“But, where in Splendour’s halls, Gold glitters on the walls, And on men’s hands is filth and foul offence, With looks averse and cold, She quits the gates of gold, And hails the hut of humble Innocence.”
~ ‘Agamemnon’ by Aeschylus (G. M. Cookson translation. p56. line 776)
In Part 2, we had stopped at a place where Clytemnestra was talking to the Chorus after the Herald’s arrival about how she felt validated that her husband was returning. She continues her talk and boasts about her chastity and loyalty all these years. The Herald finds the boasting odd coming from a woman of high standing.
The Chorus asks the Herald about Menelaus and discusses the catastrophic storm that devastated the Greek fleet. The Herald thanks the gods for saving him while so many had perished. The Chorus goes back to talking about Helen and says that her name itself had indicated that she would bring destruction. The Chorus likens her to a baby lion that a family lovingly raised and showed its true colors after it grew up, ate the livestock and killed the family. The Chorus says that one wicked deed can ruin a family for generations and that to give in to ‘pride’, the daughter of darkness, is one of the worst things a person can do.