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"You try me out as if I were a woman and vain; but my heart is not fluttered as I speak before you."
I was impressed by encountering such a proud and strong image of women in a Greek tragedy. The main two characters are nothing like the stereotype of women today or through history, Clytemnestra and Cassandra are extremely the oppsite extremes of the female possible personalities.
The first is the wife of Agamemnon and queen of Mycenae, she is the powerful precursor of today's femme fetale. She is brave, wicked, vengeful and unyielding. She feels no regret for the treachery and carnal sin in her alarming fearlessness and awareness that she has finally fulfilled her destiny.
The chorus declares her attitude as unwomanly, yet she is proof that there is nothing woman cannot do and that nothing may be labeled as ladylike or not.
Cassandra on the otherhand is just, fair and like many women today, although she is peaking the truth she is not being listened to. Her divine prophecies are subjected to the lowly mansplaining of the troians. This effect is out of her control and ironically inflicted on her by a self-righteous all-powerful god.
Cassandra is the icon of all the ignored women, whose wisdom and wit is ignored as lunacy or disregarded as lies.
Oresteia is not meant as a myth about women but their representation is quite remarkable so early in the day and a beautiful addition to the wonders of epic tragedy.
I was impressed by encountering such a proud and strong image of women in a Greek tragedy. The main two characters are nothing like the stereotype of women today or through history, Clytemnestra and Cassandra are extremely the oppsite extremes of the female possible personalities.
The first is the wife of Agamemnon and queen of Mycenae, she is the powerful precursor of today's femme fetale. She is brave, wicked, vengeful and unyielding. She feels no regret for the treachery and carnal sin in her alarming fearlessness and awareness that she has finally fulfilled her destiny.
The chorus declares her attitude as unwomanly, yet she is proof that there is nothing woman cannot do and that nothing may be labeled as ladylike or not.
Cassandra on the otherhand is just, fair and like many women today, although she is peaking the truth she is not being listened to. Her divine prophecies are subjected to the lowly mansplaining of the troians. This effect is out of her control and ironically inflicted on her by a self-righteous all-powerful god.
Cassandra is the icon of all the ignored women, whose wisdom and wit is ignored as lunacy or disregarded as lies.
Oresteia is not meant as a myth about women but their representation is quite remarkable so early in the day and a beautiful addition to the wonders of epic tragedy.
