Final Paper Outline - Agamemnon

1. Thesis/Argument
• The Herald is traumatized from the war, and he uses denial as a defense mechanism at the suggestion of trouble at home.
2. Body Paragraph 1
• The Herald comes off the ship and cries with joy 
• The first thing he does is recount tales of Agamemnon slaying the Trojans 
• This seems weird as the first thing he'd tell his people after returning home for 10 years 
3. Body Paragraph 2
• He then laments about the struggles of war 
• Quickly after the grim story of what they endured at war, he brushes it off with a "such is the past" attitude - this is off-putting
4. Body Paragraph 3
• The Chorus asks him about Menelaus 
• Herald reveals that Menelaus' ship has gone missing, and that he could possibly be dead 
• He also says that he doesn't want to ruin the day with the bad news 
5.  Body Paragraph4
• Analysis of the Herald's actions
• It is clear that he is traumatized - he drifts into tales of what happened despite him having an important job (relaying info)
• He's traumatized bc they endured these struggles for 10 years, and they feared they wouldn't return home.  This also explains why the Herald is in denial when the Chorus questions him about Menelaus
• The Herald glosses over the possibility of Menelaus being dead bc he doesn't want to ruin the day.  In his mind they are back home, after surviving such a traumatizing ordeal.  He finally has peace of mind, and he doesn't want to deal with the reality that there are still issues; denial is his defense mechanism.
6. Conclusion