Clytemnestra

Clytemnestra observes a tense meeting between her parents, Tyndareus and Leda, and Agamemnon and Menelaus, the exiled sons of Atreus. Agamemnon has an asymmetrical face and greedy eyes, while Menelaus is less cunning in appearance. The brothers seek refuge in Sparta after fleeing Mycenae, which has been usurped by their cousin Aegisthus and uncle Thyestes. Despite their controversial status, Tyndareus grants them sanctuary, adhering to the sacred guest-host relationship.

Agamemnon’s presence in the palace brings unease, especially among the servant girls, who begin to sport bruises. Agamemnon and Menelaus gain admiration from the Spartan warriors for their prowess in the gymnasium, a place that guests usually avoid. Meanwhile, Clytemnestra’s pregnancy prevents her from training in the gymnasium, but she keeps active by wrestling her sister Timandra and practicing archery. One day, Clytemnestra and Helen discover a servant girl with a bruise on her face. Learning that Agamemnon inflicted the injury, they confront Leda, who dismisses their concerns and reveals the brutal history of their father’s rise to power in Sparta, including his exile and return with the help of Heracles.

The priestess of Artemis reveals a prophecy foretelling that Leda’s daughters will marry multiple times and will eventually be freed from their lawful husbands. This prediction disturbs Clytemnestra and Helen. As time goes on, Agamemnon expresses his interest in Clytemnestra despite her pregnancy, but she finds him unsettling and does not return his interest. The tension escalates when she witnesses Agamemnon in an intimate moment with Cynisca, a Spartan woman, for the encounter complicates her perception of Agamemnon and Cynisca’s intentions. Clytemnestra seeks comfort with Helen and inadvertently reveals that Helen may not be Tyndareus’s daughter. Helen, feeling betrayed to realize that Clytemnestra has long withheld this information, asks her to leave. Clytemnestra feels isolated and hurt by her sister’s rejection and reflects on the growing rifts within her family and the broader political landscape.

The narrative flashes back in time to describe an incident in which the 14-year-old Helen caught the attention of the hero Theseus. Despite Helen’s youth, Theseus kidnapped her, resulting in a frantic rescue mission led by her brothers, Castor and Polydeuces. Helen returned from the ordeal physically unharmed but deeply traumatized.

The narrative shifts back to the present moment. Clytemnestra is dealing with the fallout from her argument with Helen. Feeling isolated and desperate for her husband, she seeks out Helen at the temple of Artemis, hoping to reconcile. During their conversation, Helen reveals her frustrations about living in Clytemnestra’s shadow and admits that she believes herself valued only for her physical beauty. Despite Clytemnestra’s attempts to make amends, the conversation ends bitterly, deepening the rift between the two sisters.

Meanwhile, Agamemnon and Menelaus prepare to reclaim Mycenae. Their plan involves sneaking into the city with a select group of Spartan warriors and overthrowing the current ruler, Thyestes. Clytemnestra reflects on the brutal and callous nature of the brothers and is relieved to know that their departure is imminent; she does not wish to encounter them again. At a family dinner, Tyndareus announces that envoys have been sent to invite suitors for Helen, who is now of marriageable age. Later, Clytemnestra’s younger sister, Phoebe, accuses Timandra of inappropriate behavior with a girl from the gymnasium. Soon, the family hears the news that Agamemnon and Menelaus have successfully retaken Mycenae, and Clytemnestra feels a sense of foreboding, wondering what this might mean for her family’s future.

Clytemnestra meets her cousin Penelope, who has been sent to Sparta by her father Icarius, ostensibly to find a husband among the suitors who will soon arrive to court Helen. As they prepare for the suitors’ arrival, Clytemnestra and Penelope discuss the situation and observe the various kings and princes. During dinner, the suitors present themselves and their gifts to Helen. Tyndareus proclaims that the suitors must swear an oath to accept Helen’s choice and support her chosen husband in the future. This oath is suggested by Odysseus, who is renowned for his cunning.

As the suitors present their gifts, Clytemnestra and Penelope engage in conversation with Odysseus, who admits that he has no intention of courting Helen and is actually interested in marrying Penelope. Odysseus’s request to marry Penelope takes her by surprise, and she decides to contemplate his proposal. Meanwhile, Helen chooses a husband. Despite efforts to persuade her otherwise, Helen selects Menelaus, the son of Atreus, angering the other suitors, who have already sworn the required oath to respect her decision and politically support her chosen husband. Clytemnestra observes the unfolding events with mixed emotions, feeling protective of Helen despite her inability to intervene. Menelaus takes Helen’s hand, and Clytemnestra realizes that her sister’s fate is now out of her hands.

Most of the suitors depart; only Odysseus, Agamemnon, and Menelaus remain at the palace. Odysseus spends time with Clytemnestra and Penelope, sharing his knowledge about nature, carpentry, and dairy products. During these interactions, Clytemnestra finds comfort in Odysseus’s storytelling, which reminds her of her husband Tantalus. One day, Timandra confides to Clytemnestra that she was recently forced to fight a close friend, Chrysanthe, during a wrestling match. Clytemnestra understands Timandra’s hidden affection for Chrysanthe and encourages her to pursue her feelings despite societal expectations and potential repercussions from their father.

One day, Clytemnestra encounters Odysseus, who subtly inquires about Timandra’s relationship with Chrysanthe. Odysseus expresses a liberal viewpoint on romantic relationships between women and hints at his own imminent departure from Sparta. He also suggests that Penelope will likely join him in his home of Ithaca. Later, Clytemnestra overhears a conversation between Helen and Menelaus, in which Helen inquires about Menelaus’s lengthy discussion with her father. Menelaus dismisses her curiosity, leaving Clytemnestra feeling uneasy.

