Imagery

• How is nature imagery

used?
• How old do these
lovers seem to be?
• Is there any gender
difference in the way
the erotic experience is
described?
New Kingdom Banquet Scene
Egyptian Boys & Girls At Play
Egyptian Girl With Lute
 The Song of Songs
• Culture: Ancient Israel
• Time: 1st millenium BCE
• Author: unknown
• Genre: poetry
• Context:
• Theme: erotic love
 Imagery
• What imagery do these poets use to express their
themes?
• How do these characters know that they feel erotic
love? That is, describe the effect of erotic love on
the body in these poems.
• Is there any gender difference in the experience of
erotic love expressed here?
• Note the similarities to the other ANE poetry we
have just read.
Archaic Greek Lyric Poetry
Poet: Arkhilokhos
Culture: Greek
Time: 7th c. BCE
Genre: lyric poetry
Context: all male (&
female slaves &
prostitutes)
dinner/drinking parties
(symposia).
Imagery
• Characterize this encounter
between a mature man (the
speaker) and a young girl.
• How does the speaker describe
the girl?
• Is there a gender difference in
the experience of love here?
Masculinity
• How does the speaker
portray himself and
his life in the elegiac
poem on pp. 593-4?
• What does this reveal
about Greek gender
roles?
Sappho’s Songs
• Culture: Greek
• Time: 7th c. BCE
• Poet: Sappho
• Genre: Lyric poetry
• Themes: erotic love, religious
rituals (including weddings).
She also composed poems
about poetic competition, her
daughter, myth, etc.
 Imagery
• What type of imagery can you see in these
poems?

• How does Sappho describe erotic emotion?

What does it feel like? What are its effects
on the body?
Alkaios
• Culture: Greek
• Time: 7th-6th c. BCE
• Genre: lyric poetry
• Context: all male
symposia
• Themes: erotic love,
the uncertainty of life,
the Trojan War,
politics.
 Imagery
• What is Alkaios’ view of love and marriage,
do you think, from what he says in his
poems?
Pindar
• Culture: Greek
• Time: 5th c. BCE
• Genre: praise poetry
• Context: celebrations
for victorious Olympic
Games athletes.
• Themes: victory,
proper behavior (e.g.
piety)
Aeschylus’ Agamemnon

CNE/ENG 120
9/22/04
 Agamemnon
• Author: Aeschylus
• Culture: Greek
• Time: 5th c. BC
• Genre: tragedy (drama)
• Names to know: Agamemnon, Clytaenestra,
Iphigeneia, Cassandra.
• Themes: nostos, disguise, revelation, recognition,
revenge, justice, how to live a good life: marriage,
family, gender roles, learning through suffering.
The Curse of the House of Atreus
People Dysfunction
Tantalos murder, crime
Pelops murder, curse
Atreus & Thyestes adultery, murder,
cannibalism
Agamemnon, Aegisthus, adultery, murder
Clytaemestra
Iphigeneia, Orestes, Electra murder
 Imagery
• The accumulated crimes of the House of
Atreus are represented in the text in imagery
of rotting, clotted blood/gore.
 Other important images:
• Sacrifice: The feast of Thyestes & the murder of
Iphigeneia account for the image of murder as a
ritual act which appears throughout the trilogy.
Agamemnon dies in retribution for the 2 crimes,
and Aeschylus makes this explicit in Cassandra &
Clytaemestra’s speeches at the end of the play.
• Hunting: Imagery of hunting and nets shows the
connection between Agamemnon’s death & the
capture of Troy. Clyt. is a dog chasing her prey.
The Sacrifice of Iphigeneia
The Killing of Cassandra
 Concrete Action
• Clytaemestra throws a robe over
Agamemnon to immobilize him before she
kills him. Aeschylus probably invented this
use of the robe and Clytaemestra’s active
role in the murder.

• The robe = the bonds of Fate.

 Role of Language (Logos)
• Clytaemestra fools Agamemnon by using
language and preying on his susceptibility to
stereotypes about women.
• This is a drama of logos: it shows an intense
interest in the limits and possibilities of language.
Why? The major institutions of ancient Greek
society were the political assembly (democracy) &
the law courts, so discussion of the best way to use
language was v. important to how society
functioned.
 Plot
• Agamemnon returns home and
Clytaemestra & Aegisthus kill him.
• What action occurs onstage?
Characteristics: highly involved chorus,
intense action, interwoven imagery

• Outline:
1) Prologue (lines 1-39): watchman on roof
2) Chorus of elders enters, sees Clytaemestra
praying & sacrificing at an altar. They give
us information we need re omens and
actions past. The doer must suffer; wisdom
comes through suffering.
• First Episode (lines 270-366): Clytaemestra
proclaims the Fall of Troy and possible Greek
sacrilege. Discussion of the light and what it
means, disagreement between the queen and the
chorus.
• Second Episode (lines 481-685): Several days
have passed; a herald arrives boasting of the Greek
destruction of Trojan holy sites. He announces
Agamemnon’s imminent return.
 Subtle Messages
• The chorus hints to the herald that not all is
well here at home; he doesn’t hear them.
• Clytaemestra proclaims her love for and
fidelity to Agamemnon.
• Chorus tells how a wife (Helen) brought
misery to men. Pride goeth before a fall.
 Stage Action
• Third Episode: Agamemnon arrives onstage
in a chariot with Cassandra.
• Describe the reunion of Clytaemestra and
Agamemnon. Romantic? Joyful? Loving?
• What does Clytaemestra insist Agamemnon
do? Why doesn’t he want to? What does he
end up doing?
 The Plot, Completed
• Fourth Episode (lines 1019-1410): Clytamestra
orders Cassandra into the palace.
• What does Cassandra see? What information does
she give us?
• What important action takes place offstage once
Cassandra has gone inside?
• Clytaemestra emerges triumphant. What does she
tell us?
 Exodos (1411-1673)
• Why does Clytaemestra feel justified in
doing what she did?
• How does the chorus react to her actions?
• How is Aegisthus portrayed in this scene?
• At the end, what does the Chorus hope will
happen?
The Libation Bearers: Orestes’
Revenge