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Odyssey Tragedy - The Death of Agamemnon

            The episode that I decided to pick from The Odyssey as my example of tragedy is the story of Agamemnon's death at the hands of his wife, Clytemnestra, and Aegisthus and his son Orestes avenging his death by killing his mother and Aegisthus. The story is actually told to Telemachus from Menelaus when he visits while searching for any news or whereabouts of his father Odysseus. The reason why I chose this example or episode was because it has a premise that involves a tragic hero or protagonist as well as many deaths including the innocent. It also involves many high ranking characters as well as taking place in an open and public setting. Although this is a short story that is only told verbally to Telemachus, it resonates powerfully to the overall theme of the poem, The Odyssey, about fate, betrayal and loyalty. The moral of the story is also a great contrast to that of Odysseus and his own situation with his own wife Penelope.
             Because the story that is told to Telemachus from Menelaus is very broad and short lasting only a couple lines, I will be adding some content to elaborate the overall story a little more to better fit the Aristotelian definition of tragedy. It will be told with Clytemnestra being the main protagonist and her son, Orestes, being the antagonist of the story. Her daughter Electra will also be in the episode as well as a chorus, messenger, Aegisthus and Agamemnon. The story of the episode will start after the conflict which is Agamemnon leaving for the war in Troy, winning and returning back home. It opens on the day that Agamemnon arrives back home with the chorus speaking to each other in front of the home of Agamemnon about Clytemnestra and her suspicious relationship with Aegisthus. It's only a rumor that they are having an illicit relation as no one has actually seen them together intimately or knows for sure. Orestes then enters the scene and walks by and overhears the talking.


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