Why does Agamemnon condemn Clytemnestra?

Question

BlackTom AI · Accepted Answer

Reframing the question: What motivates Agamemnon to condemn Clytemnestra in the given context, and which of the listed statements align with that condemnation?

Option 1: "Because she was unfaithful". This statement aligns with the common interpretation that Clytemnestra's adultery with Aegisthus constitutes a serious breach of marriage and loyalty. Infidelity is a morally charged transgression in the household sphere, and in the drama such a betrayal helps justify the moral condemnation she receives.

Option 2: "Because she married Antimachus". This is historically and textually inaccurate for the Agamemnon narrative. Antimachus is a different figure associated with Trojan politics, not a husband of Clytemnestra. Since the marriage to Antimachus did not occur in the myth, this reason does not explain Agamemnon’s condemnation.

Option 3: "Because she plotted his death". This is a central and explicit motive in the tragedy. Clytemnestra’s conspiracy with Aegisthus to murder Agamemnon directly faces him, and such intent and action would be a primary ground for condemning her, both morally and politically.

Option 4: "A and B". Since Option B is not a true motive (she did not marry Antimachus in the relevant story), combining A with B yields an inaccurate composite. Therefore, this option misrepresents the basis of the condemnation.

Option 5: "A and C". This pairing combines two well-supported elements: (A) her unfaithfulness and (C) her plot to kill him. Together, they provide a coherent and widely recognized rationale for why Agamemnon condemns her: she betrays him through marital infidelity and through direct lethal plotting against him.

Why the other options fail relative to the condemned rationale: Option 2 is factually incorrect within the myth, so linking condemnation to a non-existent marriage is misleading. Option 4 is invalid because it relies on the false premise in Option 2. Option 1 alone captures the moral breach of adultery, but in the canonical narrative, the act is significantly intensified by the accompanying plot to murder, which is addressed in Option 3. Therefore, the combination that best reflects the full basis of condemnation is the pairing of A and C.

CLA 010Y 001 SQ 2025 Odyssey (Underworld) Quiz

Why does Agamemnon condemn Clytemnestra?

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