Thomas Goffe
THE TRAGEDY OF ORESTES
circa 1613–circa 1618
a synoptic, alphabetical character list
AEGYSTHEUS
Adulterer with Clytemnestra. He is jealous of Agamemnon's return and rues losing Clytemnestra. He calls upon Venus and the Eumenides to support his vengeance. He coaxed Clytemnestra to Agamemnon's murder and stabs the king himself after the queen has stabbed first. When the deed is complete, he kisses his bloody hands and congratulates himself for avenging Thyestes. He next appears in his night clothes and feigns surprise when Orestes tells him that Agamemnon is murdered. Secretly, he and Clytemnestra congratulate themselves and gloat on their victory. When Orestes scolds Clytemnestra, Aegystheus grows suspicious of the boy. As soon as he hears that Orestes is dead, he claims his right to the throne by virtue of being Thyestes' son. When Tyndarus eulogizes Agamemnon at the wedding feast, Aegytheus stops him. The sorceress Canidia calls up an image of him murdering Agamemnon for Orestes and Pylades to witness. In court, Aegystheus gloats over having gotten a baby with his new queen. He orders a general amnesty for all crimes in honor of the baby's birth. He sits in judgment when the disguised Orestes and Pylades are brought before him charged with murdering Mysander. Moved to mercy by Clytemnestra and Strophius, and because of his general amnesty, he exonerates them of the murder. He goes to take physic and the disguised Orestes ties him to his chair and must watch as Orestes stabs his son until the blook spurts into the father's face. He is then made to drink the boy's blood before Orestes stabs him, too.
AGAMEMNON
King of Greece. He arrives home and greet Clytemnestra as his renewed bride. He is stabbed in his bed by Clytemnestra and Agystheus. He awakes and believes Titius and Megara have put on their shapes to do this deed. He dies cursing them and crying out that Argos has greater enemies than Troy. The sorceress Canidia calls up an image of Clytemnestra and Aegystheus murdering Agamemnon for Orestes and Pylades to witness.
ANDROMACHE
A "ghost character." Cassandra calls upon her to glory in the Greeks enacting Troy's revenge.
ANTIOCHUS
A "ghost character." Whilst being stabbed, Agamemnon cries out piteously that he will not be able to tell Orestes of what he saw in Troy, including the death of Antiochus at Hector's hands.
ASTIANAX
A "ghost character." Cassandra calls upon him to glory in the Greeks enacting Troy's revenge.
ATREUS
Only mentioned. Orestes prays to Atreus to grant him vengeance.
BOY
He sweeps a room to make it ready for Aegystheus and Clytemnestra to take physic from the disguised Orestes.
BRISEIS
A "ghost character." Aegystheus reminds Clytemnestra of Agamemnon's rape of the priest's daughter in order to resolve her to the murder.
CANIDIA
A woman who practices magic in the sea cliffs. Pylades suggests that he and Orestes go to her. She can tell who killed Agamemnon by examining his body. She calls forth three witches, Sagana, Veia, and Erictho, and warns Orestes and Pylades to sit quietly and watch. After showing them a vision of Agamemnon's murder, she warns Orestes that piety stands between him and his revenge. She offers Orestes her aid in killing them with magic, but he rejects her suggestions as too tame and wishes to enact his own vengeance upon them himself.
CASSANDRA
A "ghost character."After stabbing Agamemnon, Clytemnestra remembers how he acted the adulterer with Cassandra. Cassandra appears after Agamemnon's death to glory in the Greeks enacting Troy's revenge. After the murders of Clytemnestra, Aegysthus, and the boy, and after Strophius dies and Electra commits suicide, Cassandra enters to gloat again. She taunts Orestes, now mad, until he stabs the dead bodies of Strophius and Electra.
CHAMBERLAIN
He and the boy make a room ready for Aegystheus and Clytemnestra to take physic from the disguised Orestes.
