For our performances we used Stanislavski’s system and in particular two ideas of his including the given circumstances e.g.: What the actor has been though and his current motive and thoughts and the “magic if” which is what I would do if I was in the circumstances in which the character I was playing is in. This system was made by who is the most well know practitioner Constantin Stanislavski. I implemented both into my performance as Agamemnon in the following ways.
The given circumstances really helped me with working on my characters as it revealed to me his emotions and true intentions in the piece. I looked at the ways in which my character was implemented and how he is treated within the play. This gave me the basis of how he is mistreated in the play and who he is indeed an anti – hero by the way Achilles stabs him in the back and betrays him after he gave him want he wanted (Briseis). This gave me the motive of being angry in my performance after I was given the news that Achilles is planning to quit, even if I do find it a bit unjustified that he took all his anger out on the guard.
The magic if helped me as well by allowing me to think about how I would react to being betrayed by somebody who I just gave somebody to. I realises that I would be angry at him and would off unfortunately also taken my anger out on the guard, but in my opinion this helps me create a connection and make my performance of Agamemnon stronger than it would otherwise have become.
React!