in Agamemnon (Seneca's Eighth Tragedy) — Studley, John, trans.; Seneca, Lucius Annaeus
Metadata
Play
Agamemnon (Seneca's Eighth Tragedy)
Author
Studley, John, trans.; Seneca, Lucius Annaeus
Year (catalogued)
1566
First performance
1566
Decade
1560s
Genre
Tragedy
Play type
Closet Translation
Speech prefix(es)
St • o. | Stro •
Words
166
Characters
928
Typicality
0.41 (cosine to cluster centroid)
TCP id
A11910
BritDrama no.
415
Cluster
Cluster 3 — Citizens, tradesfolk & neighbors
Important excerpts
No keyword-matching excerpt could be extracted (the cluster label doesn't share vocabulary with this character's speech).
Full speech
¶Alack that of so long a time fylicitie is none. ¶Although that Agamemn n death does teach me to take heed, Yet will I under ache the same, and with all diligence Orestes shall I go about with strength to have thee hence. Prosperytie requireth faith, but trouble exacts the same, Have here a price for those that do contend and wage in game. And ornament with comely grace ordained to deck the brow, And let thy head be ouerde with this green and pleasant bow. And carry this victorious triumphant branch in hand. God grant this palm y to planted was in fertile Pisa land, (where solemn games were celebrate Jove's honour to express) May both a safeguard be to to thee and bring thee good success. Thou that bestryds thy father's steeds, as he before hath done, Go strike a league of amity with Pylades my son. Now nimble nags let Greece hereof recording testify, With headlong scouring course amain this traitorous country fly.
Plot summary
Plot — Agamemnon (Seneca's Eighth Tragedy)
The ghost of Thyestes describes his crimes and foretells the death of Agamemnon. During her husband’s long absence at the Trojan war, Clytemnestra has had an affair with Aegisthus; but now Agamemnon is coming home. She tells Aegisthus her doubts about their liaison, but when he proposes suicide, she agrees to join him in finding another way to dispose of their problems. Agamemnon arrives after a stormy crossing from Troy, bringing Cassandra with him as a prisoner. She foretells his murder by Clytemnestra, which duly comes to pass. Clytemnestra wants to kill her children 1566 too, but Orestes has escaped, and Aegisthus is reluctant to behead Electra; instead she is imprisoned in a distant dungeon. Cassandra exults in the overthrow of Troy’s conqueror, and predicts Clytemnestra’s downfall. She is beheaded, but Orestes survives to avenge his father’s death.