Stuttard's edited volume Looking at Agamemnon looks at the cultural, historical and theatrical impact of one of Aeschylus’ most well-known, enduring and popular plays. Divided into 12 distinct chapters, this volume allows the reader to examine Agamemnon from many different angles. Each chapter provides a fresh perspective on an aspect of the play, each written by an expert in the field. Not only do many of the chapters focus on the play itself, but they also broaden the scope of their argument to assess not just the play on its own merits, but also the Oresteia in context. In this way, the entire story of house of the Atridae is both told and examined in this volume.
The volume opens strongly by examining the entire sage of the house of Atreus in Edith Hall's chapter entitled: ‘Eating Children is Bad for You: The Offspring of the Past in Aeschylus’ Agamemnon.’ Here Hall lays out the past misdeeds of members of the house of Atreus. Focusing on the play itself, Hall also manages to examine the wider-ranging implications of infanticide and how this can lead to ruin for generations of a family. This is done well and associated with the wider context of Hesiod and Homer with references to both throughout the chapter. In addition, there is excellent use of the animal kingdom and the depiction of Helen as a lion cub, nurtured in the fold as a member of the family, yet growing up to become violent, dangerous and destructive is striking (p. 46) and perhaps echoes the damage which the members of the house of Atreus will continue to do to one another, even after the events of Agamemnon.
Hall's chapter focuses on a wide-ranging issue of the Oresteia and as a starting point to the volume, this seems apt. However, the volume poses several excellent and interesting chapters which merely focus on a specific aspect. For example, Sommerstein directs his attention to what was ultimately the cause of all Agamemnon's suffering and ultimately, his death. Focusing on Agamemnon's ritual sacrifice of his youngest daughter, Iphigenia, he asks whether he ever had a choice in the matter. This is a chapter which complements those which precede it on the overall narrative of the Oresteia, while also allowing the reader to focus on an individual aspect. Individual themes continue throughout the volume with nostos examined by Alex Garvie, who again reaches out to examine the theme of homecomings, both happy and otherwise in Aeschylus’ other plays as well as examples from the Odyssey. The volume also contains several excellent chapters on wealth and injustice and the aftermath of warfare. The Aftermath of Warfare chapter, written by Isabelle Torrance, is a difficult chapter due to the subject matter, with slavery and rape both covered throughout. Torrance addresses these issues as part of the wider impact of the Trojan War and skillfully uses modern plays and novels to examine the reception which the issue of warfare in Agamemnon has received. Throughout the chapter, Torrance asks the reader to consider the cost of the actions of Agamemnon and the impact they have on both him and his family, but also those who also partake in the sacking of Troy. This is skillfully broken down into sections which cover; the sacrifice of Agamemnon's daughter, Iphigenia, the enslavement and subsequent murder of Cassandra and finally, Agamemnon viewed through the more modern lens of the works of Seamus Heaney and Colm Tobin.
The final chapter of the volume continues and rounds off the theme of the reception of Agamemnon and the Oresteia in modern works but on this occasion, it focuses on the concept of obtaining revenge for the murder of a loved one. This final chapter focuses on modern plays as its corpus of choice, only examining those published after 2005. It is fascinating to see the impact of the entire saga played out in modern stage plays and the examples used are from various countries and contexts. The Molora, a play which sets the events of Agamemnon against the backdrop of apartheid South Africa. Written in 2008, it recounts the traditional tail of Aeschylus’ play but with a nod to the history and tradition of South Africa. Klytemnestra recounts the murder of Agamemnon before the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC). This commission was legally established in 1994 to establish the truth of past atrocities under the apartheid regime. This gives a very emotive and present feel to the narrative. In addition, the chorus on the Molora consists of Xhosa women who dance and sing traditional songs which are then translated for the audience. This chapter, more than any other, reveals the enduring legacy and universality of Aeschylus’ original composition. Thousands of years after the original, the story is still seen as strongly pertinent in different cultural contexts, and this, more than anything else, is what Stuttard's fine volume reflects.
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