8/14/2019 Mythology Paper 2

1/2

Dilisa V. TownsendMythologyHomework #211-18-2008

A Death in the Family

As I searched for information on a successful marriage between an immortaland a mortal, I came across the story of Agamemnon and Clytemnestra.What caught my eye was it was a play. A tragic play set in the timesubsequent to the Trojan War. The play takes place in the palace ofAgamemnon which is in Argos, Greece.

The first instance of death is that of Tantalus. Not to be confused withTantalus. It is important to research names in Greek mythology becausemany people have the same name; especially men. The Tantalus of which I

speak is the son of Broteus and the first husband of Clytemnestra. Tantalus,along with their infant son, is killed by Agamemnon. Who in turn takesTantaluss wife, Clytemnestra, as his own. Together, Agamemnon andClytemnestra had four children Chrysothemis, Electra, Iphigenia andOrestes. This brings us to our second instance of death.

The second instance of death is that of Iphigenia. Because the winds werenot blowing to take the ships of King Agamemnon to the city of Troy,Agamemnon was told by the oracle to sacrifice his daughter, Iphigenia andthe winds would pick up. He tricked Iphigenia into coming to him by tellingher she would be marrying Achilles. She was dressed in ceremonial

marriage clothing, but understood because of her mothers anguish thatsomething else was happening. There are two versions of what happensnext. In the first account, Iphigenia is whisked away by the goddess Artemisand a deer is left in her place to be sacrificed. She is then taken to Tauriswhere she is made a priestess at the Temple of Artemis. Her service is toritually sacrifice foreigners who land there. This brings us to the thirdinstance of death in this sequence.

The third instance of death is that of Agamemnon. Agamemnon is arrogantand cocky but a heck of a warrior. He has killed his wifes first husband andchild just to have her. He even killed one of the children he and his wife

have together in order to battle in the Trojan War. As keeping in line withkeeping the spoils of war, he takes the prophetess Cassandra as hisconcubine and brings her home with him after ten years of fighting. His wifewas not happy about this turn of evidents. His wife, Clytemnestra, had takena lover and plotted to kill him because of past wrongs. She convinced him towalk along a purple or red silk runner. When he goes into the house, he isstruck twice with a mortal blow. This brings us to the fourth instance ofdeath in this sequence.

8/14/2019 Mythology Paper 2

2/2

The fourth instance of death is that of Clytemnestra. She is killed by her ownson, Orestes, along with his sister, Electra, in retaliation for their fathersdeath.

I have to comment on these events. I read that the death of Agamemnonwas an example of and eye for an eye retribution. I get that Clytemnestrawas pissed. I get she wanted revenge. But I would ask her why she didntjust kill herself before she married and had babies by a man who killed herfirst child and husband? If she was going to allow righteous indignation takeover her good judgment, wouldnt it have been more logical to have a call forjustice when her first family was killed? What I was thinking as I readthrough the different commentaries on this play was how much Clytemnestrasounded like Hera; in the way of being affronted by her husband. Hell hathno fury went through my head as I was reading as well. It appears thatClytemnestra thought long and hard about this. In the play, you dont really

know who killed Agamemnon, but it implied to be Clytemnestra. I can seethe scenario of her lover being the murderer. She needles his weakness the fact that his family is a dispossessed sanction of Agamemnons familythat wanted back the throne. In many cases, people will do whatever ittakes to get revenge on otherseven enlist others who have an oughtagainst the person you are seeking revenge on. This way you can get whatyou want without getting your hands dirty. This still happens today. Calls tomind, there is nothing new under the sun.