Agamemnon: Power and Vengeance An analysis of Zeus's role in cycle of violence and revenge in Aeschylus's Agamemnon

Agamemnon: Power and Vengeance In the world of Aeschylus, the lives of mortals are rocked by the emotions of a volatile and vengeful god. This human-like god Zeus is equipped with the power to wreak havoc on the lives of his mortal subjects. In Aeschylus' tragedy, Agamemnon, Zeus blesses and and encourages a vengeful ten year war waged by the twin kings Menelaus and Agamemnon against the city of Troy, sparking a cycle of continued …

…accept this, praise Zeus, and hope for the best. A land ruled by such a tempermental forces will always be filled with strife and violence. In a violent time, when warfare was a common occurrence, as was the case in ancient Greece, a mythology involving an all powerful yet volatile god must have provided a strange sense of security. Through this text, Aeschylus provides an explanation for inexplicable acts of violence and moments of chaos.