Abstract This paper examines how in his play "Agamemnon", the Greek playwright Aeschylus offers a character study of a complex woman, Clytemnestra, the wife of Agamemnon, the Greek ruler who conquered Troy. It looks at how when considering the characterisation of Clytemnestra provided in the "Agamemnon", many have made a comparison to the much weaker and insignificant character presented by Homer and how unlike Homer, Aeschylus creates a strong version of this character, a woman who manipulates the will of men in order to get what she wants. It discusses her duplicity and the complexities of her character, her strong character portrayal and the fact that she was a powerful women of her time.
From the Paper "She stands firm in the continued celebration of a war finally won and stands in opposition to the warnings of the chorus about celebrating too soon. This is a form of action on the part of Clytemnestra. This action speaks volumes as it gives the audience great insight into her strength. The Chorus did not believe what Clytemnestra had told them; rather they had a typical male view of her and seemed to think she was just being a weak hearted person who is blinded by her longing for her husband. The image that the Chorus has of Clytemnestra was very different from the type of woman she proved herself to be at the end of the play. She emerges a stronger person because in comparison to Agamemnon she tends to dominate, thus showing the reversal of roles between herself and her husband."
Abstract This paper compares and contrasts two female characters from the Greek classics: Clytemnestra from Aeschylus' "Agamemnon" and Penelope from Homer's "Odyssey." The author shows how the lives of both characters are profoundly affected by the Trojan War and the absence of their husbands. However, the author also demonstrates how the two have completely opposite natures and motivations -- Clytemnestra's hate for Agamemnon and Penelope's love for Odysseus.
From the Paper "Penelope is the perfect match to Odysseus. Strong and determined, she has been hanging on to the hope that he will return to her one day. In the meantime, she has to make use of her intelligence to keep the suitors away from her and the throne. In an effort to protect her only son Telemakhos, she keeps the suitors' hopes of marrying her alive. She learns the ways of deceit as a means of survival. Smarter than the men who crowd her hall, she slips through their fingers with ingenious stratagems such as the weaving of the shroud and the bow competition. But her condition as a woman only allows her liberty of action to a certain extent. Even though her intelligence is enough to trick even the clever Odysseus as it is told in Book Twenty-three (the olive tree trunk bed), she knows that with the return of her husband her power is no more. As a woman, her will is accepted as long as it does not interfere with the male fancy. "This question of the bow will be for men to settle, most of all for me. I am master here" (Fitzgerald, 414), declares Telemakhos, neutralizing his mother's orders concerning the bow competition. Penelope does not question the limitations she has to accept because of her condition as a woman. She bows down to them, realizing that it is not for her to contradict a man's order. Penelope has never really wanted to ascend to the throne and govern Ithaca. It is the immediacy of the threat to Odysseus' power that pushes her to find a way to preserve what belongs to her man by right -- or, in this case, by marriage, since Odysseus has become ruler of the land by means of taking Penelope as his wife. Unlike Clytemnestra, whose ability to reign over Argos is admired and praised, Penelope is unable to maintain the order in Ithaca."
Tags: trojan, war, ithaca, power, love, hatred, odysseus
Abstract The paper provides a brief overview of the "Oresteia," a three part cycle of plays that include the Agamemnon, the Choephoroe and the Eumenides. The paper portrays how Clytemnestra's role is ultimately one of a weak woman in society; although she is queen and is very persuasive, she remains unsuccessful in the end.
Outline:
Introduction
Brief Overview of the Oresteia
The Role of Clytemnestra Conclusion
From the Paper "The Oresteia is a three part cycle of plays; the Agamemnon, the Choephoroe, and the Eumenides. The Agamemnon sets the tone for the role Clytemnestra plays as a woman whose advice and words are completely disregarded by her husband. In the Agamemnon, Clytemnestra is deceived by her husband, Agamemnon, into sending him their youngest daughter Iphigenia. Agamemnon cuts Iphigenia's throat on an alter as a sacrifice. Furthermore, Clytemnestra's advice to respect the defeated Trojan temples and people is deliberately disregarded by Agamemnon, and the city is wildly looted, destroyed and burned. Clytemnestra finally kills Agamemnon after the Trojan War, when he brings home a raped and captured Trojan priestess."
Abstract This paper first explains why Clytemnestra is viewed as a murderess, and then goes into the reasons why, in the writer's opinion, she is a heroine. The paper includes insightful quotes, examples, and facts, in order to support the writer's particular point of view.
From the Paper "The Greek playwrights of ancient times wrote their plays for entertainment purposes only. Therefore, I highly doubt that they could foresee their dramas and tragedies being put into print and analyzed ages and ages after their death. For this reason, controversy can, and does exist pertaining to what exactly the playwrights wanted their audience to perceive. In Aeschylus? tragedy, Oresteia, the audience is faced with a judgmental fork in the road. The featured character, Clytemnestra, can be perceived as both a murderess and a heroine. Objectively, I would assert that there are existing facts to support both notions, but personally, I would argue in favor of the idea that Clytemnestra is a heroine and has a perfectly fair rationalization for her actions."
