The woman, the city, and the god from outside

Clitemnestra’s performance in the dionysian space of greek tragedy

Abstract

This article analyzes the construction of Clytemnestra in Aeschylus’ Oresteia, investigating her as the personification of the female counter-model in Classical Athens. The analysis starts from the premise that tragic theatre is inseparable from its origins in the cult of Dionysus and from its function as a space for civic debate. The aim is to demonstrate how Clytemnestra’s figure is articulated within this ritual space to explore the tensions of the polis. Her central actions – the murder of King Agamemnon and the usurpation of power – are examined as a direct attack on the pillars of patriarchal order: both the oikos and the city. It is argued that, far from celebrating insurrection, the staging of her monstrosity serves both a pedagogical and conservative function by exposing the chaotic consequences of female autonomy. Thus, tragedy employs the subversive potential of its Dionysian origins to, paradoxically, justify the need for social control and reaffirm the limits of gender roles within the Athenian collective imagination.