The two sisters argue about the best course of action with regard to their murderous mother. Your anger’s pointless. Don’t you see? Time and time again, she begs her sister to be more reasonable. But now that he’s gone for good, I’m looking to you. She's a pragmatic gal, and she's trying to do what makes sense. © 2020 Shmoop University Inc | All Rights Reserved | Privacy | Legal. But what of Electra's conclusion? "My students can't get enough of your charts and their results have gone through the roof." Character Roles (Protagonist, Antagonist...). Chrysothemis is Electra and Orestes ’s sister and the daughter of Clytemnestra and Agamemnon. Your sister needs your help To kill Aegisthus—the man who perpetrated Our father’s murder.

Time and time again, she begs her sister to be more reasonable. She appears in Sophocles 's Electra. What can you still Look forward to? Suddenly, Electra’s sister, Electra refuses to stop mourning, telling, Electra, however, has her own plan to improve their situation. They're like having in-class notes for every discussion!”, “This is absolutely THE best teacher resource I have ever purchased. So long as I still had word that our brother Orestes Was alive and well, I went on hoping that he Would one day come to avenge his father’s murder. The Chorus, made up of the women of the town, does side with Electra's sister for much of the play. Yes, women, if Electra had any sense at all,She wouldn’t have thrown all caution to the winds Before giving tongue.

It's not that she's immoral for taking the side of her father's murderers. If Electra is emotion or duty-driven, Chrysothemis is reason-driven.

What are you trying to do?Why are you putting on this audacious front And calling on me to follow? Instant downloads of all 1360 LitChart PDFs Apparently, she saw libations on Agamemnon's grave that could have only come from him, including a lock of his hair that she recognized. Chrysothemis returns later to Electra with fantastic news – Orestes is back. Detailed explanations, analysis, and citation info for every important quote on LitCharts. Electra responds to Chrysothemis's pleas with hostility and accusations.We have to wonder what attitude the play takes toward this character; is it an understandable course of action that Chrysothemis has chosen? She explains that their mother had a bad dream about Agamemnon, and sent her with libations for his grave. (including. Electra, what are you doing?Haven’t you learned by now? “I never hesitated when I saved his life,” she says. Teach your students to analyze literature like LitCharts does. JavaScript seems to be disabled in your browser. Here you are again, holding forthAt the palace gateway! Rather, she's too pragmatic to commit herself to what she considers to be a futile course of action.

When you look at it this way, it's tempting to judge Chrysothemis for not having the courage her sister did. No secrets between us now. LitCharts Teacher Editions. She is the main character in two Greek tragedies, Electra by Sophocles and Electra by Euripides. But Electra will not be met with reason; she is set on a particular course of action and will not be deterred.

-Graham S. The timeline below shows where the character Chrysothemis appears in. ...the chorus points out, Electra isn’t the only one left to mourn Agamemnon. Chrysothemis is then distraught when Electra reveals that it …

A handmaid of CLYTEMNESTRA. Chrysothemis, daughter of Agamemnon and Clytemnestra. That’s all I know, exceptThat our mother’s frightened enough to send me out. That's good evidence for the argument that the play condones her behavior. Their star is rising daily,While our fortunes are ebbing away to nothing.Who could plot to murder a man as strong As Aegisthus and then emerge from the fray unscathed? My students love how organized the handouts are and enjoy tracking the themes as a class.”, LitCharts uses cookies to personalize our services. Apparently, she saw libations on Agamemnon's grave that could have only come from him, including a lock of his hair that she recognized. This sprouted upAnd grew to a leafy branch which overshadowedThe whole of Mycenae. By entering your email address you agree to receive emails from Shmoop and verify that you are over the age of 13. If Electra is emotion or duty-driven, Chrysothemis is reason -driven. Chrysothemis comes onstage and converses with Electra.

They say she saw our father beside her again,Restored to life. Electra’s sister. Most prominently among these, Chrysothemis was a daughter of Agamemnon and Clytemnestra. You’re not a man, but a woman. Chrysothemis is then distraught when Electra reveals that it couldn't have been Orestes, since he's dead.

Aegisthus isn’t foolish enough to allow A son of yours—or a son of mine—to growTo manhood and so to ensure his own destruction. Don’t blame me when you sufferLater on.

Chrysothemis is the younger daughter of Clytemnestra and Agamemnon. Unlike Electra, Chrysothemis is accepting of Aegisthus ’s assumed role as her “lord and master,” and she considers it her duty to submit to his authority.

