Cassandra and the Challenge of Persuasion
Abstract
In Aeschylus’ Agamemnon, the character of Cassandra embodies a unique communicative challenge: the failure of persuasion. Unlike misunderstandings caused by ignorance of language or context, Cassandra’s tragedy lies in her inability to convince others despite speaking the truth. This disconnect between appearance and reality reflects a deeper issue rooted in the Greek religious worldview, which sees human beings as trapped in a world of appearances and dependent on divine mediation to access truth. Rhetoric, as the art of persuasion, builds on this divide and exposes a fundamental tension at the heart of democratic discourse in ancient Greece.
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