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What Is Agamemnon's Thirst For Power

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Aeschylus’ The Agamemnon displayed how man’s thirst for power can lead him to commit heinous crimes. The decisions of Agamemnon and Clytemnestra were difficult but not justified, because they derived from selfish intentions and the sin of hubris. Agamemnon’s crime occurred because he could not bear the thought of losing power while Clytemnestra sought to gain it through the use of’ deception. Aeschylus showed that they had committed morally unjust crimes against nature by depicting their true intentions.
Agamemnon hid under the guise of humble king and acted as if the decision to kill his daughter was for the good of the people. The true intentions of Agamemnon’s actions stemmed from his selfish desires. “How can I fail my fleet and lose …show more content…

It is because she tried to rise above her station in life that her intentions soon changed and her actions could not be justified. During the Trojan War Clytemnestra ruled Argos and tried to take the place of her husband. “This is to be commanded by a woman, who brings her quick hopes into the business of men!” (16). It is because Clytemnestra tried to rise above her station in life that her cause for killing Agamemnon changed. Killing Agamemnon was no longer only to avenge the death of Iphigenia but also to attain the ability to rule. “If no I contradict all that a suit the moment I said before I feel no shame” (44). Clytemnestra’s decision to kill Agamemnon could no longer be justified because it was stemmed from the desire to rule and she felt no shame for the lies she …show more content…

Aeschylus showed his disapproval for their actions by depicting these two qualities throughout the play. Agamemnon’s pride prohibited him from saving his daughter so Aeschylus illustrated this through the chorus. “For whosever are guilty of lives, upon them god’s eyes are fixed…Glory too high is dangerous; it is upon the peak hat thunder strikes” (25). Aeschylus displayed how his crime did not go unseen and he would soon fall because his hubris caused him to have too much pride in himself. The sin of hubris caused Clytemnestra to see the faults in Agamemnon as she gained power but not see the crimes she was committing “You are proud of thought, and presumptuous is your note” (45) The chorus condemned Clytemnestra as they saw that hubris caused her to commit crimes that were unjust. It is through the chorus that Aeschylus showed that the crimes of both Clytemnestra and Agamemnon were not justified because they stemmed from

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