Abstract In this paper, an analysis of the rise of patriarchy in Ancient Greek society is provided by means of an analysis of the character of Clytemnestra as she is portrayed in Aeschylus' Oresteia and other Greek epics, that show that she is shunned and pays the ultimate price for her autonomy.
From the Paper "Patriarchy generally refers to the dominance of males in a social hierarchy. We see that most cultures and societies throughout history have been dominated by males. The rise of patriarchy often had the impact ..."
Tags: Agamemnon, heroic, war, domestic, gender, roles, norms, values, oppression, family, Gods, culture, society
Abstract This paper examines the topic of rage in Aeschylus' "The Oresteia", a triad of plays that chronicle the downfall of the royal house of Argos. The paper focuses on the role that rage, as a psychological phenomenon, plays in facilitating the dramatic and tragic action and consequences that characterize this play. Specifically, the author focuses on the character of Clytemnestra."
From the Paper "Psychologically, we can think of rage as being a kind of all-consuming anger that facilitates and encourages irrational behavior. A person enraged is likely to do things that are not in his or her own best interests and which can have far-reaching consequences beyond the immediate, visceral pleasure of satisfying the rage. This is evident in Aeschylus' The Oresteia, specifically in the character of Clytemnestra, whose enraged actions in the play Agamemnon create significant ripples that fuel the drama and tragedy of that play as well as the following two of the triad. Rage is the basis of Clytemnestra's actions; her rage is the catalyst for the death and carnage that follows."
Abstract This paper explains that both Clytemnestra from Aeschylus' play "Agamemnon" and Medea from Euripides' play "Medea" are betrayed by their husbands and decide to take vengeance into their own hands. The author points out that one major difference between the women is that Medea seems to have been completely faithful and loving to her husband; whereas, Clytemnestra may have never loved Agamemnon. The paper relates that another difference between the women is the weapon of choice in that Clytemnestra chooses to use knives in order to bathe herself in her husband's blood but Medea uses her magic to kill Kreon.
From the Paper "Medea has not sent away her children, because she plans to use them against Jason. Both mothers claim to love their children but only one actually tries to protect their children from harm (there is more suspicion that the true reason is so she can be with her lover privately). Medea loves her children; we see this as she faces reality of their murder. She questions whether or not she could really kill them but decides in the end it is for the best."
Abstract This paper examines the ancient myth of the murders at the House of Atreus. It analyzes the different versions of what happened in the story as interpreted by three Greek playwrights ? Sophocles, Euripides and Aeschylus. In particular it discusses the part played in each of the versions by two women, central to Greek mythology- Clytemnestra and Electra and attempts to determine which of the women can be considered the most villainous. It looks at how Sophocles does not take one side or another but how the other two playwrights do not hesitate to condemn both Clytemnestra and her children for their murders of their husband and mother respectively. It shows how in Sophocles? play, Electra is the protagonist and how she is determined to avenge the death of her father at all costs.
From the Paper "The story behind these murders has been explored by all three great playwrights ? Sophocles, Euripides and Aeschylus. The former two call their play "Electra" while the latter calls his play ?Libation Bearers.? While Sophocles does not take one side or another, the other two playwrights do not hesitate to condemn both Clytemnestra and her children for their murders of their husband and mother respectively. Sophocles has written the most analytical play as far as characters? feelings are concerned. His play was the one I found the most interesting of the three. I will use excerpts from mainly his play to analyze this great myth."
Abstract This paper examines Euripides? "Electra" as a variation of the Electra myth and its relation to Aeschylus? interpretation of the same story in the "Libation Bearers", with particular emphasis on Euripides? "realistic" approach to concepts of character and issues of intertextuality, such as in the 'recognition scene'. Amongst others, it includes in-depth analyses and comparisons of the character of Electra herself and that of Orestes, the role of the Gods and the chorus and the depiction of Aegisthus and Clytemnestra in both plays.
From the Paper "Euripides? Electra starts with a shock: Agamemnon's daughter has been forced to marry a peasant and now lives in squalor, far away from the palace she used to inhibit. In line with his overall more "realistic" approach to the story, Euripides? focus is less on solemn atmosphere and heroic characters as presented in Aeschylus, but instead characterised by an emphasis on a more human depiction of its characters. In his treatment of the Electra myth, Euripides poses fundamental questions about the relationship between class and moral values, which is manifested in the character of the peasant, Electra's husband, a unique Euripidean invention which is not featured in the Aeschylean version of the myth."
Abstract The paper begins with Lord Acton's famous dictum "Power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely", but goes on to qualify this by saying that it is not power itself but the knowledge of power, or pride, that corrupts. The paper provides literary examples, namely, Clytemnestra in Aeschylus' tragic drama "Agamemnon" and Macbeth in Shakespeare's work of the same name. The paper then provides examples from modern history, namely, Josef Stalin and Margaret Thatcher and the writer describes how the characters are victim to the situation of power that they find themselves in.
