Umair Gaines
Mourning Becomes Electra is a trilogy of three related plays: Homecoming, The Hunted, and The Haunted. Written by Eugene O'Neill and published in 1931, it is a modernized retelling of the Oresteia, a trilogy of Ancient Greek tragedies. The plays are not normally produced individually but as part of the larger trilogy. Each play contains four to five acts, making Mourning Becomes Electra extraordinarily lengthy. In many productions, the length is cut for the sake of practicality. The play draws parallels to Greek tragedies, highlighting its exploration of fate and the psychological undercurrents driving the characters' actions.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Number of plays | 3 |
| Names of the plays | Homecoming, The Hunted, and The Haunted |
| Author | Eugene O'Neill |
| Year published | 1931 |
| Setting | New England at the time of the American Civil War |
| Family | Mannon |
| Characters | Ezra Mannon, Christine Mannon, Lavinia Mannon, Orin Mannon, Peter, Hazel Niles, Seth Beckwith, Adam Brant |
| Themes | Revenge, fate, psychological conflict, familial tragedy, familial bonds, emotional scars, haunting nature of past sins |
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![Mourning Becomes Electra (1947) [ NON-USA FORMAT, PAL, Reg.0 Import - Spain ]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/71Q13GCbrVL._AC_UY218_.jpg)
![Mourning Becomes Electra (1947) [ NON-USA FORMAT, PAL, Reg.0 Import - Spain ]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/41VDvI15LEL._AC_UY218_.jpg)
What You'll Learn
- 'Mourning Becomes Electra' is a trilogy of three related plays: 'Homecoming', 'The Hunted', and 'The Haunted'
- The plays are inspired by Aeschylus' 'Oresteia' trilogy
- The plays explore the theme of revenge, where the protagonist's actions and suffering are determined by past crimes
- The plays examine familial bonds, emotional scars, and the haunting nature of past sins
- The plays also investigate the causes of familial tragedy and the effects of revenge and retribution on survivors
'Mourning Becomes Electra' is a trilogy of three related plays: 'Homecoming', 'The Hunted', and 'The Haunted'
Mourning Becomes Electra is a trilogy of three related plays: Homecoming, The Hunted, and The Haunted. Written by Eugene O'Neill and published in 1931, the trilogy is inspired by Aeschylus' Oresteia trilogy of Ancient Greek tragedies and explores similar themes of revenge, fate, and psychological conflict.
The plays are normally produced together as a larger trilogy, and they centre on the Mannon family, a wealthy and isolated family living in New England during the American Civil War. The first play, Homecoming, introduces the Mannons and the family's various conflicts and secrets. The mother, Christine Mannon, is manipulative and hated by the townsfolk, while her daughter Lavinia is at odds with her and adores her father, General Ezra Mannon. As the play progresses, deep family secrets are revealed, including Ezra's brother David's affair with a working-class woman, resulting in the birth of Captain Brant, a regular caller at the Mannon home.
In the second play, The Hunted, the focus shifts to Orin Mannon, Ezra and Christine's son, who has returned from the war bitter and resentful. Orin discovers Christine's affair with Brant and kills the latter in a fit of rage. Meanwhile, Lavinia, who has also returned from her time in the islands, is accused by Orin of becoming romantic and sleeping with one of the natives. The play ends with Orin's accidental death, which is suspected by Hazel, a neighbour with a crush on him, to be sinister.
The final play, The Haunted, explores the aftermath of Orin's death and the impact of the Mannon family's past sins. Lavinia, dressed in deep mourning, is haunted by her family's ghosts and realizes that she is forever bound to the dead Mannons. Unable to escape her past, she decides to live alone in the old family house, shutting herself off from the world.
As a whole, Mourning Becomes Electra is a poignant examination of familial bonds, emotional scars, and the cyclical nature of human actions and outcomes. It delves into the psychological undercurrents driving the characters' actions and the effects of revenge and retribution on a family in turmoil.
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The plays are inspired by Aeschylus' 'Oresteia' trilogy
Mourning Becomes Electra is a trilogy of three related plays: "Homecoming", "The Hunted", and "The Haunted". It is a modernised retelling of the "Oresteia", a trilogy of Ancient Greek tragedies written by Aeschylus in the 4th century BC.
The plays of Mourning Becomes Electra are inspired by the Oresteia trilogy in several ways. Firstly, the characters in Mourning Becomes Electra are analogous to those in the Oresteia. For example, Ezra in Electra corresponds to King Agamemnon in the Oresteia, and Christine in Electra is analogous to Clytemnestra in the original. Similarly, Orin in Electra is comparable to Orestes in the Oresteia, and Lavinia in Electra is similar to Electra in the original.
Secondly, the themes of revenge and cyclical violence are central to both works. In the Oresteia, Orestes and Electra work together to avenge their father's death by killing their mother, and in Mourning Becomes Electra, Lavinia convinces Orin to kill their mother Christine, who has murdered their father Ezra. The theme of revenge is further explored in the character of Adam Brant, who seeks revenge on Ezra and his father for wrongdoings against his mother.
