Agamemnon Character Analysis from Clytemnestra

Overview

Agamemnon is a central antagonist in Costanza Casati's Clytemnestra, embodying the ruthless ambition and patriarchal cruelty of the House of Atreus. As king of Mycenae and Clytemnestra's second husband, he murders her first family—Tantalus, their infant son, and a loyal servant—and later sacrifices their daughter Iphigenia to secure favorable winds for the Trojan War. The novel portrays him as intelligent, patient, and calculating, but also as a man who treats women as possessions and subordinates who must be broken. His actions set in motion Clytemnestra's decade-long quest for vengeance.

Plot Role

Agamemnon drives the primary conflict of the story. He arrives in Sparta as an exiled prince, secures men to retake Mycenae, and through political maneuvering and violence forces Clytemnestra into marriage after slaughtering her family. As king, he consolidates power, leads the Greek coalition against Troy, and makes the fateful decision to sacrifice Iphigenia at Aulis. His return after ten years triggers the climactic confrontation, resulting in his death at Clytemnestra's hands in the bathhouse. The narrative uses his actions to explore themes of justice, female agency, and the cyclical nature of revenge.

Motivations and Traits

The novel presents Agamemnon's motivations through his words and deeds, distinguishing explicit facts from interpretive readings.

Explicit facts (directly from the story)

• Murder of Tantalus and the baby: Agamemnon lures Tantalus into a corridor and kills him; he also orders the deaths of the infant and servant Marpessa ([evidence chapter-0013-chunk-0001], chapter 12 outline).
• Sacrifice of Iphigenia: He orchestrates the deception that Iphigenia will marry Achilles, then has her sacrificed at Aulis under Calchas's guidance (chapter 24–25 outlines).
• Brutal treatment of servants: In Sparta, his servants are found bruised; he violently wrestles locals (chapter 7 outline).
• Rape of Clytemnestra: On their wedding night in Mycenae, he rapes her (chapter 15 evidence).
• Crude comments about her sister: He jests to Clytemnestra about Timandra's affairs, earning a death threat from his wife (chapter 18 evidence).

Interpretive analysis

• Cunning patience: Tyndareus describes him as "afraid of death," which makes him smarter than rash men; he fled Aegisthus to preserve himself (chapter 7 evidence). The narrator implies he uses fear and patience as tools.
• Desire for control: He tells Clytemnestra he would "have you no matter the consequences" (Menelaus recalls), and later orders her to "be a good wife and wait" while he is at war (chapter 24 evidence). The text suggests he seeks to possess and dominate her, not to love her.
• Strategic appreciation: Despite their adversarial relationship, he recognizes Clytemnestra's competence, putting her in charge of Mycenae during his absence and backing her against merchants (chapter 18). This is portrayed as pragmatic respect for her strength, not affection.
• Lack of parental feeling: The novel implies he does not love his children; Chrysothemis asks, "Father doesn't love us, does he?" and Clytemnestra does not answer (chapter 34 evidence). His willingness to sacrifice Iphigenia underscores this.

Chronological Arc

• Exile in Sparta: Agamemnon and Menelaus arrive as suppliants; Agamemnon impresses Tyndareus with patience and wins permission to recruit men for retaking Mycenae.
• Murder of Tantalus and the child: He plots with Tyndareus and Menelaus, kills Tantalus in a corridor, and has the infant son killed.
• Forced marriage: After the murders, he insists Clytemnestra become his wife; the wedding proceeds under political pressure.
• Early years in Mycenae: He rapes Clytemnestra, rules alongside her, and has four children including Iphigenia, Electra, Chrysothemis, and Orestes.
• Triggering of the Trojan War: When Helen elopes with Paris, Agamemnon uses the Oath of Tyndareus to summon a Greek army, assembling forces at Aulis.
• Sacrifice of Iphigenia: He summons Clytemnestra under false pretense and allows Calchas to sacrifice Iphigenia when winds fail.
• Ten-year war: He leads the siege of Troy; during his absence, Clytemnestra consolidates power and takes Aegisthus as a lover.
• Return and death: He returns with Cassandra to Mycenae; Clytemnestra kills him in the bath after feigning loyalty.

