Clytemnestra

Kings and heroes drop like flies, but queens outlive them all.

I’m saying that it is hard to find a man who is really strong. Strong enough not to desire to be stronger than you.

But maybe this is how broken people keep living. They find someone as broken, fit them into the empty spaces of their hearts and, together, grow into something different.

As for queens, they are either hated or forgotten. She already knows which option suits her better. Let her be hated forever.

There is no peace for a woman with ambition

If Clytemnestra's rage was a fire, Helen's was a lamp; warm and thin in the darkness, but burning if you came too close.

Listen to me," Clytemnestra says. "Gods do not care about us. They have other concerns. That is why you should never live in the shadow of their anger. It is men you must fear. It is men who will be angry with you if you rise too high, if you are loved too much. The stronger you are, the more they will try to take you down.

It is unwise to let a man who isn't king sit on a throne for too long.

Human lives are based on pain. But to have a few moments of happiness, lightning tearing the darkness of the sky, that is worth it.

She will bow to no one. Her destiny will be what she wants it to be.

She knows that, in moments of pain, some words are spoken with a harshness that is not truly meant. But, even so, words can grow roots inside one’s heart. You can bury them, hoping they will wither and die, but roots keep finding something to latch on to.

Ambition, courage, distrust. You will be queens soon enough, and that is what you will need if you want to outlive the men who’ll wish to be rid of you.

You can’t have justice and everyone’s approval

Men who find solace only in other men are to be distrusted.

You were born free and you will always be free, no matter what others tell you. But you must see what it is around you and learn to bend it to your will before you are the one who is bent.

Is this what happens when one falls in love and marries? Clytemnestra wonders. Is this what a woman gives up? All her life, she has been taught courage, strength, resilience, but must those qualities be kept at bay with a husband?

We are taught that marriage is the end of fun and childhood, but it is just the same. Nothing changes much in your life." "How do you know?" "I am sure of it. It is one of those things men say to make you feel responsible, while they can be children forever.

Sometimes you have to make life difficult for others before they make it impossible for you.

Every day you try to forget, but at night, you dream of the past. This is what dreams are for. To make us remember what we were, to tie us down to our memories, whether we like it or not.

A woman can’t afford to close her eyes for long.

Agamemnon, Calchas, and Odysseus, on the other hand, know that one doesn’t grow powerful thanks to the gods: they take matters into their own hands and fight to have their names written into eternity. It is no wonder they have survived for so long: they are cruel and cunning. Although they are very different from one another, they have something in common—they believe they are special because no one but them sees the horrible things that need to be done. They believe others shy away from the brutal nature of life but that they are clever enough to see and act upon it.

Penelope’s face is luminous. “My father used to tease me and say that I would marry some forgotten king on a forgotten island.” Clytemnestra nudges her. “Well, you are.” Penelope laughs. “Who knows about Ithaca? Who will remember Odysseus?” “Probably no one. The clever ones are always forgotten.

The lion comes home and finds the wolf ready to welcome him.

That is how easy loyalty is for some. They are satisfied with crumbs.

But have you ever heard of a man who stumbles upon a naked goddess and just walks away?

But vengeance works best when it’s aided by patience.

Clytemnestra dances for herself; Helen dances for others.

Young men often lie with their companions' he says. 'Why shouldn't women do the same?

He relaxes and his expression shifts back to the usual amusement. ‘Good … Maybe in another life I would have married you,’ he adds carelessly. She watches him but his smile is impenetrable. ‘You wouldn’t have been able to handle me,’ she says. ‘I am too fierce for you.’ He laughs. ‘And your husband?’ ‘He likes the fire. He isn’t afraid to burn.’ She says it lightly, with a smile, but she knows it is true.