Agamemnons Clytemnestra
Analysis of Clytemnestra's Character in Agamemnon In Aeschylus' tragedy Agamemnon the character of Clytemnestra is portrayed as strong willed woman. This characteristic is not necessarily typical of women of her time. As a result, the reader must take a deeper look into the understanding of Clytemnestra. In Agamemnon she dominates the action. Her most important characteristic is like the watchman calls it, "male strength of heart." She is a strong woman, and her strength is evident on many occasions is the play. Later in the play after Clytemnestra murders her husband, Agamemnon, and his concubine, Cassandra, she reveals her driving force and was has spurned all of her actions until this point. Clytemnestra is seen by the Elders of Argos (the Chorus) as untrustworthy and although suspicious of her they still could not foresee the impending murders. Her words are plain but her meaning hidden to all those around her. She more or less alludes to her plan of murder without fear of being detected. Only the audience can seem to understand the double meaning in her words. One example of how Clytemnestra hides meanings in otherwise plain words is stated in her hope that Agamemnon and his soldiers do not commit any sa
Another instance that there is a double meaning in her words is in her pleadings to the herald to take this message back to Agamemnon, "let him come with speed to the people that love him, come to find in his home the wife faithful, even such as he left her, a very house-dog, loyal to one and an enemy to his foes. " The Elders are shocked not only to find their king dead, but at the hand of his wife, and now she has the audacity to say she is right. But if the audience would put themselves in the time and culture of the Greeks, was a person not shunned unless revenge was taken for their loved ones. " Time and again in the play her strength is demonstrated when she forces Agamemnon, Aegisthus, and the Elders of Argos to bend to her will. The entire Trojan War was based on one act of vengefulness after another, spawned from the seduction of Helen. Perhaps she really does wish for Agamemnon to upset the gods. " Once again her persuasive tactics are put to good use as she tries to persuade the Elders that she was correct in killing their king, "So stands the case, nobles of Argos here; be glad of it, if you will; for me, I triumph upon it. She says, "though his fleecy herds had sheep enough, he sacrificed hid own child, the darling born of my pains, to charm the winds of Thrace. And if no sin against heaven rest on the returning host, there is the wrong of the dead that watches. In fact they sing her praises for suggesting it by saying, "Lady, no man could speak more kindly wisdom than you. " With this the elders can't argue but the do warn, "you shall find yourself friendless and pay retaliatory stroke for stroke. And with this same tradition of revenge for one act to another, she too will face a day when she is killed for revenge by her son, and the cycle will continue. Evil may find accomplishment, although it fall not at once.
Common topics in this essay:
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According Clytemnestra,
Elders Argos,
Chryseis Trojan,
Aegisthus Clytemnestra's,
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Agamemnon Aeschylus',
Agamemnon Cassandra,
clytemnestra believes,
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double meaning,
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