Relationships

With Clytemnestra

The marriage is a battlefield. Agamemnon sees her as a prize to be mastered: he kills her first family to force her into his orbit, rapes her on their first night, and later chokes her when she defies him (chapter 20 outline). Yet he also relies on her as a capable administrator. The narrator repeatedly emphasizes that Clytemnestra never forgives him; she waits a decade to murder him.

With Menelaus

Agamemnon dominates his younger brother, eclipsing him in ambition and military command. Menelaus admits his brother single‑mindedly pursued Clytemnestra. The two cooperate in the plot against Tantalus and in prosecuting the Trojan War.

With his children

He is emotionally absent. He dismisses the assault on his daughters (chapter 18 outline) and shows no affection beyond public gestures. His relationship with Orestes is molded by training in ruthlessness.

With Calchas and Odysseus

He uses the seer Calchas to legitimize the sacrifice and as a war adviser. He respects Odysseus's intelligence but threatens his son to force his participation. These alliances are instrumental, not personal.

With Aegisthus

His cousin Aegisthus is a lifelong enemy. Agamemnon drove him out of Mycenae after Atreus's death and later tries to use the rumors of Aegisthus's death to solidify his rule. He does not succeed in killing him, which proves fatal.

Key Decisions and Consequences

Theme/Symbol Connections

Agamemnon functions as the embodiment of patriarchal violence and the curse of the House of Atreus. His actions tie directly to the novel's central themes:

• Vengeance and justice: His murders set the cycle of revenge that culminates in his own death. The narrative asks whether Clytemnestra's retribution is justice or perpetuation of violence.
• Female agency and power: Agamemnon tries to reduce Clytemnestra to a submissive wife, but his cruelty only sharpens her resolve. She uses the very throne and authority he left her to destroy him.
• Sisterhood and loyalty: His murder of Tantalus severs Clytemnestra from her first family but also from her sisters in Sparta; later, her loyalty to Iphigenia's memory fuels the plot.
• Fate versus free will: The curse of Atreus looms over his life, but the novel emphasizes his deliberate choices—the murders, the sacrifice—over divine predestination.
• Grief and trauma: His actions create deep trauma in Clytemnestra, and her grief manifests in nightmares, flashbacks, and the cold calculation of revenge.

Symbolically, he is the "lion" of Mycenae, yet Clytemnestra and Aegisthus picture themselves as wolves that ambush the lion. The Lion Gate frescoes that he commissioned to show power become a backdrop to his vulnerability.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Why does Agamemnon murder Tantalus and Clytemnestra's infant son?

Agamemnon wants to secure the Spartan alliance and force Clytemnestra into marriage. He sees Tantalus as a rival and the child as a future threat. He acts with the connivance of King Tyndareus and his own brother Menelaus, demonstrating his cold pragmatism.

2. How does Agamemnon treat Clytemnestra during their marriage?

He treats her as a possession. He rapes her on their wedding night, dismisses her authority publicly, jokes crudely about her sister, and later chokes her when she defies him. Yet he also respects her administrative ability and leaves her in charge of Mycenae during the war.

3. What role does Agamemnon play in the sacrifice of Iphigenia?

He is the primary decision‑maker. He sends a deceptive message to Clytemnestra promising a marriage, then allows the seer Calchas to sacrifice Iphigenia when the winds fail. He does not intervene to save his daughter.

4. Why does Agamemnon leave Aegisthus alive after taking Mycenae?

Agamemnon’s motive is not explicitly stated in the novel, but Aegisthus escapes into the wilderness and survives alone for years. Agamemnon dismisses the threat, focusing on consolidating his rule and prosecuting the Trojan War. This oversight proves fatal.

5. How does Agamemnon die?

Clytemnestra kills him in the bath of the Mycenaean palace after a decade of planning. She stabs him repeatedly while he is off‑guard; he dies surprised, not understanding that his own cruelty had armed her.

For further exploration, see the overview of Clytemnestra, the ending explained, and discussions of vengeance and justice, female agency, and grief and trauma. For more interpretive questions, visit the questions and answers page.