So compelling is the drama of Aeschylus’ Orestain Trilogy that it will be treated with attention paid to the strong female character of Clytemnestra. I realize that I treated the play Agamemnon before, and I shall treat it again with more depth in this entry. In addition to Agamemnon, I will examine The Eumenides, the third play completing the circle of the Trilogy.

The story of Clytemnestra and her husband, the King of kings, Agamemnon, requires establishing some historical and mythical background in order for us to truly understand the happenings that the Trilogy revolves around. Therefore, necessary data will be provided, in the briefest form possible, to bring understanding to a closer range, and this entry will serve as prelude to the actual analysis. Do not despair if you find the ancient Greek names difficult, you may replace them with modern names in your head if this helps you understand the story. The depths of the drama are eternally meaningful, patience in reading this entry will be rewarded with unfailing knowledge.

To relate bits of the history of Greek “Olympian” Gods, it is crucial to learn that the regular names one hears of, Zeus, Hera, Apollo, Athene,and the others, were not at all times in Greek history the rulers of the universe. Before them came two generations, the first one being that of Ouranos, who was later overthrown by Cronos. Cronos’ son, the famous Zeus, overpowered his father and seized the throne and control of all beings, this was the new religion. Now Zeus’ power, being as fresh and fragile as it was, is said to be “harsh”. The chorus in Prometheus Bound literally say, regarding his new rule, that “Power newly won is always harsh”.

Perhaps the most important figures in the Trilogy, aside from Clytemnestra and Agamemnon, are the Furies. Those are female personifications of vengeance, their job is to punish crime. In Greek thought, Justice equaled Vengeance. Therefore The Furies were the tools to set the scales right, and to restore Justice. They hunt down wrong-doers, those caught red-handed committing matricide, patricide, or breaking codes of hospitality. The Furies were considered part of the Old Generation, they are said to be the guardians of law when the state proper did not exist. Bearing that they make part of an old system will help us understand the events of the Trilogy much better.

The short mythical background secured, let us move on to the historical facade.

Helen, mostly known for her captivating beauty, was Clytemnestra’s sister. Their mother was Leda, and their father was Zeus. Upon maturing into the breath-taking female that she was, Helen received outrageous numbers of suitors who desired her. The suitors were so infatuated with her physical attributes that they all agreed to consider her word final, and to aid the man to be her husband with their armies, should his possession of her ever be endangered. Helen chose auburn-haired Menelaus, who happened to be Agamemnon’s brother. This choice was followed by Clytemnestra’s choosing Agamemnon as her husband and had with him three children: Orestes, Electra, and Iphigenia. The godly ancestry of the two women (Helen and Clytemnestra) is very important in understanding the status of the female in Greek thinking, this to be later explained.

The Olympian Gods were invited to a wedding, save for a minor power named Eris. This Eris came uninvited, and to cause some trouble, he threw an apple on which were inscribed the words ” For the fairest”, on the table where the Goddesses were seated. Hera, wife of Zeus, Aphrodite, Goddess of love, and Athene, Goddess of wisdom, all quarreled over who gets the apple. To solve this problem, Zeus sent the three female deities to the most beautiful of mortal youth, Paris of Troy. He gave the apple to Aphrodite, for she had promised him the most beautiful woman on earth as prize. This woman was Helen.

Mythology and history incredibly intertwine in the Greek world, thus fueling the imagination of the passionate. Read on.

The Trojan War broke after Helen eloped with Paris to Troy. Her husband, Menelaus, called for the ex-suitors of Helen, the Kings, to live up to their earlier pact. Agamemnon, King of kings, led phenomenal fleets and set sail for Troy to recover Helen. Naturally, he left his wife, Clytemnestra, behind, in the city of Argos.

In Argos there lurked a threat to Agamemnon’s empty throne, personified in his cousin, Aegisthus. The blood-feud between the two is rooted to their fathers, Atreus father of Agamemnon, and Thyestes father of Aegisthus. The two old men argued about who should succeed to the throne of Argos, and to prevent his brother from ruling the kingdom, Atreus had to attach an unforgivable sin toThyestes’ fame, one that would render him permanently taboo in the eyes of the citizens. What better way to do that than to make the man devour the flesh of his own sons? The wholesome meal was served in a banquet, Thyestes was exiled with his remaining son Aegisthus.

Atreus, Agamemnon’s father, got away with the crime. But Vengeance was to haunt his family for eternity until the scores were set even. Aegisthus seduced Clytemnestra, the wife of his cousin, and gave her yet another excuse for the murder that she was about to carry out. Killing Agamemnon.

Another bit of history integral to the story is the heartless act of sacrifice that Agamemnon deemed appropriate. Upon starting the naval journey to Troy, the winds changed and the ships were unable to cross the seas. A soothsayer declared that Artemis must be appeased by the sacrifice of the virgin daughter of Agamemnon, named Iphigenia. Agamemnon, not wanting to risk his status among the other kings, consented and sent for his daughter. He deceived Clytemnestra by telling her that he is about to marry their daughter off to the hero Achilles, the girl was duly slaughtered by her father and the fleet set sail.

With this I conclude the introductory entry to the Analysis of the Female in the Orestia. I leave you with graphics made by yours truly to make things easier for the confused. Figure (1) explains the relationships between Sparta and Argos, while Figure (2) depicts the unended struggle for vengeance between Atreus and Thyestes.

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This entry was posted on Wednesday, January 18th, 2006 at 12:11 am and is filed under Mythology. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.