Clytemnestra In Aeschylus's Oresteia

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Recommended: The role of women in Greek myth

Through most of our readings in Ancient Greece, men have held center stage. Men have been the primary actors, heroes, and prominent figures. Men have been telling stories of other men, speaking myth of another’s strength or intelligence. The fifth century however, through tragedy, is when women truly get in on the action. There have been prominent women scattered in our previous readings, yes, but now it is time for women to stand out. In Aeschylus’s Oresteia trilogy, one woman, Clytemnestra, stands apart in her pursuit of justice(dikē). Clytemnestra gives status to women by seeking dikē and killing her husband in pursuit of retribution. This same dikē unfortunately leads to the fall of Clytemnestra as well as Electra pursues the same. By

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