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Claire could not control her daughter dying- everyone else did- decided death of Ill but unable to decide that of daughter

pg 97- "I only saw the thing once. At birth. Then it was taken away. By the Christian Welfare Society."
..."Where was she when she died"
"With people"
"What did she die of?"
"Meningitis. Maybe it was something else. I received a card from the authorities."

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Claire offering the ultimatum to the town, beginning to weave her web

Her money is what allows her to weave the thread of the town

"I can afford justice. One billion for Güllen, if someone kills Alfred Ill... You chose your life, you forced me into mine" pg. 35.

Clotho manipulated the Gods, much like Claire manipulated the towns people in determining the death of Ill.

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Clotho= immortal, goddess-like
Claire= emotionally dead when she arrives

Ill- "Clara, are you all artificial?"
Claire- "Practically ... I'm unkillable" (31)

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Claire is spider like, not actively killing but waiting in a corner for her prey to fall, suffer and despair in her net. Clotho is sometimes depicted as a spider
"So all the lady has do to is sit on her balcony, drink coffee, smoke cigars and wait. Just wait." p49

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Choses the moral and physical fate for the entire town by offering the money, by offering the thread of money and pull it until they unravel their morals.

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Claire did not spare anyone, just like the 3 Fates needed either Ademetis or someone else to die.
In the play, it was either the death of Ill, or the forever poverty, endless debt of Gullen.

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Clotho always had the power to control others' lives.
Claire only gained this control after she became rich.
(Before she was rich, she was not given much respect)

Reference- The train supervisor says,
"Madam is Madam Claire Zachanassian? Oh, I beg your pardon"

"I became a prostitute"
"Why"
"The court's verdict turned me into one." (pg 34)

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"Like one of the fates, like an avenging goddess. Her name should be Clotho, not Claire. I could well imagine her spinning the web of destiny" pg.21 (proper translation)

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She was the one who spun the thread of the lives of all mortals, as well as the one to decide when a person would be born or killed.
Claire determined the fate of the town and Ill from the very beginning.
"I had my agents buy the whole mess and shut every business down."

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Similar to a spider: poisonous, threatening, weaves the threads of life, controls everyone by a thread like Clotho.

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the three goddesses- have power and authority over  birth and life of humans

each goddess has a role:

Clotho
-Manipulative of other gods

-Each person's destiny was thought of as a thread spun and measured by Clotho

Lachesis
draws the lots and determines how long one lives, by measuring the thread of life

Atropos
chose how someone dies by cutting the thread of life with her shears.

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Claire trusted initially and was tricked by Ill, but now she cannot be tricked

She is completely in power- if they failed to kill Ill, they'd be cut off because she has bought every industry they have. if they kill Ill, she gets her justice

No way she can lose

Claire has wisdom & experience - knows how it feels to be betrayed and manipulated- knows what to look for
Claire never puts trust in someone- fates believes Alcestis had right intentions

Story/Legend says:
Clotho & sisters were tricked by Alcestis into being intoxicated

Alcestis wanted her partner Admetis back who had fallen ill and died (wanted to use Clotho's drunkenness to try to get her husband back)

The Three Fates said- could bring back Admetus if there was a replacement to go to underworld

A substitute was not found so Alcestis offered herself up

Came to the aggrement- Alcestis quickly began to grow sick and sank into her grave as Admetus came back to life.

At the last instant, Heracles arrived and wrestled death and forced him to return Alcestis, allowing Admetus and Alcestis to be reunited.