Like Mother, Like Daughter
I didn’t think it was possible to rewrite the story of the House of Atreus in any other light, but Colm Toibin does it. I would argue that House of Names is the realest and most believable version of Orestes, Electra, and Clytemnestra’s story. Unlike before, I felt like I could truly connect with, understand the characters, and form my own opinion of them.
The novel starts with Clytemnestra seething over the death of her (favorite) daughter Iphigenia and plotting against Agamemnon to avenge her daughter. I would argue that her thoughts are understandable; I can’t imagine what it would be like to lose a daughter to sacrifice and then find out that the sacrifice wasn’t needed. However, we read several times how evil and almost barbaric Clytemnestra’s thoughts are. She’s transformed into a villain and enlists Aegisthus, Agamemnon’s cousin, to help her carry out the murder of her husband. Obviously, the plan works and Clytemnestra and Aegisthus and the new rulers.
Although Clytemnestra gave birth to eight children, the book and this blog will focus only on Orestes and Electra. While Orestes fate in House of Names is tragic, I want to dive into Electra. It is made clear that she utterly hates her mother, and begins plotting her own revenge.
Although Clytemnestra gave birth to eight children, the book and this blog will focus only on Orestes and Electra. While Orestes fate in House of Names is tragic, I want to dive into Electra. It is made clear that she utterly hates her mother, and begins plotting her own revenge.
Clytemnestra (left) and Electra (right)
Arguably, Electra is even more vicious than her mother, dragging her own brother into her scheme to do her dirty work. She manipulates her brother into killing their mother, and in the process, further ruining his relationship with Leander. Electra isn’t a homewrecker in the traditional sense, but she is literally a home-wrecker. After these events unfold, Electra takes her mother’s place as ruler, revealing that she got exactly what she wanted: her mother dead and power over Argos.
Taking a step back from the novel, it is striking how similar Clytemnestra and Electra are. Their hatred for each other is obvious but their similarities are uncanny. Both are extremely vengeful, enlisted the help of family to murder someone who wronged them, and wanted supreme power. If I didn’t know better, I would have thought that Clytemnestra’s ghost had possessed Electra. Unfortunately, that is not the case. Electra is not possessed, but simply malicious and selfish, just like the person she hated most.
Taking a step back from the novel, it is striking how similar Clytemnestra and Electra are. Their hatred for each other is obvious but their similarities are uncanny. Both are extremely vengeful, enlisted the help of family to murder someone who wronged them, and wanted supreme power. If I didn’t know better, I would have thought that Clytemnestra’s ghost had possessed Electra. Unfortunately, that is not the case. Electra is not possessed, but simply malicious and selfish, just like the person she hated most.