uals and libations, it also refers to the actions of drinking and consuming. Here Agamemnon drinks what he deserves: death. In lines 1435-37, Clytaemestra mentions that Aegisthus makes the fire burn on her hearth; again, while this is a simple metaphor for a household, it also brings to mind the fire that roasted Thyestes' children, and again we have a reference to feasting. A particularly interesting metaphor is given at the end of this speech, when Clytaemestra says that the deaths of Agamemnon and Cassandra provide her bed with an extra relish or delight. The Greek word used here is paropsonema (1447) (Peradatto 390-93), a rather odd word to use in this context unless one considers the layering of images that occurs: it means to gain an extra relish or to evoke additional pleasure from a meal. Clytaemestra has effectively coaxed the chorus by transforming the vulgarity and brutality of her deed into the methodical and necessary steps of sacrifice. As a queen and a mother, Clytaemestra represents the pinnacle and cornerstone of society itself. As queen, she rules in her husband's absence, controlling all legal and religious aspects of her city. As a mother, she is the center of private life, giving birth to future kings and citizens and managing her husband's household. Yet, Clytaemestra takes these two positions and inverts them by her deeds and descriptions. Thus we see that Clytaemestras words give her power and immortality; She remains omnipresent throughout the trilogy as the eumenides. The furies become the manifestation of her presence, which before Aeschylus Oresteia was unheard of as a dramatic concept (Peradatto 387). Clytaemestra has also perverted two new, yet equally important spheres of idea and logos: the domestic sphere and the state. These spheres, which are closely linked to femininity and masculinity, become intertwined as Clytaemestra takes on a masculine role. In fact, she is often depicted as a male: to such end ...