From the Paper "I believe that Lord Acton is generally right when he says that "Power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely", but there must be a qualification added. If it were the case that power always corrupts then there would be nothing worthwhile ever achieved, for it requires power to accomplish any task. It would be more accurate to say that the knowledge of one's power tends to corrupt. To know that one is powerful is also to be proud, and therefore the root of corruption is pride, and the message then merges with the Biblical teaching that pride always precedes the fall. Those who bring great things in the world do so usually in the mode of modesty. They tend to attribute the great things to the Almighty while thinking themselves mere instruments."
Abstract The paper is written in the form of a legal argument by the prosecuting counsel. The writer argues that, when her trial began, there was no question that Clytemnestra was guilty of the murder of her husband Agamemnon and the slave Cassandra. The paper discusses how not only was she seen holding the murder weapon by the Chorus, but the prophet Cassandra indicated that Clytemnestra was killing Agamemnon and would be the instrument of Cassandra's death. In addition, Clytemnestra freely admitted that she committed both murders. The paper shows how Clytemnestra deserves the highest penalty possible: the death penalty.
From the Paper "On the surface, Clytemnestra's argument that she murdered Agamemnon for the good of Argos has some appeal; it is unquestioned that he led Argos in war against Troy. However, a deeper investigation of the argument reveals its weaknesses. The first weakness is that the Argonauts supported the war. They believed that Paris had abused Menelaus' hospitality by seducing Helen. In addition, they believed that Paris abused their state hospitality by doing so. The argument's second weakness is that, even if the Argonauts had not supported the war, Clytemnestra's actions did nothing to reduce either the duration or the severity of the war."
Tags: Aegisthus, war, justice, Trojan, revenge, killing
Abstract "The choral odes in Greek tragedy serve to explain and promote the theme. The overall theme of the "Agamemnon" is a contradictory one, extreme hatred within a context of love. The choral ode analyzed in this paper is pure chorus and is an address to Clytemnestra which had commenced "My lady, no grave man could speak with better grace". The ode is therefore a challenge to male dominance. This choral ode is a continuation of the theme of male-female conflict begun in the first choral ode that also was addressed to Clytemnestra.
From the Paper "The figure of Clytemnestra in Sophocles' tragic play Electra seems ready-made for a feminist critique, or for a critique from any school which seeks to advance a cause based on morality or integrity. Clytemnestra appears to embody every human sin, every human weakness, every human evil imaginable. As Meyer Reinhold writes, "Clytemnestra's character has been completely blackened by Sophocles in this play" (57). Reinhold adds that Clytemnestra is "delineated as completely evil" (59). Clytemnestra has taken part in the murder of her husband Agamemnon, has married Aegisthus, the other murdering conspirator, has mocked and made life hell for her daughter Electra because Electra will not let her mother forget her horrible crimes, and shows nothing but delight when she is tricked into believing that her son Orestes is dead. Clytemnestra believes that Orestes was the last real.."
Abstract Using the art of the Parthenon and the play "The Oresteia", written by the Ancient Greek playwright Aeschylus, this paper determines a number of morals and ideals that the Ancient Greeks held in high esteem. In the first few paragraphs, the paper describes the various metopes in the Parthenon. It examines which gods and important Greek characters are depicted, what it is they are doing and how this represents a given Greek ideal. The paper then explores "The Oresteia" and uses important lines to either determine other Greek ideals or uses them to underscore the importance of an ideal already talked about in the segment on the Parthenon. Through comparing the Parthenon and "The Oresteia" the paper determines that the Greeks were a highly civilized people that believed highly in bravery, pride, civic duty, civility, order and justice.
From the Paper "Greeks were the most civilized peoples in the fifth century BCE as well as the best fighters. This was, of course, according to their standards. Their success as warriors and the importance of the Apollonian way of life is inscribed on the walls of the Parthenon and within the pages of The Oresteia. The Parthenon's gracefully sculpted friezes unite with "schylus" trilogy and both are founded on pride and bravery. There is an obvious mindset, almost a moral code among the Athenians. They believed moderation and civility were the keys to success and it was up to them to impose this onto other races. An Athenian who didn?t abide by this code was a pariah of sorts, to say the least, and was portrayed as such through the Parthenon and The Oresteia."
Abstract This paper reviews Aeschylus? "Oresteia" in which Aeschylus uses the Agamemnon myth to convey his messages. It examines how Aeschylus? main purpose in the "Oresteia" is not to explore the psychology of his characters but to narrate the story of the House of Atreus, its theological aspects and its relevance to the contemporary political situation. It focuses on Aeschylus? use of the story of the House of Atreus in order to make relevant points about the society he lived in and whether he was successful in doing so. Also discussed is the use of charter myth and gender.
From the Paper "First of all, the story of the House of Atreus is not only of one generation, but in fact includes the terrible happenings between Atreus and his brother Thyestes, and then the abduction of Helen from Menelaus; these things are implied by Aeschylus in a very circumspect manner but not actually mentioned ? although they are an integral part of the Atreus curse, they are not necessary to the plot and therefore not included. Aeschylus gets away with this because his play is not original material as such, it is based on a myth widely known throughout his culture, he can safely assume that everyone watching the play will already know the tale and will therefore "fill in the gaps" themselves. This is, of course, a major point; would Aeschylus tell a story for its own merits if he knew that his projected audience was already aware of the outcome of the tale?"
