Imagery of the Lion in Agamemnon
Imagery of the Lion in Agamemnon In Aeschylus’ Agamemnon, symbolism is prominent throughout the play, and it is used to represent the feelings of the characters. ... Agamemnon is overloaded with symbolism; on of the most prominent is the animal imagery. ... This statement is justly proven throughout Agamemnon through the use of several different animal symbolisms. One in particular is the lion. The lion can be seen as a powerful animal, as well as be noted for its slyness and deceitful tendencies. ... In Agamemnon, Aeschylus makes known the similarities between many of the characters and this beast through their common lion-like qualities. In contrast to the play, another characteristic of the lion is that they will often abandon or leave their cubs to die of starvation for their own self-gain. This is ironic to the play because the character most referred to as a lion is Clytaemnestra, the mother. ... This is one paradoxical trait that is not shared between Clytaemnestra and the lion. To the contrary, Agamemnon sacrificing his daughter is in concordance with the behavior of the lion.