Clytemnestra

Clytemnestra grapples with the consequences of her recent actions. Leon confronts Clytemnestra about her execution of Polydamas and Lycomedes. He is visibly upset and questions her motives, especially her relationship with Aegisthus, whom he labels a traitor. Clytemnestra asserts that both elders were traitors. Their exchange becomes heated, with Leon accusing Clytemnestra of discarding him for Aegisthus. Clytemnestra retorts sharply, blaming Leon for failing to protect Iphigenia. Leon decides to leave, and Clytemnestra throws a dagger near him in fury. Afterward, she reflects on the void left by Leon’s departure but remains firm in her decision. The next morning, Electra confronts her about sending Leon away, expressing anger and disappointment. Electra feels overshadowed by her siblings and unappreciated by her mother. Clytemnestra tries to reassure Electra of her unique qualities, but their conversation is strained.

Clytemnestra’s inner turmoil continues as she considers her relationship with Aegisthus. When they talk, Aegisthus reveals that he initially came to Mycenae to kill her as a way to exact revenge on Agamemnon. However, he was surprised by her strength and ruling capabilities, leading to a change of heart. Clytemnestra acknowledges her own ruthless ambition and asks for Aegisthus’s help in exacting revenge on Agamemnon for Iphigenia’s death. She proposes that when Agamemnon returns from the Trojan War, Aegisthus should assist her in killing him.

As time passes, Clytemnestra grows restless over the lack of news from Troy. Orestes is also restless and engages in liaisons with servant girls, which worries Clytemnestra. She fears that he may follow in Menelaus’s footsteps. Tensions are further heightened by Orestes’s discomfort with Aegisthus’s presence. During a family dinner, Chrysothemis expresses concern over Orestes’s upcoming marriage to Hermione due to her young age. A verbal confrontation between Orestes and Aegisthus ensues, with Electra provocatively questioning Aegisthus’s character. Frustrated by the growing tension, Clytemnestra reprimands them all.

She is later awakened by Aileen, who tells her that Orestes and Aegisthus are fighting in the practice yard. Rushing to the scene, Clytemnestra observes the intense and bloody duel. She intervenes by throwing a spear between them, effectively stopping the fight. Aegisthus confronts Clytemnestra, expressing his frustration with Orestes’s hostility and his fears of losing her trust. He urges Clytemnestra to send Orestes away, fearing his own demise upon Agamemnon’s return. Clytemnestra firmly refuses to choose between Aegisthus and Orestes. She reveals her plan to send Orestes to Sparta to marry Hermione, thus removing him from the immediate situation and setting the stage for his future return. Later, as she watches Orestes depart for Sparta, she feels the weight of her choices and the uncertain future they entail.

Submerged in a bath, Clytemnestra lets her thoughts drifting to her daughter Iphigenia. Suddenly, her reverie is interrupted by the sight of a series of fires in the distance, signaling Troy’s fall and Agamemnon’s imminent return. She experiences a mixture of anticipation and dread, her mind filling with violent memories and a hunger for revenge. Meanwhile, Clytemnestra’s finds solace with Aegisthus as they discuss strategies for dealing with Agamemnon, emphasizing the need for stealth and cunning rather than heroics.

Clytemnestra manipulates the situation by having Aegisthus arrested, thereby pretending to be a loyal wife who stands ready to welcome Agamemnon. This act allows her to maintain a façade of loyalty before the elders and the people of Mycenae. She instructs her daughters to remain visible during Agamemnon’s welcome but then to withdraw in order to remain safe. As Agamemnon’s army approaches, Clytemnestra observes the soldiers’ battered and broken state, reflecting on the toll of war. She notices a young, enslaved girl with Agamemnon, and the sight further fuels her hatred and determination. Her emotions transition from pain to a cold, calculated desire for vengeance.

A feast is held in the dining hall. Clytemnestra sits beside Agamemnon, who introduces his war prize, a Trojan girl named Cassandra. Clytemnestra empathizes with Cassandra, sensing a shared experience of captivity under Agamemnon’s power. Clytemnestra and Agamemnon engage in a tense conversation filled with underlying accusations and resentments. Agamemnon taunts Clytemnestra about her affair with Aegisthus, while Clytemnestra retorts with scorn, highlighting Agamemnon’s ruthless and selfish nature. The conversation also touches upon the fates of other Trojan women, including Cassandra’s sister, Polyxena, and Hector’s wife, Andromache.

Clytemnestra manipulates the atmosphere by proposing a toast to the gods and the fallen heroes, masking her true intentions. She challenges Agamemnon’s glorification of the war and the soldiers, implying that many will be forgotten. The seer Calchas joins the conversation, sparking Clytemnestra’s wrath by mentioning her sacrificed daughter, Iphigenia. Meanwhile, Cassandra, who is filled with hatred for all of her Greek captors, holds an even deeper hatred for Calchas due to his role in the war, and she plots to kill him. Clytemnestra, who also seeks vengeance against Calchas, confronts him in the temple and ultimately kills him.

Aegisthus escapes from the dungeon, driven by a mixture of fear and loyalty to Clytemnestra. He makes his way through the palace, eventually encountering Cassandra in the garden. In a tragic misunderstanding, he kills her, believing it to be Clytemnestra’s wish. Upon discovering Cassandra’s body and realizing Aegisthus’s mistake, Clytemnestra is overcome with grief and anger. She mourns Cassandra’s unnecessary death and reflects on her losses and the constant presence of death in her life. Simultaneously, Electra follows Aegisthus and discovers her father, Agamemnon, dead in the bathhouse; Clytemnestra has killed him. Overwhelmed by sorrow and confusion, she mourns her father’s death despite his flaws.

Agamemnon’s body is burned in a ceremonial pyre. The funeral is witnessed by the palace inhabitants, the warriors, and the elders. During this somber event, Clytemnestra reflects on the debt she believes she has paid through Agamemnon’s death. In the dining hall, Clytemnestra faces the elders, who initially accuse Aegisthus of the murder. However, Clytemnestra reveals her own responsibility, claiming it as an act of vengeance for Iphigenia. This revelation leads to a tense confrontation. Clytemnestra defends her actions and challenges the assembly, questioning their notions of justice and leadership.

Ultimately, Cadmus, an elder, acknowledges Clytemnestra’s strength and leadership, declaring his loyalty to her. Others follow suit, recognizing her as the “true keeper of the House of Mycenae” (417). Clytemnestra’s daughters react differently to these revelations; Chrysothemis is more understanding, but Electra is filled with hatred and spite and cannot forgive her mother for Agamemnon’s murder. Clytemnestra contemplates the nature of queenship and her path to achieving freedom and power. The narrative also reveals that Helen is alive and has been forgiven by Menelaus. Aegisthus reconciles with Clytemnestra, acknowledging their shared brokenness and sense of belonging. Clytemnestra accepts her legacy, acknowledging that songs and stories may not capture the full truth of her life and actions. She nonetheless finds a sense of completion in her journey, recognizing the complexity of her experiences and choices.