Thirdly, the setting of Mourning Becomes Electra is updated from Ancient Greece in the Oresteia to 1860s New England in the former, specifically 1865, immediately post-Civil War. This setting change allows O'Neill to explore similar themes of familial conflict, revenge, and societal expectations within a more modern context.
Finally, while the Oresteia trilogy is narrated by a Greek chorus, Mourning Becomes Electra embodies this chorus in the character of Seth Beckwith and the other townsfolk, who comment on the Mannon family's scandal and turbulent destiny.
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The plays explore the theme of revenge, where the protagonist's actions and suffering are determined by past crimes
Mourning Becomes Electra is a trilogy of three related plays: "Homecoming", "The Hunted", and "The Haunted". Written by Eugene O'Neill, it is a modernized retelling of the Oresteia, a trilogy of Ancient Greek tragedies by Aeschylus. The plays are normally not produced individually but as part of the larger trilogy.
The plays are set in New England at the time of the American Civil War and centre on the Mannon family: Brigadier-General Ezra Mannon, his wife Christine, their daughter Lavinia, and their son Orin. The family is wealthy and lives in a Greek-inspired white mansion, isolating themselves from the town. The play begins as Ezra is returning from the Civil War.
The plays explore the theme of revenge, where the protagonists' actions and suffering are determined by past crimes. For instance, deep family secrets come to the surface, and in the turmoil and torment, murder seems to be the only answer. Orin, for instance, kills Brant in a fit of rage after discovering his affair with Christine, his mother. Similarly, Lavinia's suffering is determined by past crimes, as she is bound to the Mannon dead and must punish herself by living alone in the old house with the ghosts of her ancestors.
The plays also draw parallels to Greek tragedies, highlighting their exploration of fate and the psychological undercurrents driving the characters' actions. Ultimately, Mourning Becomes Electra presents a poignant examination of familial bonds, emotional scars, and the haunting nature of past sins.
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The plays examine familial bonds, emotional scars, and the haunting nature of past sins
Mourning Becomes Electra is a trilogy of plays by Eugene O'Neill, comprising Homecoming, The Hunted, and The Haunted. The plays are a modernised retelling of the Oresteia, a trilogy of Ancient Greek tragedies by Aeschylus.
The Mannon family is wealthy and isolated, living in a Greek-inspired mansion. The family members are plagued by emotional scars and haunted by past sins. For instance, Lavinia Mannon is at odds with her mother, Christine, whom she detests due to her father's love for her. Christine, in turn, is jealous of the love between Orin, her son, and Lavinia. This dynamic of mutual hatred sets the stage for the psychological conflicts that unfold in the plays.
The plays also delve into the causes and effects of familial tragedy. Deep family secrets come to light, and murder becomes a means to address the turmoil and torment within the family. The characters are driven by their psychological undercurrents, and the plays explore how past crimes determine the present actions and suffering of the protagonists.
The haunting nature of past sins is evident in the way the characters are bound to their family's history. For example, Lavinia, the last surviving Mannon, feels compelled to isolate herself in the family's mansion, entombing herself with the ghosts of her ancestors. The plays demonstrate how the characters are unable to escape the cyclical patterns of their actions, as they are influenced by the emotional scars and haunting past of their family.
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The plays also investigate the causes of familial tragedy and the effects of revenge and retribution on survivors
Mourning Becomes Electra is a trilogy of three related plays: Homecoming, The Hunted, and The Haunted. It is a modernised retelling of the Oresteia, a trilogy of Ancient Greek tragedies. The plays explore the violent emotional states of men, emphasising the subconscious and inner spiritual forces, as well as man's inability to escape the cyclical pattern and outcomes of human action.
The plays centre on the Mannon family, specifically Lavinia Mannon, her mother Christine, her brother Orin, and her father, General Ezra Mannon. The family is wealthy and lives in a Greek-inspired mansion, isolating themselves from the town. The play begins as the American Civil War is drawing to a close, and General Ezra Mannon is soon to return home. The family is riddled with secrets and scandals, and deep-seated hatred brews within its members.
Lavinia, who adores her father, detests her mother, Christine, because of Ezra’s love for her. Christine, in turn, is jealous of Orin’s love for his mother and hates her husband and daughter. Orin, having returned from the war, is bitter and resentful. He becomes aware of his mother’s affair with Adam Brant and, in a fit of rage, kills Brant, framing the crime as a random robbery.
The plays investigate the causes of the Mannon family's tragedy, which ultimately stems from the complex web of hatred, jealousy, and resentment within the family. The effects of revenge and retribution on the survivors are also explored, as the characters are driven to murder and further acts of vengeance, ultimately leading to Orin's accidental death.
The characters are haunted by the past and the consequences of their actions, with Lavinia, the last surviving Mannon, deciding to isolate herself in the old family house, bound to the ghosts of her ancestors.
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Frequently asked questions
'Mourning Becomes Electra' is a trilogy of tragic plays inspired by Aeschylus' Oresteia trilogy. It follows the cursed and corrupt Mannon family in New England at the time of the American Civil War. The play explores themes of revenge, fate, and psychological conflict.
'Mourning Becomes Electra' was written by Eugene O'Neill and published in 1931.
The three plays in the trilogy are titled 'Homecoming', 'The Hunted', and 'The Haunted'.
