ed and shrinks from the blood stained house of Atreus. She sees the murdered and eaten children of Thyestes and then goes on about a looming plot -a cleansing ritual becomes murder with a hunting -net. She calls on the Furies. The Choros are so uneasy about all this that they try to be rationalistic about it. She reverts to Paris's elopement which has doomed her and her family. Speaking more clearly. she tries to warn of Agamemnon's murder by going into detail about what she divines. The Choros rather pruriently ask her about her relationship to Apollo: she was wooed by him and accepted the gift of prophecy from him but then refused to lie with him. He punished her by causing her prophecies never to be believed. This now occurs as the Choros refused to believe that Agamemnon is threatened. Suddenly she tears off her priestess' garland and throws down the sceptre. She prophesies that she and Agamemnon will be avenged by a son come to kill his mother. Ceasing to be sorry for herself she prays Apollo for a quick, painless death (a prayer which is soon to be granted). In dignity she accepts her fate and moves towards the palace door but then starts back in horror because it is so blood -encrusted. She pulls herself together again, praise for the vengeance for her to be complete when Clytemnestra and Aigisthus are killed, and goes into the palace.5th. Stasimon: the Choros reflecting on the uncertainty of fortune and success are interrupted by the cry of Agamemnon being murdered within. They dither, not being sure who it is who cries out and thinking it might be a revolution. Each old man speaks two lines and they disagree with one another.5th Episode: The palace doors open and Clytemnestra stands with the two bodies of Agamemnon and Cassandra, a silver bath and a purple robe. Cassandra's body has been arranged obscenely on top of Agamemnon's and Agamemnon's blood has bespattered Clytemnestra.Clytemnestra speaks exultantly of her victory and ...
