Revenge for Masculinity
“Away, morality!” exclaims Atreus to a servant who appears unconvinced by the former’s determination for suffering torment to be a just price for his brother’s crime (Seneca 404). With this simple statement, the king acknowledges morality as being compromised within his revenge scheme, but he thinks little of it; in fact, Atreus dismisses morality as though it were his servant. With this dismissal, he establishes that his revenge against Thyestes, tricking him to eat his children, was not rooted in justice; it is instead rooted in “the rage that burns my heart” from a sense of bruised and diminished masculinity (404).
Before the discourse of the play, Thyestes betrayed Atreus by robbing him, taking command of the throne, …show more content…
The entire scheme begins with Atreus’ tempting Thyestes to return to his home country. In this way, Atreus arguably assumes the trope role of “seductress” with temptations for power and riches and restored pride after a long exile. With the role “seductress” having been successfully performed, Atreus attempts to kill femininity by using children as instruments of his crime. Historically, the ability to bear and care for children determines a woman’s worth. With no female characters in the play to care for the children, the role of caretaker is forced upon the father. Consequent feminine emotionality and sympathy for the children threatens Atreus as he first considers not involving his sons in his crime; however, he greets and denies his emotionality as he reprimands, “No, my heart! You are shrinking back. If you spare your boys,” of the crime then “You will spare his too” (406). Atreus thus decides to make his children knowing partakers of Thyestes’ murder. In doing such, Atreus additionally attempts to affirm his masculinity by using his revenge as a means of determining his children’s true
“Away, morality!” exclaims Atreus to a servant who appears unconvinced by the former’s determination for suffering torment to be a just price for his brother’s crime (Seneca 404). With this simple statement, the king acknowledges morality as being compromised within his revenge scheme, but he thinks little of it; in fact, Atreus dismisses morality as though it were his servant. With this dismissal, he establishes that his revenge against Thyestes, tricking him to eat his children, was not rooted in justice; it is instead rooted in “the rage that burns my heart” from a sense of bruised and diminished masculinity (404).
Before the discourse of the play, Thyestes betrayed Atreus by robbing him, taking command of the throne, …show more content…
The entire scheme begins with Atreus’ tempting Thyestes to return to his home country. In this way, Atreus arguably assumes the trope role of “seductress” with temptations for power and riches and restored pride after a long exile. With the role “seductress” having been successfully performed, Atreus attempts to kill femininity by using children as instruments of his crime. Historically, the ability to bear and care for children determines a woman’s worth. With no female characters in the play to care for the children, the role of caretaker is forced upon the father. Consequent feminine emotionality and sympathy for the children threatens Atreus as he first considers not involving his sons in his crime; however, he greets and denies his emotionality as he reprimands, “No, my heart! You are shrinking back. If you spare your boys,” of the crime then “You will spare his too” (406). Atreus thus decides to make his children knowing partakers of Thyestes’ murder. In doing such, Atreus additionally attempts to affirm his masculinity by using his revenge as a means of determining his children’s true