Similarities between Clytemnestra and Medea

This essay will compare and contrast the female characters Medea and Clytemnestra from two well-known plays by Greek playwrights Aeschylus and Euripides. In Euripides’ drama Medea, we see a woman who has lost her heart after giving everything up for Jason, her husband and lover. In Agamemnon by Aeschylus, we encounter Clytemnestra, a Greek queen who is left to rule alone because her husband is away. The deeds of love, betrayal, and retribution are represented in the two plays.

The first resemblance between the two women is that they are both vengeful wives who plan their retaliation against their husbands in secret, despite the fact that they each used different methods to carry it out. Medea has donated everything for her husband Jason including killing her brother and leaving the home country. In addition, the woman bears Jason two children against her own wishes. When she learns that her husband is going to marry Cleon’s daughter, she becomes furious, sad, and vengeful. She finally manages to kill Jason’s bride Glauce, King Creon, and Jason’s children who are also her own. Medea says, “Never again alive shall he see the sons he had by me, nor any child by his new bride of his poor girl, who has to die a wretched death poisoned by me” (Medea 9). In turn, Clytemnestra, a queen in Greece plots against her husband to sacrifice their only daughter Iphigenia in order to appease the goddess of hunt Artemis. As seen in the play, “Silence. Then steps Agamemnon forth, first of the blood, the elder by his birth. A hard thing this if our obedience fails; no less hard for a father - for a trail of a daughter’s blood - across the altar poured - tracked by my child-red hands for ever more”, (Agamemnon 210). After winning the battle of Troy, Clytemnestra manages to kill her husband, the king, and his concubine Cassandra. As a result of successfully exacting their revenge, both Clytemnestra and Medea cause their own downfall.

Another similarity between the two persons is they both feel betrayed by their husbands. After all the sacrifices Medea has made, she feels betrayed by her husband Jason as he plans to leave her for princess Glauce who is a daughter of King Cleon of the Corinth. Despite the commitment given into the marriage, Jason still breaks their matrimony vows hence making Medea violent. “…betrayer of your father and the country that reared you. The gods have hurled you as an avenging spirit against me. For you killed your brother at the hearth and then boarded the beautiful ship Argo” (Medea 32). On the other hand, Clytemnestra feels betrayed by her unfaithful husband after he sacrifices her only daughter Iphigenia. This matter refers to Cassandra Agamemnon’s concubine, “Someone who’s building a trap for the one she hates must meanwhile seem to love him” (Agamemnon 1380). Agamemnon is forced to sacrifice his daughter to appease the goddess of hunt Artemis after his army is stuck on their way to Troy. Clytemnestra feels betrayed hence she starts planning her revenge.

Finally, both characters take pride in their evil acts of vengeance. They both believe that their actions are fair and justified. Towards the end of the play Medea rejoices at Glauce’s death. “I too have something to say in answer to your words. But do not rush off, my friend, tell your tale. How did they die? You will give met twice as much pleasure if they died horrible deaths” (Media 1135). Clytemnestra also loudly celebrates her win after murdering her husband Agamemnon and Cassandra, his concubine, “I have had long enough to prepare this wrestle for victory… I stand where I struck, over the finished work” (Agamemnon 157).

In the two plays, women appear on a stage for the majority of acting. At the end they cause tragic endings of both performances. They are given a stage on which they speak and act free and still are presented sympathetically. Both characters’ actions fall outside the bounds of what is considered proper actions and words for women in the 5th century.

References

Mastronarde, D. J. (Ed.). (2002). Euripides: Medea. Cambridge University Press.

Sommerstein, A. H. (Ed.). (2008). Aeschylus: Oresteia. Agamemnon; Libation-bearers; Eumenides (Vol. 2). Loeb Classical Library.