The Thematic Purpose of the Powerless Underclass in Agamemnon towards this upper class. This concept is reflected in various literatures throughout history and can also be seen in modern societies around the world. In Greek drama, the powerless underclass is, for the most part, ignored and seen as a mass without individual identity. Yet, both in Greek literature and in our contemporary society, the lower classes serve very important purposes. Aeschylus' Agamemnon, in which Clytemnestra murders her husband, Agamemnon, upon her return from the Battle of Troy, depicts an extremely large and significant underclass. Besides the simple function of narrating the background of the play, Agamemnon's helpless underclass, represented by the chorus and the guard, also serves several important thematic purposes, namely the representation of both the neglected individual and oppressed masses, as well as an emphasis on the negative aspects. of the main characters by offering a striking contrast. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an original essay One of the purposes of the underclass is that it reflects the situation of neglected individuals who do not have the power to influence the course of action and who suffer from a lack of individual identity. This lack of individual identity is represented by the guard at the beginning of the play, when he explains his elation at Troy's victory by saying that "his master's luck is [his] own" (34). The guard has no control over his personal desires. His happiness depends on the situation of his superiors and society in general. The repression of individuals who freely express their thoughts and thus attempt to actively participate in the action is manifested in the dialogue between the choir director and the herald. They are discussing Troy's glorious victory when the choir leader begins to allude to certain suspicions about Clytemnestra and life since Agamemnon's departure: “Leader: For years, only my silence has protected me from evil. Herald: What, with the kings gone, has anyone threatened you? Leader: So...now, as you say, it would be nice to die. (538-541) Not only does he allude to his fears that the conflict over the sacrifice of Agamemnon's daughter Iphigenia has not yet been resolved, but he also suggests that the freedom of the individual to express his opinion has been oppressed and you have to be careful what you say. The climax of the lack of respect for the lower class, however, is reached after the death of Agamemnon, when the chorus argues against Clytemnestra and Aegisthus. In a mournful speech, they chant: All plans broken, all hope! I cannot think [...] "You can dare that? To kill your lord with your own hand." (1560, 1571-1572) Because the chorus uses the first person singular, we can conclude that he is speaking, in this case, as an individual. This individual expresses concern and confusion over the death of his king and verbally attacks his leaders. However, he is despised and oppressed by the ruling elite. The powerless individual therefore has no say in the plot and illustrates the oppression of the marginal class. What gives additional importance to the powerless underclass in Agamemnon, beyond the significance of representing ignored individuals, is its role in representing the oppressed masses. A first indication that the people of Argos are oppressed is the watchman's complaint about thehash conditions he faced during the reign of Clytemnestra. "So she commands [...] This woman - she maneuvers like a man." (12-13)By comparing her to a man, the guard indicates that she does not follow the stereotype of a loving woman, but is instead a strict and disciplined woman with an absolute ruler. Real oppression only occurs after Agamemnon's death and after Clytemnestra and Aegisthus claim the throne. After the masses express their strong objection to all this, Aegisthus responds: “You, slaves at the oars, while the master on the benches cracks the whip? You will learn, in old age, how much it hurts to teach old bones their place. ". (1659-1663) It now becomes evident that Aegisthus is willing to resort to severe corporal punishment and other measures to threaten the people and keep the masses under control. Moreover, in a later dispute with the choir leader regarding the murder of Agamemnon and the future of Argos, he expresses his intention to become the ruler "We will see if the world will come to dance to your song [...] I will make sure that. you dance, I will bring you all into line. (1663, 1665) It can be seen that the schism between the two parties, the masses and the leaders, has deepened. In this case, the choirmaster attempts to rally the masses against the newly self-proclaimed leaders, but the passive and oppressed underclass stands no chance against the tyrannical rule of Aegisthus and Clytemnestra. Finally, the most important role of the underclass in Agamemnon is to provide a harsh contrast to the culprits and thus emphasize their evil characteristics. To achieve this, the underclass is portrayed as extremely kind, caring, and loyal people. This can be seen in the guard's speech after he realizes that the king will return soon. "Just take him home. My king, I will take your loving hand in mine and then..." (36, 37)Here we can detect not only the intimate bond that the king maintains with his subjects, but also the loyalty of the subjects and their devotion to the well-being of the king. Unlike Clytemnestra, who simply acts as if everything is fine to deceive Agamemnon and murder him, the underclass demonstrates true dedication. When the king arrives, the chorus alludes to the disloyalty of the rulers. “Seek, my king, and learn at last who remained at home and kept his faith and who betrayed the city.” (792-794) Although the chorus does not directly accuse anyone, it is obvious to the reader that those who remained loyal were the lower class and those who betrayed the city were Clytemnestra and Aegisthus. However, without the good-hearted working class to contrast these actions, the role of Clytemnestra and Aegisthus would seem much more human and understandable. This division between “good” and “bad” reaches its climax after the death of Agamemnon. The popular class engages in direct confrontation with Clytemnestra and Aegisthus and accuses them of committing terrible acts. (1424-1425) Again, without the contrast that the chorus provides, the reader would be more inclined to accept the actions of Clytemnestra and Aegisthus as the result of human emotions and perhaps even view revenge as justified . However, due to the good example of the underclass in the play, the reader automatically identifies more with them and condemns Agamemnon's murder as unjust and inhumane. The powerless underclass thus presents a contrast to Agamemnon's murderers and therefore acts to portray them as malevolent figures. Keep in mind: this is just a sample. Get a personalized article from our expert writers now. Get a Custom Essay Therefore, although.