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Chrysothemis is less emotional and more detached than Electra, and clings to the principle of expediency in the hopes of maximizing her own comfort and profit. Feel free to be creative in your reading of Chrysothemis's actions. When Electra asks her to help kill the King and Queen, Chrysothemis refuses; but she does promise that she won't reveal Electra's plan to murder the royal couple. These visions that came to me last night,These doubtful dreams, Lycean Lord,If they boded good, grant them fulfilment;If evil, let them rebound on my foes.If any by craft would steal the wealth That I now enjoy, let it not be.Vouchsafe me always to live as I am,With life unharmed, to govern the house Of Atreus’ sons and all this realm.To dwell in prosperous joy with the friends I love, who presently share my home.And with those of my children who bear No malice against me nor cause me pain.These prayers, Lycean Apollo, graciously hear And grant us our humble requests. By using our site, you acknowledge that you have read and understand our, Note: all page numbers and citation info for the quotes below refer to the Penguin edition of. Teachers and parents!

She appears in Sophocles 's Electra. Our. Although she recognizes her mother's corruption and although she understands the injustice of her father's murder, she refuses to mourn in the way that her sister, Electra, does. Only the pain of growing Old without the blessings of love or marriage. You’d better think About it carefully. I must admitThis situation distresses me too.

You need to be sensible now. Chrysothemis then tells Electra that unless she stops her constant mourning and complaining, Aegisthus, her stepfather who is now absent in the country, plans to remove Electra and imprison her in a secluded room. Other characters named Chrysothemis include: Where will inaction get you? Chrysothemis makes it clear that she agrees with Electra – their mother and stepfather are guilty – but maintains that no good can come of snubbing them. I know full well That right is on your side, but if I want To be free, our lords and masters must be obeyed. Electra welcomes this threat in a stubborn exclamation of defiance. You mustn’t flinch. In other words, she's fine with rebellion, as long as she doesn't get caught.
Electra is visibly offended by Chrysothemis's attitude. Chrysothemis represents the oppression of women in ancient Greek society within the play. Well, I’ll tell you all that I know myself.Their plan is this: if you won’t stop lamenting,They’ll send you where you’ll never see the sun, Buried alive in a cave across the frontier,To chant your miseries there. Struggling with distance learning? Those joys are nothing more than a forlorn hope.

She realizes that she will gain the greatest benefits by siding with those in control. Electra is one of the most popular mythological characters in tragedies. The original text plus a side-by-side modern translation of. She says that she and, ...“plague” that has fallen on Agamemnon’s house. Chrysothemis defends her decision on the grounds that Electra's actions are futile – but the play's ending shows that her actions were not futile at all. So much I learnedFrom someone present when she revealed her dream To the god of the Sun. She is also the central figure in plays by Aeschylus, Alfieri, Voltaire, Hofmannsthal, and Eugene O'Neill. You haven’t the strength To conquer your foes. Unlike her sister, Electra, Chrysothemis did not protest or enact vengeance against their mother for having an affair with Aegisthus and then killing their father. It’s wiser to trim my sails,Not pose as a threat without any power to harm.I wish you’d do the same. Through determination and will, Electra brought about the justice she so vehemently sought.

This is not the only way to view the play, however.

Don’t indulge it for nothing.
If only I had the strength, I’d show them how I feel.But things are bad. When Electra orders her to put a lock of her own hair on Agamemnon's grave instead of the libations her mother sent, Chrysothemis agrees to do so. ELECTRA, sister of ORESTES CHRYSOTHEMIS, sister of ORESTES AN OLD MAN, formerly the PAEDAGOGUS or Attendant Of ORESTES CLYTEMNESTRA AEGISTHUS CHORUS OF WOMEN OF MYCENAE Mute Persons PYLADES, son of Strophius, King of Crisa, the friend Of ORESTES. ...something difficult. Rather, she's too pragmatic to commit herself to what she considers to be a futile course of action. For the best experience on our site, be sure to turn on Javascript in your browser. From the creators of SparkNotes, something better. Unlike her sister, Electra, Chrysothemis did not protest or enact vengeance against their mother for having an affair with Aegisthus and then killing their father.

He then took hold of the staffHe used to carry and now Aegisthus wields, And planted it on the hearth.

Only resentment in being deprived Of your father’s heritage. Chrysothemis returns later to Electra with fantastic news – Orestes is back. The children battle with one another; Electra despises, “Would not have made it through AP Literature without the printable PDFs. It's not that she's immoral for taking the side of her father's murderers.