One could argue that Agamemnon has all the traits of a tragic hero as defined by Aristotle—with the exception of anagnorisis, the moment of discovery. However, it is important to note that when we discuss Agamemnon in this way, we are importing a great deal of general knowledge from the Iliad in particular and from other Greek plays and myths about the cursed House of Atreus. If we confine ourselves to the character in Aeschylus's Agamemnon, however, we find that, despite giving his name to the play, he is a fairly minor character, about whom we know little.

Agamemnon displays hubris while boasting about his victory and flaunting his mistress, Cassandra, in front of his wife. However, Clytemnestra is a much more important and fully developed character; she is perhaps closer to being the tragic hero of the play. In this play, Agamemnon does not suffer much before his sudden death offstage and does not acquire any truth, either.