CHILD, YOUNG
A newborn when first seen. Aegystheus and Clytemnestra's child. The sweetest baby the nurse has ever kissed. When Orestes and Pylades return, Orestes wishes to use the child in his revenge. By that time, the child is old enough to report he has his father's face and mother's eyes, which does not stand him well in Orestes' esteem. He also says that he reminds Electra of Orestes, whom the child says he loves though never say, which puts Orestes off. Agamemnon's ghost whets Orestes' revenge and he stabs the child before his father's eyes.
CLYTEMNESTRA
The queen. She makes a show of greeting Agamemnon home with pomp. (There is now purple tapestry in this play for her to entreat her husband to walk upon.) She goes with Aegystheys in I.iv to stab Agamemnon in his bed. She is first to stab him whilst remembering how he raped Briseis. She next appears in her night clothes and pretends to faint when Orestes tells her that Agamemnon is murdered. She kneels with Orestes and formulates a curse upon the murderer. Secretly, she and Aegystheus congratulate themselves and gloat on their victory. When Orestes scolds her for her lack of mourning, she chafes, tells Aegystheus to cut off his head, and says a son's disobedience is "more harsh than adders hisses." She does not mourn to learn Orestes has died but weds Aegystheus as planned. The sorceress Canidia calls up an image of her murdering Agamemnon for Orestes and Pylades to witness. In court, Clytemnestra bears Aegystheus a baby. She is moved by the pleas of the disguised Orestes and Pylades to save the other and begs Aegystheus to excuse the murder of Mysander. She goes to take physic and the disguised Pylades ties her to her chair. Orestes murders her youngest child, shows her Agamemnon's bones to remind her of her sin, and makes her drink the child's blood before stabbing her. She dies confessing she deserves it.
ELECTRA
Agamemnon and Clytemnestra's daughter. After Agamemnon's murder, she tells Orestes that she has as great a cause of grief as he has. She aids in Orestes's plan to make it seem to Clytemnestra and Aegystheus that Orestes and Pylades have committed suicide. She is given oversight of the baby born to Aegystheus and Clytemnestra. She is glad when Orestes returns but aggrieved that he wants the baby to enact their revenge. After the murders, she goes into banishment with Strophius, who dies quickly after. She then stabs herself. Orestes finds her body and, mad, stabs it again with her knife.
ERICTHO
One of three witches along with Veia and Sagana called up by Canidia to tell who murdered Agamemnon.
EUMENIDES
Only mentioned. Aegystheus calls upon Venus and the Eumenides to support his vengeance.
GHOST of AGAMEMNON
Agamemnon's ghost appears at the moment Orestes hesitates in using the child for his revenge. A child's smile, he commands, must not blank Orestes' memory of what befell the king.
HECATE
A "ghost character." She is "triformed" and has put on her "Styx-dyed" mantle of night, making it time for Canidia and the three witches to do their work.
HECTOR
A "ghost character." Agamemnon remembers seeing Hector's slaughter.
HECUBA
A "ghost character." Aegystheus says that even Hecuba would pity him. Cassandra calls upon her to glory in the Greeks enacting Troy's revenge.
HELEN
A "ghost character." Cassandra glories in the Greeks enacting Troy's revenge by the hands of Helen's sister, Clytemnestra. This is the only suggestion of Clytemnestra's prophetic gifts as no one has yet discovered that Clytemnestra is guilty.
LAODAMIE
A "ghost character." Whilst being stabbed, Agamemnon cries out piteously that he will not be able to tell Orestes of what he saw in Troy, including the death of Prothesilaus who was dear to Laodmie.
LORDS, TWO
They rush in when Mysander cries murder and arrest the disguised Orestes and Pylades. Later, they are saddened by Orestes' madness and pity him. They go to Tyndarus to beg him to take pity on the prince for Agamemnon's sake.
MEGARA
A "ghost character." Whilst being stabbed, Agamemnon awakes and imagines his enemy Megara has clothed himself in the skin of Clytemnestra to do this deed.
MEONRIADES
A "ghost character." Whilst being stabbed, Agamemnon cries out piteously that he will not be able to tell Orestes of what he saw in Troy, including the death of Meonriades.