As Clytemnestra’s pregnancy progresses, she spends more time alone, reflecting on her life and the changes around her. The narrative then shifts to the night when Clytemnestra goes into labor. Helen assists her to the kitchen, where the midwives await. Clytemnestra endures the pains of childbirth, supported by Helen, Timandra, and Leda. The midwife helps deliver the baby boy amidst Clytemnestra’s screams and efforts. Clytemnestra holds her newborn son, feeling a profound connection as she looks into his eyes, which are as blue as the morning sky.

Clytemnestra adjusts to motherhood. Her son, whose name is not yet decided, shows a strong bond with his father, Tantalus. Clytemnestra spends her days introducing her son to the beauty of nature and telling him stories about various flowers and myths. Leda adores her new grandson and spends time with him, rekindling her nurturing side. Meanwhile, Tantalus plans the family’s return to Maeonia and sends a messenger to inform his kingdom of the heir’s birth. One day, Clytemnestra tries to avoid Agamemnon and Menelaus by sitting outside with her baby. Helen approaches her, and the two share a rare moment of sisterly connection. Helen admits that she finally spoke to Leda about the secret of her real father and acknowledges Clytemnestra’s lifelong urge to protect her.

The conversation shifts to Helen’s troubled marriage with Menelaus. Clytemnestra senses a deep sadness and regret in Helen, who regrets marrying Menelaus and admits to being envious of Clytemnestra. Late at night, Helen visits Clytemnestra and Tantalus. Distraught and fearful, she reveals that she overheard Menelaus and Agamemnon discussing a secretive plan that involves Tantalus and hints at Tyndareus’s involvement. Helen confesses that her marriage to Menelaus was a mistake driven by her jealousy and Tyndareus’s manipulation. She also shows Clytemnestra a bruise that Menelaus inflicted upon her. Clytemnestra, filled with protective rage, vows to confront Menelaus and Agamemnon in order to ensure Helen’s safety. After Helen leaves, Clytemnestra reflects on her deep emotional connection to her sister and her determination to protect Helen from the dangerous game she has become entangled in. Clytemnestra resolves to end the lies, secrets, and threats surrounding her family.

Clytemnestra awakens with a sense of determination and confronts Agamemnon about Menelaus’s mistreatment of Helen. Their conversation escalates into a violent altercation, and Agamemnon threatens Clytemnestra with a knife. She defends herself, but Agamemnon ultimately overpowers her and leaves her on the floor, alive but subdued. Meanwhile, Timandra engages in a secret relationship with Chrysanthe but is attacked by Cynisca, who knocks her unconscious. Timandra eventually regains consciousness, disoriented and injured, and rushes back to the palace when she hears rumors of a tragedy involving Clytemnestra’s baby.

Menelaus has locked Helen in her room, but when she overhears cries and commotion, she manages to escape by stabbing the servant on guard. She makes her way to the megaron, where she discovers a that Tantalus has been murdered by Agamemnon. Leda finds Tantalus bleeding to death and the baby already dead, cradled in the arms of a slain servant. In a state of shock and grief, Clytemnestra attempts to harm herself but is restrained by Helen and Timandra. The three sisters are united in their sorrow and loss.

Clytemnestra is overwhelmed with grief following Agamemnon’s murder of her husband and their child. She faints from the burden of her anguish and Helen stays by her side, offering words of comfort and stories of heroes and the dead. Despite her grief, Clytemnestra’s sorrow soon begins to harden into anger and a desire for vengeance. She learns that Timandra has killed the servants who were complicit in the murder of her family. Clytemnestra soon confronts her father and blames him for his role in the betrayal and murder of her family. However, Tyndareus reveals that Clytemnestra must marry Agamemnon, in accordance with an existing pact. This news only fuels Clytemnestra’s anger and sense of betrayal.

Clytemnestra’s meeting with Agamemnon is cold and filled with contempt. Agamemnon declares his desire for her and promises not to touch her until they reach Mycenae, but Clytemnestra remains defiant and scornful, rejecting any notion of affection or respect for him. Before her forced wedding to Agamemnon, Clytemnestra undergoes a ceremonial cleansing and reflects on the priestess’s words about death and fate. Finally, she visits the tomb where the ashes of her husband and child are kept and expresses her sorrow and grief. She marries Agamemnon with deep resentment, privately vowing not to mourn her father when he dies, although she resolves that her hatred for Agamemnon will endure.

Clytemnestra’s final morning in Sparta is marked by a farewell with Helen, who expresses her own feelings of entrapment and bitterness about being used as a pawn in political alliances. Clytemnestra’s departure from her homeland fills her with sorrow and a sense of foreboding. Leda gives her a jeweled knife, a symbol of concealed strength and potential retribution. Upon arriving in Mycenae, Clytemnestra is struck by the city’s imposing architecture and the contrast to her native Sparta. She is introduced to her new servants and is shown to her quarters, which are adorned with elaborate frescoes depicting scenes from Sparta, which she interprets as a cruel reminder of her past.

Clytemnestra confronts Agamemnon, and he asserts his control and dominance over her, further igniting her hatred and desire for vengeance. Despite his brutality, Clytemnestra remains defiant, silently vowing revenge against him. She bitterly reflects on his desire to break her spirit and hardens her own resolve to resist him.