In ancient Greek society women were not considered equal to men, they were seen as inferior and incapable of doing what a man I could. They had to behave submissively and be under the control of a man and often could not do or speak of their own volition. However, in Agamemnon, Clytemnestra plays a variety of roles and can be examined through a variety of lenses. She has done things that can be considered great or silly, but one thing that is indisputable is that she is a powerful character who challenges the role of a typical woman in this patriarchal Greek society. This can be seen through the analysis of his dialogues and the interactions between the chorus and Agamemnon. Clytemnestra regularly faces skepticism from the chorus as they see her as a foolish woman who is unable to do a man's work. However, she proves them wrong every time, destroying the idea of ​​what a typical woman should be like. He is also able to outsmart and manipulate Agamemnon on many occasions in both mental and physical battles. She shows that she is different from any other woman in that society and that she would not conform to their ideals of what a woman should be. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay At the beginning of the play, Clytemnestra sees that the lighthouse is lit and deduces that the only reason it would be lit is if the Greeks had defeated the Trojans. When he reports this to the choir, he is met with skepticism. They accuse her of having a “dream” or a “vision” that she “believed so easily,” simply because she is a woman who in their eyes cannot be trusted with this type of information. (274) However, Clytemnestra stands her ground by holding on to her belief that the Greeks had conquered Troy and refusing to bow to the Chorus' skepticism, which shows how rebellious she is. The choir is filled with the wisest and oldest men in the village, so naturally most of the women would be completely subservient to them. This is why it is a very bold and unusual move to disagree with them, and in the end it turns out to be the right decision. After the Herald arrives and says that Troy has fallen, the chorus believes him without question, but Clytemnestra had already “uttered her cry of joy” and it was “a long time ago.” (587) The fact that Clytemnestra proved this group, made up of some of the wisest and most knowledgeable men, wrong is a huge achievement. They doubted and "laughed" at her and said that it was "like a woman to raise her heart so lightly", essentially saying that all women believed in things without proof or reasoning. (592) Clytemnestra destroys this stereotypical notion as she was able to use her own reasoning to know that Troy had fallen and she, a “wandering wit” woman as the chorus would describe, was able to prove them wrong. Clytemnestra harbors a deep hatred for Agamemnon as he sacrificed their daughter and therefore is determined to take revenge for her daughter. When Agamemnon arrives from the war, she invites her “dearest husband” to “get down” from his “chariot” and “not set foot on the earth” but to walk on the “tapestry” that she had spread. (905 – 908) Clytemnestra does this as walking on tapestries is seen as a very disrespectful act towards the gods and so if they were to be angry with Agamemnon they would aid him in his murder. Women were often seen as inept and incapable of doing things that required a lot of planning and execution, but Clytemnestra shows that she is capable of it. This shows the extent to which Clytemnestra carefully planned the murder.He wants to make sure that his plan does not fail and takes all necessary measures to do so. This also shows how manipulative she can be as she refers to Agamemnon as her “dear husband” to give him a false sense of comfort and relief. Agamemnon does not agree and does not want to walk on the tapestries but Clytemnestra uses her strong will against him, she asks him "not to oppose" her will and he replies that "he will not make his will weak for her". (931 – 932) Clytemnestra knows that Agamemnon will continue to act as if he is above her and so she appeals to this sense of virility and pride. He continues to feed Agamemnon the idea that he is more powerful than him by saying things like “oh! The power is yours." (944) She is feeding Agamemnon lies because he is a sacrificial beast that she will kill to satisfy her own need for revenge. He forces Agamemnon to bend to his will as, overcome by his pride, he forgets his worries and walks on the tapestries just as Clytemnestra had predicted. Her ability to manipulate and outsmart Agamemnon shows that she is not a typical submissive woman, she has the ability to plan ahead and use her wits and charm to achieve her goals. The act of killing Agamemnon shows myriad ways in which Clytemnestra exerts her physical strength and mental dominance over her male counterpart. After the murder, Clytemnestra begins by explaining how she, unlike a typical Greek woman, “feels no shame” for the act but instead felt it was a “necessity.” (1374) He truly felt that Agamemnon deserved to die and acted accordingly and made sure that he did not fail. He assured that Agamemnon would not be able to "escape nor escape his death, while the fishermen cast their enormous nets in a circle." (1382) This image is used by Aeschylus to show how Clytemnestra had trapped Agamemnon in a net from which he had no escape, as a fisherman would catch a fish. This not only shows a lot of power and intellect that he has, but that he is able to use it against a king like Agamemnon. Murder not only demonstrates his intellectual prowess by manipulating Agamemnon, but also shows dominance and power in his death. When the doors of the place open reveal “the bodies of Agamemnon / and Cassandra, with Clytaemestra standing above them”. (1370-1371) This dramatic entrance highlights her greatness as she stands tall above her enemies, like that of a fury. He is able to take on the role of a fury as he exacts his revenge by killing Agamemnon, completing the cycle of retributive justice. He further shows his dominance in the way he describes how he killed Agamemnon, “he smote him twice in two great cries of agony / he buckled at the knees and fell. When he was on the ground / I gave him a third blow." (1384 – 1386) This shows how ruthless Clytemnestra is and how much power she really has. He struck two blows at Agamemnon and essentially killed him and brought him to his knees, but in pure vengeance and anger he struck a third blow as a symbol to show his strength and power. Aeschylus also chooses to say that she struck Agamemnon twice and he let out "two great cries of agony" to show how much pain and suffering he felt and how helpless he was to defend himself from it. Ultimately, this scene exemplifies how Clytemnestra has the strength, power, and intellect to independently act on what she deems necessary, something that women were unable to do. Please note: this is just an example. Get a custom paper now from our expert writers .Get a custom essayIn conclusion Clytemnestra has shown that she is capable of fighting against the conventions of what a normal female character should be. Clytemnestra defends what.