((((((A brief comparison between Ckytemenestra of Aeschylus and lady Macbeth of Shakespeare))))))

((((((A brief comparison between Ckytemenestra of Aeschylus and lady Macbeth of Shakespeare))))))

Gilbert Murray has drawn a beautiful pen-picture of Clytemenestra: " The greatest and most human character of the whole play ( Agamenon) is Clytemenestra. She is conceived on the grant Aeschylean scale, a scale which makes even Lady Macbeth and Beatrice Cenci seen small ; she is more the kinswoman of Brynhild. Yet she is full not only of character, but of subtle psychology. She is the first and leading example of that time-honoured ornament of the tragic stage, the sympathetic, or semi-sympathetic, heroine -criminal. Aeschylus employs none of the devices of later playwrights to make her interesting. He admits , of course, no approach to love scene;; he uses no sophism, but he does make us see through Clytemenestra's eyes and feel through her passions. The agony of silent prayer in which we first see her, helps to interpret her speeches when they come; but every speech needs close study. She dares not speak sincerely or show her feelings until Agamenon is dead; and then she is practically a mad woman."

Critics have compared her with Lady Macbeth. And the comparison is pointless. True, Lady Macbeth, at early stage of the play, was fire and steel. She was like a friend, and even  chose to be unsexed for the realisation of her end. But we know that she was simply pretending to be unsexed, when all the womanly qualities and even weaknesses were lying latent. She was tongue-doughty ; while her nerves often failed her. She  was familiar with the compunctious visitings of nature. The woman in her always asserted herself. She wore a mask of mondter, and even, a superficial observer. She seemed to be distinctly woman. She would not kill Duncan, only because he resembled her father. She shuddered and shrank. She wanted to stimulate her nerves with wine, and that eas a meagre palliative. When Macduff came and announced that Duncan was killed, lying in a pool of blood, her nerves failed her. She was at the end of her tether. She fainted away. She became queen but everything appeared futile
Clytemenestra was not destined to live a conventional life-- the life of the moth of peace. She was not born to build a sweet home
Symonds says," As a woman she stands outside the decencies and duties of womanhood, supporting herself by the sole strength of her powerful nature and indomitable will."
She was called by watchman a "man-souled woman"
Every story has a beginning. The arrival of Agamenon is but the end of the story. Clytemenestra took revenge for the death of her Imphigenia. It is from the chorus that we learn how Agamennon had to sacrifice his daughter at Aulis in the larger national interest.