Essay / The Thematic Purpose of the Powerless Underclass in Agamemnon towards this upper class. This concept is reflected in various literatures throughout history and can also be seen in modern societies around the world. In Greek drama, the powerless underclass is, for the most part, ignored and seen as a mass without individual identity. Yet, both in Greek literature and in our contemporary society, the lower classes serve very important purposes. Aeschylus' Agamemnon, in which Clytemnestra murders her husband, Agamemnon, upon her return from the Battle of Troy, depicts an extremely large and significant underclass. Besides the simple function of narrating the background of the play, Agamemnon's helpless underclass, represented by the chorus and the guard, also serves several important thematic purposes, namely the representation of both the neglected individual and oppressed masses, as well as an emphasis on the negative aspects. of the main characters by offering a striking contrast. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an original essay One of the purposes of the underclass is that it reflects the situation of neglected individuals who do not have the power to influence the course of action and who suffer from a lack of individual identity. This lack of individual identity is represented by the guard at the beginning of the play, when he explains his elation at Troy's victory by saying that "his master's luck is [his] own" (34). The guard has no control over his personal desires. His happiness depends on the situation of his superiors and society in general. The repression of individuals who freely express their thoughts and thus attempt to actively participate in the action is manifested in the dialogue between the choir director and the herald. They are discussing Troy's glorious victory when the choir leader begins to allude to certain suspicions about Clytemnestra and life since Agamemnon's departure: “Leader: For years, only my silence has protected me from evil. Herald: What, with the kings gone, has anyone threatened you? Leader: So...now, as you say, it would be nice to die. (538-541) Not only does he allude to his fears that the conflict over the sacrifice of Agamemnon's daughter Iphigenia has not yet been resolved, but he also suggests that the freedom of the individual to express his opinion has been oppressed and you have to be careful what you say. The climax of the lack of respect for the lower class, however, is reached after the death of Agamemnon, when the chorus argues against Clytemnestra and Aegisthus. In a mournful speech, they chant: All plans broken, all hope! I cannot think [...] "You can dare that? To kill your lord with your own hand." (1560, 1571-1572) Because the chorus uses the first person singular, we can conclude that he is speaking, in this case, as an individual. This individual expresses concern and confusion over the death of his king and verbally attacks his leaders. However, he is despised and oppressed by the ruling elite. The powerless individual therefore has no say in the plot and illustrates the oppression of the marginal class. What gives additional importance to the powerless underclass in Agamemnon, beyond the significance of representing ignored individuals, is its role in representing the oppressed masses. A first indication that the people of Argos are oppressed is the watchman's complaint about thehash conditions he faced during the reign of Clytemnestra. "So she commands [...] This woman - she maneuvers like a man." (12-13)By comparing her to a man, the guard indicates that she does not follow the stereotype of a loving woman, but is instead a strict and disciplined woman with an absolute ruler. Real oppression only occurs after Agamemnon's death and after Clytemnestra and Aegisthus claim the throne. After the masses express their strong objection to all this, Aegisthus responds: “You, slaves at the oars, while the master on the benches cracks the whip? You will learn, in old age, how much it hurts to teach old bones their place. ". (1659-1663) It now becomes evident that Aegisthus is willing to resort to severe corporal punishment and other measures to threaten the people and keep the masses under control. Moreover, in a later dispute with the choir leader regarding the murder of Agamemnon and the future of Argos, he expresses his intention to become the ruler "We will see if the world will come to dance to your song [...] I will make sure that. you dance, I will bring you all into line. (1663, 1665) It can be seen that the schism between the two parties, the masses and the leaders, has deepened. In this case, the choirmaster attempts to rally the masses against the newly self-proclaimed leaders, but the passive and oppressed underclass stands no chance against the tyrannical rule of Aegisthus and Clytemnestra. Finally, the most important role of the underclass in Agamemnon is to provide a harsh contrast to the culprits and thus emphasize their evil characteristics. To achieve this, the underclass is portrayed as extremely kind, caring, and loyal people. This can be seen in the guard's speech after he realizes that the king will return soon. "Just take him home. My king, I will take your loving hand in mine and then..." (36, 37)Here we can detect not only the intimate bond that the king maintains with his subjects, but also the loyalty of the subjects and their devotion to the well-being of the king. Unlike Clytemnestra, who simply acts as if everything is fine to deceive Agamemnon and murder him, the underclass demonstrates true dedication. When the king arrives, the chorus alludes to the disloyalty of the rulers. “Seek, my king, and learn at last who remained at home and kept his faith and who betrayed the city.” (792-794) Although the chorus does not directly accuse anyone, it is obvious to the reader that those who remained loyal were the lower class and those who betrayed the city were Clytemnestra and Aegisthus. However, without the good-hearted working class to contrast these actions, the role of Clytemnestra and Aegisthus would seem much more human and understandable. This division between “good” and “bad” reaches its climax after the death of Agamemnon. The popular class engages in direct confrontation with Clytemnestra and Aegisthus and accuses them of committing terrible acts. (1424-1425) Again, without the contrast that the chorus provides, the reader would be more inclined to accept the actions of Clytemnestra and Aegisthus as the result of human emotions and perhaps even view revenge as justified . However, due to the good example of the underclass in the play, the reader automatically identifies more with them and condemns Agamemnon's murder as unjust and inhumane. The powerless underclass thus presents a contrast to Agamemnon's murderers and therefore acts to portray them as malevolent figures. Keep in mind: this is just a sample. Get a personalized article from our expert writers now. Get a Custom Essay Therefore, although.

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