During early Greek times, revenge was a code of conduct, but it came at a cost. In Aeschylus’ The Oresteia, Agamemnon kills his daughter, Iphigeneia, to please the god Artemis. Filled with rage and sorrow, his wife, Clytaemnestra, plots to avenge her late daughter with the help of her new lover, Aegisthus. In Aeschylus' tragedy Agamemnon, Clytemnestra is portrayed as a strong-willed woman. For a woman of her time, this trait is not necessarily seen for a woman of her time. It is a moral obligation not to kill a family member, but Clytaemnestra and Agamemnon went against this. Clytaemnestra is an admirable woman because she avenges her daughter’s death, she stands for her rights, and she is extremely clever.
Clytaemnestra is an admirable woman significantly because she avenges her daughter’s death. The death of Iphigeneia leaves sorrow and anger in Clytaemnestra’s heart. For this reason, she kills her husband and feels no remorse. Clytaemnestra says: “Here is Agamemnon, my husband made a corpse by this right hand – a masterpiece of Justice. Done is done” (1429-1431) …show more content…
After she murders Agamemnon, the chorus harshly criticizes her. The chorus says: “Woman! – what poison cropped you from the soil or strained from the heaving sea, what nursed you, drove you insane? You brave the curse of Greece” (1432-1434). Strong-willed, she clashes back at the chorus defending her actions. She begins with asking the chorus what charge has ever been brought against her husband. When arguing with the chorus, she describes Agamemnon’s harsh deed as “no more of it than killing a beast” (1440). It is unlawful to kill a member of the family, and Clytaemnestra disobeyed the law. Although this is true, Agamemnon also disobeyed the same law and was not convicted. Clytemnestra snaps back, calling them hypocrites. Clytaemnestra