THE ' AGAMEMNON* AND < TRACHINI^ 11 



poem, although it is also true that this poem contains dramatic 

 scenes of extraordinary power. 



The ' Agamemnon ' may be analysed into three parts, each 

 of which is extremely beautiful, even if considered separately 

 from the rest. We have a complete poem recited by the chorus 

 describing the sacrifice of Iphigenia, and ending with her death ; 

 another complete poem describing the flight of Helen, and end- 

 ing with her reception in Troy, seemingly a blessing, really a 

 curse ; and lastly we have a drama showing the arrival and 

 murder of Agamemnon. The three parts are all' harmonious, 

 conspiring to produce one general effect, but the mere written 

 copy without stage directions often leaves us in doubt as to how 

 these parts were blended together. It is highly probable that 

 by change of attitude, position, and demeanour, the chorus 

 marked in the clearest possible way the separation between 

 those periods during which they were the singers of a sacred 

 hymn, and those in which they represented, with some approach 

 to realism, personages taking part in the action of the drama. 

 When these stage directions are wholly omitted, as in Mr. 

 Browning's transcript, the reader will often be startled by a 

 sudden descent from passages of great lyrical grandeur to others 

 spoken by the same men, but so worded as to indicate plainly 

 that the speakers were commonplace people, incapable of invent- 

 ing the words they had previously delivered. The sacred hymns 

 are appropriate to the old men who sing them, being such as 

 they would love ; but the old people who prattle about tottering 

 along on three legs could not in their proper characters have 

 used the language describing the sacrifice of Iphigenia or the 

 flight of Helen. It would be a mistake to suppose that the 

 portion headed KOMMATIKA included all those parts which 

 are spoken or sung by the choreutai in character. 



The poem of Iphigenia begins with the entrance of the 

 chorus after a prologue has been spoken by the Warder, and 

 ends before the first dramatic interlude. The course of this 

 poem is interrupted by a passage in which the old men describe 

 themselves, and ask Clytemnestra the meaning of the sacrificial 

 fires ; the Queen does not seem to be on the stage, and they 

 wait for no answer, but abruptly resume the story of Iphigenia. 

 When the play is simply read, no reason appears why the poem 



