Aegisthus Character Analysis in Agamemnon

Clytemnestra’s lover and accomplice, and Agamemnon’s cousin. Aegisthus and Agamemnon’s fathers were brothers. Agamemnon’s father Atreus killed several of Aegisthus’ brothers and fed them to their father Thyestes. After Clytemnestra murders Agamemnon, Aegisthus justifies his involvement by saying that the murder of Agamemnon also avenges Atreus’s crime against Aegisthus’s family.

Aegisthus Character Timeline in Agamemnon

The timeline below shows where the character Aegisthus appears in Agamemnon. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.

...ambitious and arrogant. Unfazed, Clytemnestra interrupts them and goes on to reveal that Agamemnon’s cousin Aegisthus is her lover. She reflects on the two dead bodies and explains that, unlike her... (full context)

Aegisthus enters from the palace with a cadre of soldiers. In a long speech, he expresses... (full context)

Aegisthus threatens the Chorus with his soldiers, but Clytemnestra stops the moment from escalating into more... (full context)