One of the interesting characteristics about Aescylus Oresteia is how women are portrayed in the

series of three plays. Women are at the same thing powerful but also at some points powerless. To
begin with Iphigeneia, the daughter of Agamenmon, is powerless when it comes to decide about her
own life. Her father decides to kill her as a sacrifice and she could not do anything about it.
Another women in the play that is Cassandra. She was captured in Troy and brought back to Greece
by Agamemnon. And even though she knows that she is walking to her death she still cannot do
anything to avoid it. She even acknowledges, in a lament tone, her own pitiful situation and accepts
her destiny, which began to be written when she was abused by Apollo but still was able to not
become pregnate of the god. That stunt that she was able to pull out is actually an example of
women power but is also the reason her prophecies become useless, since no one believes or
understands her in time to prevent her catastrophic prophecies.
On the other hand, Clytaemnestra displays a great amount of power by planning and executing
Agamemnon's death. She was in total control of the situation and of the kingdom. She was able to
create a sophisticated communication system to know in advance the situation in Troy so that she
could carefully plan the death of Agamemnon. It's interesting to note that in the Lord of Rings the
same system of communication, with multiple fires mountains, is used to communicate fastly the
result of a battle. When the leader of the Chorus hears about Troy's fall he does not believe in it, the
leader even mocks Clytaemnestra but later with the coming of the Herald he acknowledges that she
was correct. Even though she had the support of Aeghistus, Clytaemnestra is the one that ultimately
stabs and kills Agamemnon, which displays her power. Clytaemnestra says through line 1429-1431:
Here is Agamemnon, my husband made a corpse
by this right hand a masterpiece of Justice.
Done is done.
After Clytaemnestra kills Agamemnon, she has a dialog with the chorus in a certain manner
defending herself. At the end she says the chorus is impotent:
Let them howl they're impotent. You and I have
power now.
We will set the house in order once for all. (lines 1707-1709)
Even though Clytaemnestra is killed by her son Orestes, which demonstrates that she was not so
powerful after all, the fact that the furies go after Orestes still point out to her influence and women
power. A son could not kill a mother or the furies would certainly go after him.
But the most powerful women in the play only shows up in the last part, The Eumenides. And even
though she is a goddess she is still a women goddess. It is Athena that represents justice and decides
that Orestes is innocent. It is interesting to relate that Cassandra and Iphigenea, both only daughters,
were powerless in the play and Clytaemnestra, which was obsviously a daughter too but also a
mother, was more powerful.
The play that starts with fire, that comes announcing Troys fall, also ends with fire, this time
celebrating the Furies arrival in Athens. The play end with a group of women of the city singing:
You great good Furies, bless the land with kindly hearts,
you Awesome Spirits, come exult in the blazing torch,

exultant in our fires, journey on

Cry, cry in triumph, carry on the dancing on and on!