20th Annual Student Research Conference
Interdisciplinary
Husband-Killing, Regicidal Woman Out of Control: Clytemnestra in Classical Literature
Shannon L. Crowder
Prof. Martha L. Rose and Dr. Steven Reschly, Faculty Mentors
Clytemnestra is one of the best-known characters in ancient mythology and Classical storytelling. From her first appearance in literature in Homer's Odyssey, the Queen of Mycenae developed into a complex character with many different reasons for killing her husband. During the Sacred Feminine course that traveled to Greece in June 2006, I witnessed the locations that played a key role in Clytemnestra's story, especially the palace at Mycenae. I also had the opportunity to learn more about the socio-economic climate in which the Queen of Mycenae became a well-known figure and a prime example of a good woman gone bad. This paper examines the development through Classical texts -- including works by Homer, Aeschylus, Euripides, and Sophocles -- to the modern post-feminist view of Clytemnestra, and what these various interpretations say about the societies in which they were made.
Keywords: Clytemnestra, Literature, Ancient Greece
Topic(s):Study Abroad
Presentation Type: Oral Paper
Session: 55-3
Location: VH 1408
Time: 3:15 pm