“An eye for an eye” seems to be a phrase that people will always live by. Any person that has wrong done to them seeks revenge and justice. If they don’t take action than they at least have some thought of vengeance. Women, historically more than men, seem to abide by this saying. Greek tragedy is a perfect example of how women seek vengeance. Clytemnestra, Medea, and Antigone all seek revenge and justice to keep their pride and to prove themselves towards their foes and enemies. When a child’s life is taken away the mother is willing to do anything to bring justice to its place. In Aeschylus’ Agamemnon, Agamemnon sacrifices his own daughter (Iphigenia) to win a war. This brings great agony to his wife, Clytemnestra, and knowing that she is not happy with his decision, he also brings a new mistress (Cassandra) into the household. Before he husbands return home, Clytemnestra starts to contemplateabout the situation she is in. Finally she decides whether it be her husband or not, she is willing to give up everything to bring her daughter’s death to justice and to show her husband and his mistress that she will always remain the head of the household.Clytemnestra’s vengeance starts at Agamemnon’s homecoming. She greets him with generous open arms and listens to his request for kind treatment of Cassandra. Welcoming both of them into the house, she has already plotted both of their deaths. She murders Cassandra only because she will not be humiliated by her husband’s unwise choice to bring back a concubine, after sacrificing their innocent daughter. She states “his death the work of my right hand, whose craftsmanship justice acknowledges,“ showing no shame or remorse for killing her husband to justify -2-their daughter’s death. When the chorus is outraged by her act, she simply states to them that “the guile I used to kill him, he used himself ...
