Cassandra

In Cassandra Clare’s novel series The Mortal Instruments and other related series, there are many references to other religions mythologies. The main question that is asked refers to the number of mythologies that she uses without the readers realizing it until her books are re-read or researched further. Before things get too out of hand, I believe that we should go into the history of the Nephilim and their relatable mythology with other cultures. One of the most common angels mentioned in Clare’s novels in Nephilim’s history and mythology is one of the angels, Raziel. The angel Raziel is known in the Jewish Kabbalistic tradition for when he gave Adam a book of wisdom. In the Mortal Instruments series, the Gray Book would be the Book of Wisdom in the Jewish mythology. The second item Raziel gave to the Nephilim is the Mortal Cup; the Mortal Cup could be represented as the Holy Grail in the Catholic mythology. After the rise of Nephilim, it was thought to be traced back to the witch trials. The witch trials resulted in a bunch of crazy mundanes (normal humans) killing off innocent civilians; however,…

Aeschylus’s trilogy The Oresteia is a play of immense proportions, and at its heart it is a study of morality and the palpable tension of the competing ideas of dikē – justice or right. It depicts a societal change from one form of justice and law to another; from the law of the old gods to the law of the new. The third play in the trilogy, The Eumenides, depicts the culmination of this conflict, where all the individual conflicts reach their conclusions and the overarching themes of the trilogy…

for another woman. This occurrence is not a rare one and unfortunately happens to many women. Medea does not take this easily and kills Jason’s bride. She could have stopped there. That seems like a big enough punishment for Jason, but she continues to destroy Jason. Medea goes much too far when she kills her children, and it casts a shadow on her character that is too dark to identify with. Clytemnestra on the other hand has a very good reason to seek revenge on Agamemnon. He kills their…

the first part of the play, “Agamemnon”. The case that builds against Clytemnestra’s innocence is the killings of Agamemnon and Cassandra with her expression about the killings. It is easy to understand why Clytemnestra would act in such a way and express…

Realizing her helplessness, Hecuba doubts her ability to persuade Agamemnon. Nevertheless, she uses Agamemnon’s love for Cassandra to impact his decision. She asks Agamemnon, “How, my lord, will you acknowledge love’s delights? Or for the loveliest embraces in your bed, what thanks, what fee will my child gain, and I for her? For out of darkness, out of night’s enchantments comes the strongest drive toward thanks that flesh can know (58). This speech demonstrates her exploitation of Agamemnon’s…

Agamemnon: “I sacrificed this man- I swear my hopes / will never walk the halls of fear so long / as Aegisthus lights the fire on my hearth.” (A 1461-63) This symbol of light represents the change that Clytaemnestra sees as she attempts to bring goodness into the house of Atreus. It is the first sign of goodness against the evil that has imbued the house of Atreus for generations. Clytaemnestra envisions her act against Agamemnon as a way to finally break away from the curse, however, the…

expected for her to talk in a more subordinate way, but she does not follow these feminine roles. She considers herself just as important as the elders in the chorus. Moreover, when a king is absent, the grown son is supposed to take control of the kingdom. However, Clytaemnestra sends her son Orestes away, so she can have control and successfully murder Agamemnon. Clytaemnestra defies the feminine role by taking control of the kingdom when she knows her son was supposed to have control. In…

The Breaking of Familial Ties In Arlene W. Saxonhouse’s essay, “Founding vs. Constitution: Ancient Tragedy and The Origins of Political Community”, Saxonhouse argues that while ancient civilizations often could not employ the language for constitutions, in the founding of Athens, The Oresteia, a play by Aeschylus, the people clearly state a foundation for this new city. The foundation they set, Saxonhouse asserts, is one where the familial ties must be suppressed in favor of working towards a…

Clytemnestra is a liar and a two timing cheater so are her words true of just a ruse for the audience. Women from this play are misunderstood and are no different than the men. The men are able to break whatever moral laws they prefer and if a women is to do the same she is shunned from society. Clytemnestra committed adultery for the reason of being alone for over a decade and in return Agamemnon was committing the same acts with Cassandra. The death of her daughter caused a fire to light…

Employing an advanced technique, Aeschylus fills his tragedy, Oresteia: The Agamemnon, with layers of multiplicity. Essentially, multiplicity in this tragedy entails using dialogues containing several meanings to convey truths about Greek society and to shed light on situations outside the current action. Aeschylus’ use of this dramatic tool contributes to the success of the novel and adds depth to the meaning of the characters’ conversations. Furthermore, it affords the audience an opportunity…