Clytemnestra's Sacrifice In 'Antigone'
What is the strongest case for the claim that Clytemnestra has a legitimate grievance?
Agamemnon goes to war, for ten years and sacrifices his daughter to gain favorable winds. Clytemnestra is left for ten years to mourn and think about her husband killing her daughter in order to win a war. When we think about punishment, we think about people being judged and justice being served. In this case, Clytemnestra acts as both the judge and the jury. The party found guilty and justice is an eye for eye. She believes Agamemnon's decision is unacceptable because he could have chosen another way to win the war other than sacrificing their daughter. Given our knowledge about the Greeks, we know honor to the means something. It is this honor that leads to Agamemnon's downfall. Agamemnon sacrifice of Iphigenia can be interpreted as a man purely trying to maintain his personal …show more content…
The Chorus throughout the reading constantly question her authority and her standing as a woman. First with not believing that the Greeks had taken Troy even suggesting that it might be a woman hallucinating or spreading rumors. Clytemnestra even points out men questioning her authority while her husband was away. The Chorus is quick to condemn her of being adulterous while actively placing Agamemnon on a pedestal because he “endured so much for the sake of a woman, now a woman’s hand has struck him dead”. (Aeschylus, Lines 1453-1454) There is no mention of Agamemnon bringing back Cassandra, and Agamemnon is portrayed like a martyr and hero taken from life too soon. Since the chorus condemns Clytemnestra Strongly for her adultery and maintains that “Revenge will come and [Clytemnestra] will pay, blow for blow”, (Aeschylus, Line 1430). It is a vicious cycle where violence will be met with only more violence as justification for some act of
Agamemnon goes to war, for ten years and sacrifices his daughter to gain favorable winds. Clytemnestra is left for ten years to mourn and think about her husband killing her daughter in order to win a war. When we think about punishment, we think about people being judged and justice being served. In this case, Clytemnestra acts as both the judge and the jury. The party found guilty and justice is an eye for eye. She believes Agamemnon's decision is unacceptable because he could have chosen another way to win the war other than sacrificing their daughter. Given our knowledge about the Greeks, we know honor to the means something. It is this honor that leads to Agamemnon's downfall. Agamemnon sacrifice of Iphigenia can be interpreted as a man purely trying to maintain his personal …show more content…
The Chorus throughout the reading constantly question her authority and her standing as a woman. First with not believing that the Greeks had taken Troy even suggesting that it might be a woman hallucinating or spreading rumors. Clytemnestra even points out men questioning her authority while her husband was away. The Chorus is quick to condemn her of being adulterous while actively placing Agamemnon on a pedestal because he “endured so much for the sake of a woman, now a woman’s hand has struck him dead”. (Aeschylus, Lines 1453-1454) There is no mention of Agamemnon bringing back Cassandra, and Agamemnon is portrayed like a martyr and hero taken from life too soon. Since the chorus condemns Clytemnestra Strongly for her adultery and maintains that “Revenge will come and [Clytemnestra] will pay, blow for blow”, (Aeschylus, Line 1430). It is a vicious cycle where violence will be met with only more violence as justification for some act of