Mycenae Lookout: Plot

“Mycenae Lookout: Plot”

Introduction

• “Mycenae Lookout” refers to the watchtower from the ancient city of Mycenae in Greece and is inspired by the Greek tragic play, Agamemnon.

• Heaney terms himself as the ‘watchman’, who is a metaphorical observer, contemplating the horror of violence, just as the watchman in Aeschylus’s play, who foresees the tragic events.

The Horrifying Truth

• Throughout the poem, Heaney weaves a tale of deception, betrayal and murder reminiscent of the Mycenaean King Agamemnon’s fate.

• Heaney’s depiction of Clytemnestra, as the vengeful wife who deceives and murders her own husband, creates a chilling vision of passionate anger and revenge.

Time and its Insidious Progress

• Heaney draws parallels between the ancient past and the contemporary present, with the disconcerting realization that humanity’s blood-soaked history remains unchanged.

• The “uncurtained bedroom” signifies how warfare and aggression have invaded the most personal and peaceful aspects of human life, a reality that holds true across eras.

Reflection and Resonance

• As the poem’s ‘watchman’, Heaney highlights his role as a poet and observer, bearing witness to humanity’s history of violence, thereby infusing the poem with a dual sense of immediacy and historical resonance.

• The poem ends on a sombre note, reflecting upon the cyclical nature of violence and the inevitability of history repeating itself.