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Patriarchy In Agamemnon's Oresteia

486 Words2 Pages

The Oresteia is a political trilogy touching the topics of patriarchy and sexism. Even though, Agamemnon's death had happened years before, his essence is still evident in the hearts and minds of the people specially his children Orestes and Electra. His murder filled their minds even disregarding the fact that their father instigated the Trojan War and murdered their sister Iphigenia. Women in Ancient Greece were expected to be hung up on revenge and deception but to stay at home and take care of the family household. Ladies didn’t have any rights or power—even eating and sleeping in the same room was deemed unacceptable. So for Clytemnestra to plan with another man the murder of her husband who has sinned a multitude more than what she did was unacceptable. This, leading to the household to turn against her. The same situation happened with Electra who wanted as much, or even more than Orestes to take revenge for the death of their …show more content…

They share sympathies with Electra in the incompetence with the plan. Notice that these female characters are considered on the good side being within the existing state of affairs. But Clytemnestra, who breaks out of status quo and chose retribution above misery, is labelled a power hungry liar, traitor, and a mother who must meet the end through her son’s blade. Although the household is run on familial blood debt, it is inevitable to sight the bonds between the remaining members of the household. Just the sight of Orestes’ lock of hair, Electra managed to identify it even through the years of separation. The footprints she discovers after elated her with just the thought that her brother may have been there. And with the sight of her brother in front of her after so many years, she could not trust her eyes at first but the essence of being reunited made her forget even for just that moment the agony she dealt alone without

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