Write a Note on the Use of Dramatic Irony in “Agamemnon.”

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Write a note on the use of dramatic irony in Agamemnon NU In Agamemnon BCE Aeschylus c BCE c BCE uses dramatic irony as a key tool Dramatic irony happens when the audience knows more than the characters In this play the audience knows about the curse on the House of Atreus They also know Clytemnestra is planning revenge But Agamemnon himself does not know This contrast creates tension and fear It makes the audience expect tragedy even before it happens on stage Knowledge of The Curse The audience already knows the House of Atreus is cursed The crimes of Tantalus and Atreus are part of Greek tradition Cassandra says It s a house that hates gods The Chorus also reminds us of past violence But Agamemnon himself does not see the curse in his home This gap between audience knowledge and character ignorance is strong dramatic irony Clytemnestra s

Deceptive Welcome Clytemnestra welcomes her husband with soft words She acts like a loyal wife and praises Agamemnon She asks him to walk on purple tapestries She says let his path be covered with purple Agamemnon sees this as honor But the audience knows her words hide her plan They know she wants revenge for Iphigenia Her speech seems kind but is cruel The irony lies in her mask of love covering murder Cassandra s Prophecy Cassandra is given the gift of prophecy She knows the truth but no one believes her She cries house full of death kinsmen butchered The audience knows she speaks true words The Chorus however doubts her visions and calls her mad This rejection creates painful dramatic irony The audience feels fear because the truth is clear Cassandra sees death but her warnings are ignored Her helplessness makes the scene tragic Agamemnon s Ignorance Agamemnon returns proud from Troy He believes he has glory and safety He is blind to danger in his own palace He does not suspect his wife s false greetings His hubris or pride blinds him to the curse The audience however knows the rules of fate They know sacrifice brings punishment Agamemnon s sacrifice of Iphigenia is still unpaid His ignorance makes his murder more shocking The irony is that he feels safe at the moment of doom The Chorus And Fear The Chorus knows the past sins of the house They often remind the audience about the curse They also sense evil before it happens Yet when Agamemnon cries inside they do nothing They are confused and afraid They argue but fail to help The audience knows murder is happening inside But the Chorus only debates and hesitates Their fear and helplessness increase the tragic effect This human weakness is shown through dramatic irony on stage Clytemnestra s Justification After the murder Clytemnestra speaks of revenge and justice The audience knows she is both guilty and victim of the curse Her words show how irony works the murderer herself says she is not free The gods and fate seem to act through her This makes her crime more tragic Cassandra predicts Another man will come and will avenge us a son who'll kill his mother then pay back his father's death Aeschylus uses dramatic irony in Agamemnon to build tension and deepen tragedy The audience knows the curse Clytemnestra s plot and Cassandra s truth But Agamemnon himself is blind His pride and trust lead him to death The Chorus adds to irony through their fear and inaction

Agamemnon

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Write a Note on the Use of Dramatic Irony in “Agamemnon.”

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Aeschylus

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