Gender and Sexism in the Oresteia

Throughout the Oresteia, Aeschylus portrays gender as a socially mercurial issue that results in increase miasma within the domicile of Atreus. Aeschylus engages the cultural significance screwing such sexist disputes by depicting gender-based competition among Greeks who find threatened when opposites do non maintain their expected mannish and feminine identities. However, he indicates that when wo custody do act accordingly, they are cool off belittled from both workforce and other women. Through his portraying of sexist double standards and societys rejection of different gender expression, Aeschylus exposes the widespread, unjust underrating of females, who in the end, ironi speaky make up got authority. \nFor an A then(prenominal)ian citizen, power and fortissimo are essential qualities to have in order to be respected; yet such traits are deemed too masculine for women and therefore are single celebrated when men restrain them. For example, Agamemnon is well re garded for representing the culturally high-minded sense of virility for fleck at Troy and returning(a) home safely, while, Aegisthus on the other hand, is mocked for his weak, effeminate qualities. In The Libation Bearers, Orestes honors the soldiers efforts and then ridicules Aegisthuss unmanly complacency, saying, Besides, the lack of birthright presses hard; and my compatriots, the glory of men who toppled Troy with nerves of telling steel, go at the beck and call of a brace of women. Woman-hearted he is (Aes., Ag., ll. 307-311). Aeschylus specifically uses this quote to appearing Orestess disapproval of Aegisthus who stays at home under the govern of Clytemnestra, while other material men like Agamemnon keep up Athens. \nHowever, Aeschylus also highlights Orestess misogynistic views towards his own mother, a perspective that resurfaces. For instance, Orestes maintains these views even when he disguises himself as a foreigner to greet his mother: come out! Whoever ru les the house. The woman in charge. No, the man, bet...