Clytemnestra

Content Warning: This section of the novel includes descriptions of violence and murder.

Clytemnestra reflects on her deepening relationship with Aegisthus. Because he has endured a loveless life marred by neglect, Aegisthus is overwhelmed by her attention and cannot believe that someone of her stature would care for him. In their intimate moments, Clytemnestra notices his constant vigilance, as if he fears she might vanish if he looks away. Their conversations often delve into their pasts. Clytemnestra talks about her mother and her own childhood in Sparta, carefully avoiding topics related to her current life in Mycenae. Aegisthus shares the brutal circumstances surrounding his mother Pelopia’s death and his subsequent murder of his uncle Atreus. He only discovered that Pelopia was his mother moments before her suicide. His first encounter with his father, Thyestes, was equally traumatic.

Moved by Aegisthus’s openness, Clytemnestra shares her own dark secrets, admitting to killing a woman who wronged her. Aegisthus responds with understanding and acceptance. Their affair becomes a topic of gossip within the palace even though Aegisthus remains distant during the day to maintain a veneer propriety. Meanwhile, Clytemnestra faces questions about their relationship from both Aileen and