Characterization of clytemnestra. I will need the works cited - Essay Example

Characterization of Clytemnestra in Agamemnon The character of Clytemnestra in Aeschylus’ tragedy remains to be the strongest role given to a woman character up to date. She is portrayed as a very strong-willed woman with a lot of dominance and power, a rare way of representing women in the Ancient Greece. Perhaps, in analyzing Clytemnestra’s character one can borrow what the watchmen say about her on ‘her male strength of heart.”She commands a very powerful and strong presence in the entire play (Winnington 133).

One can easily note that Aeschylus intentionally wanted Clytemnestra’s character to dominate since he portrays her as a strong woman in a number of instances in the play. As a talented playwright, Aeschylus skillfully reversed her roles to those of male characters in ancient Greece.Apart from been depicted as an authoritative and dominating woman, she is also depicted as vengeful wife and a troubled wronged mother. Due to hear strength, she skillfully and willfully gains her success of revenging against her husband.

Aeschylus used her as symbol of versatility and courage within the male dominated Greek society, since it was very hard for a woman of time to exhibit such influence and authority. A character like Clytemnestra’s requires clever and calculated handling especially when one reflects on the play’s setting of Greek society in mind hence Aeschylus must have developed her with a lot of skill. She is introduced to the reader, following her husband’s murder of Iphigeni, her daughter. Agamemnon, her husband had sacrificed Iphigeni to goddess Artemis so as to have favorable winds in the journey to troy.

The sacrifice greatly angered her and she made a decision to revenge upon her husband’s return.Later on, she succeeds in her revenge by killing her husband and his concubine, Cassandra. The elder see her as untrustworthy but had not suspected she would go ahead to murder her husband. She talks using plain words that have very deep hidden meaning to the individuals around her (Winnington 133). Her courage is depicted when she alludes to undertake the murder plan without fearing being detected.

In fact, her character is so strong that, only the audience can easily read her motives.Clytemnestra is portrayed as a cunning woman. She managed to coax Agamemnon into submission. Her hopes in requesting him to walk over the rich purple tapestries is get support of the angered gods in her murder plan. She manages to convince him to accept her offer by cunningly challenging him to prove his manhood. In this case, she actually calls him a chicken, something that his ego would not allow hence the submission.

She is very keen on what she says, she single handedly planned and executed the murder but when approached by the elders she asks why she should spare a man who killed her own daughter (Winnington 133). She shocked the elders when she openly admitted that she had killed her husband and believed that the murder was necessary.Clytemnestra’s actions arouse mixed reactions to both the reader and the elders. According to the Greek culture, a person could not be shunned for taking revenge for their loved ones.

Therefore, Clytemnestra’s actions seem to be well calculated because the elders cannot shun her. Instead, they are only left with the option of predicting that something evil would catch up with her. Aeschylus effectively managed to pass his message to his audience by giving Clytemnestra such a powerful character. Works citedWinnington, Ingram. “Clytemnestra and the Vote of Athena.” The Journal of Hellenic Studies 12:3(1948):130-147.print.