MYSANDER
A favorite and parasite. He gossips with Tyndarus that Agamemnon died of old age, that Orestes has killed himself, and Aegystheus means to assume the throne. He is not particularly surprised that Clytemnestra does not mourn for Orestes, saying she can get another son that she will love just as well. Mysander later overhears Orestes and Pylades planning to infiltrate the court and kill the monarchs, and they stab him.
NUNTIUS
A messenger. As part of Orestes's plan, he tells Clytemnestra and Aegystheus that Orestes and Pylades have committed suicide by leaping from the cliffs in despair for Agamemnon's death.
NURSE
She watches the new baby born to Aegystheus and Clytemnestra and, upon the queen's command, gives the baby to be watched by Electra. She claims it is the sweetest baby she ever kissed. She sings a lullaby of Troy and Greece to the baby.
ORESTES
Agamemnon and Clytemnestra's son, Pylades' friend. He feels as though time has stood still for the ten years of his father's absence and, with Agamemnon's return, he feels renewed. He has a prophetic dream while Agamemnon is actually being killed that he sees Achilles and Briseis stabbing his father to death in his tent. He goes to find his father murdered indeed and vows revenge. Orestes tells his mother and Aegystheus of the murder, not suspecting them, and curses the murderer, hoping his child dies before his face. Alone, he prays to Atreus to grant him vengeance. When Clytemnestra refuses to mourn, Orestes says, "O, my prophetic soul" and guesses the truth. He hopes Aegystheus is guilty and conspires to have his friends rumor it about that he has died whilst he puts on a disguise. He has it rumored that he and Pylades have committed suicide by leaping from the cliffs into the sea. He takes his father's bones and skull to the woman. He eulogizes over his father's bones in the vein of Hamlet with Yorick's skull. He apostrophizes the worms eating the king and stomps them for their arrogance. The sorceress Canidia calls up an image of Clytemnestra and Aegystheus murdering Agamemnon for Orestes and Pylades to witness. Orestes, though warned that piety stands between him and his revenge, disavows Clytemnestra as his mother. He abjures Canidia's offers to kill them with magic curses, choosing to enact the revenge himself at court. Mysander overhears Orestes and Pylades planning to infiltrate the court and kill the monarchs, and they stab him. Mysander's cries bring lords who arrest Orestes and Pylades, who claim they killed him in self defense. He chafes to be judged by Aegystheus. When Aegystheus says he will execute only the one responsible for stabbing Mysander, both Orestes and Pylander claim to be solely responsible. Exonerated, he pretends to be a great physician with knowledge of herbs. They reveal themselves secretly to Strophius and Electra, and Orestes requires the child of Electra. He hesitates when the child claims to love Orestes, but Agamemnon's ghost appears to whet his revenge. He ties Aegystheus to his chair when he comes to take physic and stabs the child before Aegystheus' eyes. He stabs until the child's blood spurts into Aegystheus' face. He thrusts Agamemnon's bones at Clytemnestra to remind her of her sin. He then makes them drink the child's blood before stabbing them, too. He shows the court his deed and, discovering himself, demands the crown. Tyndarus banishes him from the court and orders that none shall give him food or succor. In exile, he runs mad. The stage direction for his V.iv entrance is "enter Orestes furens." Cassandra taunts him as he comes upon the bodies of Strophius and Electra and stabs them with Electra's knife. Pylades comes across him and charms him to sleep, but he dreams of horrors and awakes. His guilt works heavily upon him. He regains his sanity at the end, and he and Pylades run upon one another's rapiers and die embracing each other. Tyndarus, taking pity on them, orders the two friends to be buried in one grave.
PANDER
A "ghost character." Aegystheus refers to a pander that must be a factor between his bed and Clytemnestra's even after the death of Agamemnon until they can wed.
PLUTO
Only mentioned. Clytemnestra calls upon Pluto to stand beside her as she kills Agamemnon.
PRIAM
A "ghost character." Agamemnon says the happiest Trojans were those that died with Priam. Cassandra calls upon him to glory in the Greeks enacting Troy's revenge.
PROTHESILAUS
A "ghost character." Whilst being stabbed, Agamemnon cries out piteously that he will not be able to tell Orestes of what he saw in Troy, including the death of Prothesilaus who was dear to Laodmie.
