Agamememnon is killed. The Chorus goes through every possible response in a dozen lines-- confusion, anger, timidity, vindictiveness, reckless bravery. Finally determine to see for themselves what the situation actually is.
Clytemnestra stands over the body and admits the deed-- for Agamemnon's past sins. Chorus threatens punishment and banishment, but she points out they did nothing to Agamemnon when he sacrificed his own daughter. Claims the protection of Aegisthus, who abetted and murdered Cassandra at the same time.
Chorus breaks into internal discussion dealing with their shock and grief, but Clytemnestra keeps interrupting [in contrast to the previous Strophe-Antistrophe format]. Chorus first blames Helen once again. C: Again? You keep going back to that well. Chorus blames the seeming curse on the royal house. C: Getting closer. But in that case, consider me the conduit of that curse, and especially the required vengeance for the killing of Iphigenia, and find me personally not guilty. Chorus: "Never! On the other hand, it was pretty horrifying what Atreus did, and the punishment seems to have landed on Agaememnon." [Clytemnestra is winning.] So how do we grieve? C: Consider this a family matter. Let Iphigenia greet her father appropriately. [Ouch.] Chorus asks, how can the murderer be put in charge of rectifying justice? C: No, I've put an end to injustices in this house.
Aegisthus enters, surveys the scene, tells the whole tale of his father: Thyestes, brother of Atreus, banished from the kingdom. Laid low, he returns to the palace, but is welcomed by Atreus serving him his own children at the meal. A disgrace. Aegisthus planned this whole murderous plot as an ultimate revenge. The Chorus are outraged, but Aegisthus is claiming power and threatening punishment and slavery for any who dare rise against him. Hot words rise, insults fly, and the room nearly breaks out in violence before Clytemnestra steps between them and orders an end to it. She committed the murders to quell the violence once and for all. More insults hurled, as the Chorus hopes for the return of Orestes.
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Good stuff. I like the multiple motivations at play here: Clytemnestra avenging the murder of Iphigenia, Aegisthus avenging the horrible insult of his father at Atreus's hands. Agamemnon had it coming from two ends.
The interesting thing is that Clytemnestra and Aegisthus seem to be acting unawares of the other's motivation. Who was playing whom, here? Aegisthus using Clytemnestra to actually do the deed, then claim power himself? Or Clytemnestra coaxing Aegisthus into a conspiracy, thus shielding herself while she gets the revenge that has burned within her for ten years? Probably both.
Furthermore, Clytemnestra seems to think this will be the end of the episode-- that she actually has managed to definitively shut down the cycle of violence. Great naivete here. In fact, the truce doesn't last more than an hour before the Chorus is planning an uprising, and plotting to aid Orestes upon his return.
Interesting subtext in the Chorus as well. Aegisthus is claiming the crown, and threatens violence against the people. At the moment, they're not having it. They recognize an illegitimate leader when they see one, and only the threat of widespread violence and slavery holds them back. That can't last forever. (Of course. That's why there's a trilogy.)
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