Clytaemnestra and Penelope - A Comparison of Greek Womanhood

In both The Odyssey and Agamemnon the role of women is presented from a patriarchal and misogynist perspective. This is shown in the two main female characters of Penelope and Clytaemnestra. Their situations offer examples of the rewards of fulfilling society's female gender role in the case of Penelope; the consequences of leaving that role are demonstrated by Clytaemnestra. In both stories women are shown as chattel, possessions for distribution to cement political moves, bind …

…talented. Clytaemnestra is her opposite: deceitful, manipulative, controlling, assertive and sexually active with others than her husband. The reactions of other characters in the stories give clear indication that Penelope's role is the desirable one, while Clytaemnestra has deviated from this role and is reviled accordingly. The dualistic perspective presented by these two women offers, through the reactions of those around them, a clear view of the societally approved behavior for women in ancient Greece.