PYLADES
Strophius' son, Orestes' friend. He warns Orestes not to tempt heaven with too much joy at his father's return, reminding him the future is never certain. After Agamemnon's murder, he offers to be as a brother to Orestes. When Orestes wishes to go in disguise while the world thinks him dead, Pylades volunteers to go with him, saying, "If actors on the stage having no cause but to win an hearer's hands applause, can let tears fall," then they can also act their parts in this tragedy. Once he is thought dead, he tells Orestes of Canidia, a woman who practices magic in the sea cliffs. Pylades suggests that he and Orestes go to her. She can tell who killed Agamemnon by examining his body. He accompanies Orestes, who carries his father's bones and skull to the woman. He worries about his friends wits when Orestes begins stomping the arrogant worms that eat the king. The sorceress Canidia calls up an image of Clytemnestra and Aegystheus murdering Agamemnon for Orestes and Pylades to witness. He reminds Orestes that the laws of nature forbid the killing of even a bad mother. Mysander overhears Orestes and Pylades planning to infiltrate the court and kill the monarchs, and they stab him. Mysander's cries bring lords who arrest Orestes and Pylades, who claim they killed him in self defense. When Aegystheus says he will execute only the one responsible for stabbing Mysander, both Orestes and Pylander claim to be solely responsible. Exonerated, he tells Aegystheus that Orestes has great art in medicine and herbs. They reveal themselves secretly to Strophius and Electra. He also asks Orestes to spare the child from his revenge. Pylades also sees Agamemnon's ghost when it appears to whet Orestes' revenge. He ties Clytemnestra to her chair when she comes to take physic. After the murders, Tyndarus banishes him from court. In exile, he comes across his father's corpse and discovers that Orestes has run mad. He charms his friend to sleep. Orestes awakes talking of Clytemnestra to which Pylades responds, "Still harping on thy mother?" Orestes regains his sanity at the end, and he and Pylades run upon one another's rapiers and die embracing each other. Tyndarus, taking pity on them, orders the two friends to be buried in one grave.
SAGANA
The chief of three witches along with Veia and Erictho called up by Canidia to tell who murdered Agamemnon.
STROPHIUS
Father to Pylades and Agamemnon's brother. He is stoical about Agamemnon's death and counsels Orestes to bear up. He believes grief has caused Clytemnestra to turn tyrant with Orestes. He aids in Orestes's plan to make it seem to Clytemnestra and Aegystheus that Orestes and Pylades have committed suicide. He privately fears seeing Aegystheus wear the crown. He is moved by the pleas of the disguised Orestes and Pylades to save the other and begs Aegystheus to excuse the murder of Mysander. After the murders, he goes into exile with Electra and dies almost at once. Orestes, mad, stabs his body with Electra's knife.
THYESTES
Only mentioned. Aegystheus delivers an apostrophe to Thyestes, saying he is prompted to murder Agamemnon because of Thyestes' bloody feast.
TITIUS
A "ghost character." Whilst being stabbed, Agamemnon awakes and imagines his enemy Titius has clothed himself in the skin of Aegystheus, his friend and kinsman, to do this deed.
TYNDARUS
Clytemnestra's father. He learns the gossip from Mysander that Agamemnon died of old age, that Orestes has killed himself, and Aegystheus means to assume the throne. He plans to attend his daughter's wedding to Aegystheus. He says, "Her hasty wedding and the old king's neglect makes my conjectural soul some ill suspect." When he eulogizes Agamemnon at the wedding feast, Aegytheus stops him. He disowns Orestes when the murders are revealed. He banishes Strophius and Electra from court. He orders that none give Orestes food or shelter in his banishment. He is moved by the lords' plea to have mercy on the mad prince but arrives to find he and Pylades have mercifully killed one another. He delivers the final lines, saying it is vain to believe we can control our fates. He orders the two friends to be buried in one grave.
VEIA
One of three witches along with Erictho and Sagana called up by Canidia to tell who murdered Agamemnon.
VENUS
Only mentioned. Aegystheus calls upon Venus and the Eumenides to support his vengeance.