Agamemnon (Essay Sample)

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Agamemnon
Agamemnon is a play set in the traditional Greek patriarchal society. Women were treated irrational beings and as a result, having a villain character like Clytemnestra developed gender conflict as one of the major themes in the play. There are numerous stereotype utterances about women in the play; however, Aeschylus endorsement of the gender label remains a point of discussion. There are several lines in the chorus, which defines women as irrational being who do not pay attention to details. The chorus alludes to Clytemnestra as a woman figure. Clytemnestra on contrary, is illustrated as a rational woman who challenges the status quo, she draws a perfect murder plot and develops a true story about the fire signal in Troy.
The play illustrates men as ruthless people towards women. Agamemnon pays more attention to his sailors than his family members who are not men (Murray 12). When Agamemnon is presented with a choice between helping the sailors to Troy and saving Iphigenia, her daughter, Agamemnon is more inclined to aiding the sailors than his own daughter. When Clytaemnestra is worried about the sacrifice, Agamemnon show no interest and only ask long after the sacrifices. As a man, Agamemnon life revolve around his fellow men and not women, including those in his life. War is part of a man in the Greek society and Agamemnon never wanted to be seen as a woman, he sacrifices her daughter in favor of the soldiers.
In the chorus, the Argive Elders are not happy with Helen. Helen is referred to as a “promiscuous women.” As a woman, Helen was the cause of Trojan War after she fell in love with Paris. According the Greek culture, the act was immoral and unaccepted in the society since Helen was married to Menelaus. While Helen was kidnapped, the chorus does not consider the contribution of the kidnappers in the war but rather attributes it to the woman. King Agamemnon also calls Helen a “woman who strayed.” He blames Helen for the deaths during the war while the King himself was the one who led the soldiers into the Trojan. Just like the elders, the King does not recognize that Helen was kidnaped by Paris (Murray 28).
In several instances, Clytemnestra is rebuked by the chorus owing to her gender identity. The chorus of elders rejects her announcement over the war in Trojan as men believe woman are fast in conclusions without thinking about their actions. The old men insist on proof to convince them over the possible return of Agamemnon. When her announcement become true, Clytemnestra in retaliation mocks the old men. She makes it clear that despite her gender, she is a rational...