Clytemnestra

Content Warning: This section of the guide contains descriptions of murder, domestic violence, and anti-gay bias.

The narrative shifts forward 15 years. Clytemnestra now journeys to Arcadia and reflects on her complex relationship with her family. As she rides alone, she reminisces about her children and her life in Mycenae. Despite the physical and emotional toll of her past losses, she finds solace in her living children, who have become her reason for living. Upon reaching Arcadia, she reunites with her sister Timandra, who is now the queen of the region. Timandra greets her with warmth, but the encounter is tainted by the harsh realities of their lives. Timandra reveals a scar inflicted by their father, indicating the difficult relationship they shared with him. The sisters go on to discuss the complexities of their situations, which are bound by the constraints of their respective marriages.

At dinner, Clytemnestra meets King Echemus, Timandra’s husband, who tries to impress her with tales of his lineage and the palace’s history. The conversation shifts to the recent death of their father, Tyndareus, and Clytemnestra’s plans to attend his funeral in Sparta. Suddenly, Clytemnestra recognizes Chrysanthe, Timandra’s companion from Sparta, whom Clytemnestra once caught kissing Timandra.