“Their loud and ringing cry was of war, from anger, like vultures which in extreme anguish for their young wheel and spiral high above their nests....the sharp cry of these settlers in their home, and for the transgressors' later punishment sends a Fury” (48-52). Masculinity and warfare are allusions of a male dominated society, a society which is comprised in the story telling of greek mythology. These stories depict distinct roles of ideal men and women, they emphasize the power of men in writing while suppressing the amount of power and heroism within women characters in literature. Women characters are portrayed as victims, in some cases even villains, like Medusa whom was a victim of rape yet was cast out to be an adulteress amongst
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Aeschylus juxtaposes this idea of patriarchy in greek mythology with his interpretation of gender roles by introducing versatile women characters like Clytemnestra. In place his absence during the war in Troy, Clytemnestra commanded the kingdom of Argos till the recent homecoming of her husband, Agamemnon. Though the fall of Troy was of great success to the king of Argos, he’d soon come to find that war awaited his return in his own backyard. The fate of his life fell at the hands of Clytemnestra whom was eager for his death as revenge for Agamemnon's sacrifice of their daughter Iphigenia. Throughout the story, Clytemnestra straddles the line between male and female roles, by adapting masculine speech and behavior. Her character dominates the traditional mannerisms of women and asserts the same aggression of power that men pose by the way of her actions opposed to what is expected of her character to be, the submissive wife and seductrice. Clytemnestra wields power of intelligence, strength, and justice, qualities that are normally manifested by men, in her plot to avenge her daughter's …show more content…
(605-612)”
She plays into to the idea of a modest loving wife that remains faithful to her lover. This shows her ability to play both the roles of a man and a woman, she can be seen as wise to be able to deny what is expected of her while still using it to her advantage. She goes further into this expectation of women and acknowledges her sexual hold on men, realizing the power this allows to accumulate. Clytemnestra dominates this relationship of sex to further help her achieve her goal.
Agamemnon’s return home was the perfect time to use her skills to manipulate him, which would eventually lead to his death. In deceit, she praises his return showering him with her affection. As a “ humble” man he resist her admiration of him, he is aware that such boastful behavior would surely aim to anger the citizens and the gods,
“ as I tread these tapestries, I ask no evil eye from afar may strike me down.
I am ashamed my footsteps should defile this costly wealth, this silver-weighted web; but so be it.The foreign girl, meanwhile, bring her in softly. Heaven is a lead- en unresponsive except to gentle kings—and only those who have to, accept
Aeschylus juxtaposes this idea of patriarchy in greek mythology with his interpretation of gender roles by introducing versatile women characters like Clytemnestra. In place his absence during the war in Troy, Clytemnestra commanded the kingdom of Argos till the recent homecoming of her husband, Agamemnon. Though the fall of Troy was of great success to the king of Argos, he’d soon come to find that war awaited his return in his own backyard. The fate of his life fell at the hands of Clytemnestra whom was eager for his death as revenge for Agamemnon's sacrifice of their daughter Iphigenia. Throughout the story, Clytemnestra straddles the line between male and female roles, by adapting masculine speech and behavior. Her character dominates the traditional mannerisms of women and asserts the same aggression of power that men pose by the way of her actions opposed to what is expected of her character to be, the submissive wife and seductrice. Clytemnestra wields power of intelligence, strength, and justice, qualities that are normally manifested by men, in her plot to avenge her daughter's …show more content…
(605-612)”
She plays into to the idea of a modest loving wife that remains faithful to her lover. This shows her ability to play both the roles of a man and a woman, she can be seen as wise to be able to deny what is expected of her while still using it to her advantage. She goes further into this expectation of women and acknowledges her sexual hold on men, realizing the power this allows to accumulate. Clytemnestra dominates this relationship of sex to further help her achieve her goal.
Agamemnon’s return home was the perfect time to use her skills to manipulate him, which would eventually lead to his death. In deceit, she praises his return showering him with her affection. As a “ humble” man he resist her admiration of him, he is aware that such boastful behavior would surely aim to anger the citizens and the gods,
“ as I tread these tapestries, I ask no evil eye from afar may strike me down.
I am ashamed my footsteps should defile this costly wealth, this silver-weighted web; but so be it.The foreign girl, meanwhile, bring her in softly. Heaven is a lead- en unresponsive except to gentle kings—and only those who have to, accept