’s daughter, fell to Agamemnon’s lot in the distribution of the prizes of war. She accurately predicted such events as the fall of Troy and the death of Agamemnon, but her warnings went unheeded. The Oresteia. He plays upon the shared knowledge and customs of his audience, making them co-prophets as it were with Cassandra’s heartbreaking vision of her future. Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree.... Cassandra, statue at the Flower Garden of Kroměříž, Cz.Rep. By appealing to the cultural knowledge of his audience and by having other characters empathize for her suffering, Aeschylus sets up Cassandra as the character for whom it is easiest to have compassion. eNotes.com will help you with any book or any question. He’ll come back and, like a coping stone, bring the ruin of his family to a close. Unknown to Agamemnon, his wife, Queen Clytemnestra, has been planning to murder Agamemnon from the time he sacrificed their daughter, Iphigenia, to appease the goddess Artemis, who had blocked Agamemnon's fleet from proceeding to Troy. Pausanias, Periegesis of Greece 2.16.5, 3.19.5, 3.26.3. They sing in harmony, but the song is harsh, predicting doom. She says that she sees the children … Another man will come and will avenge us, a son who’ll kill his mother, then pay back his father’s death, a wanderer in exile, a man this country’s made a stranger. The most democratic of devices, the chorus represents the spirit of the community. I agree that Cassandra tends to get short changed even in much of the modern, revisionist tellings of Classical Greek literature. A priestess of Apollo, she has the gift of prophecy, and she predicts the events of the play as well as those to come later in The Oresteia. At first she is very distressed, but she calms down and finds solace in the fact that her captor will die and the Trojans will be avenged. Cassandra Character Analysis. This shared perspective leads the viewers to feel for Cassandra’s situation because they know of the oncoming doom as well as she does. Cassandra was a lady from the ruling house in Troy. The daughter of Priam and slave of Agamemnon, Cassandra is the famous unheeded prophetess. Cheshire, CT, Pericles With him is the prophet, Clytemnestra comes out of the palace and orders. This tragic play of revenge revolves around Clytemnestra, who has been unfaithful to her husband and king, Agamemnon. The Chorus tells us about how Paris stole Helen from Menelaus; in order to defeat the Trojans, Agamemnon had to sacrifice his daughter to appease Artemis. It would not be a stretch to presume he played upon his audiences’ sense of hospitality, possibly even piety, by introducing Cassandra in her sacred regalia as a stranger in a strange land. Time and time again, the Leader expressed compassion for her and her plight, symbolically voicing the sympathy the audience has for her, too. The Mask of Agamemnon, Discovered by Heinrich Schliemann in 1876 at Mycenae. Not exactly classical literature, and it does deviate from the classic myth a bit but Bradley brings her to life in a really different, and entirely sympathetic way. Character description, analysis and casting breakdown for Cassandra from Agamemnon Join StageAgent today and unlock amazing theatre resources and opportunities. The Mask of Agamemnon, Discovered by Heinrich Schliemann in 1876 at Mycenae. Cassandra was a lady from the ruling house in Troy. Agamemnon. THIS FEATURE IS ONLY AVAILABLE FOR PRO MEMBERS. Drinking human blood has made them bold— they dance in celebration through the house. Even though Agamemnon is the title character, it is Cassandra who seems to suffer the most in this play. Cassandra doesn't answer. Cassandra’s social powerlessness compliments her inability to change her fate, and it appeals to the traditional audience’s customs of hospitality. It is Aeschylus’s skill that maximizes pity for Cassandra. LitCharts Teacher Editions. According to scholars in the Classical field, it is presumed the audience of Aeschylus would have know the shared stories of their culture such as myths about the gods and goddesses, hero cycles like those pertaining to Hercules or Theseus, and tales concerning the exploits of warriors who fought in the Trojan War. Her power is derived from Apollo’s desire; even though she is a very powerful figure, she is objectified. “Evil bloodshed by kin, carving like meat—a place for slaughtering men, a floor sprinkled with blood!” (Aeschylus, 30) Cassandra has a vision that Clytemnestra will betray and kill Agamemnon and then kill Cassandra. "My students can't get enough of your charts and their results have gone through the roof." Cassandra. “Apollo, Apollo! She is shown arriving in Agamemnon’s carriage as a trophy or prize of war.
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