Beatrice Lang
The play Electra is set in ancient Greece, several years after the Trojan War. The story revolves around the titular character, Electra, who is consumed by hatred for her mother, Queen Clytemnestra, and seeks revenge for her father, King Agamemnon's murder. The play explores the impact of revenge on its perpetrator and questions traditional gender roles. Electra, written by Sophocles, was likely composed in the 5th century BC, specifically between 420-410 BC, with some sources suggesting it was written around 410 BC. Euripides also authored a play titled Electra, which likely preceded Sophocles' work and presented a different version of the same story.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Playwright | Sophocles |
| Basis | Myth of the house of Atreus |
| Main Character | Electra |
| Other Characters | Orestes, Clytemnestra, Pylades, Aegisthus, Agamemnon, Strophius of Phocis, Castor, Pollux |
| Setting | An unspecified number of years after the Trojan War, before the palace of Agamemnon at Mycenae |
| Tone | Morally ambiguous |
| Conflict | Electra's intense desire to exact revenge from her mother for her father's death |
| Date Written | 410 BCE |
| Date of Next Performance | 24 January 2025, Duke of York's Theatre, London |
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What You'll Learn
The play is set after the Trojan War
The play Electra is set after the Trojan War. In the play, Electra is the daughter of Agamemnon and Clytemnestra. Before the events of the play, at the outset of the Trojan War, Agamemnon sacrifices his daughter Iphigenia to appease the goddess Artemis. This allows the Greek army, which Agamemnon is leading, to sail for Troy. However, the sacrifice leads to deep resentment from Clytemnestra, Agamemnon's wife and Iphigenia's mother.
When Agamemnon returns from the Trojan War, Clytemnestra, in some versions aided by her lover Aegisthus, murders him. Their daughter Electra is absent from Mycenae at the time. Orestes, Electra's brother, is sent into exile. Electra remains in the palace under the rule of Clytemnestra and Aegisthus, the new rulers in Argos. Electra is married off to a poor farmer, who treats her kindly and respects her royal lineage and virginity.
Years later, Orestes returns to Argos with Pylades, the son of King Strophius of Phocis and Anaxibia. They seek out news of Electra and plot to avenge their father's murder. They find her living in a poor hillside cottage with her husband. Orestes keeps his identity hidden, even after determining Electra's loyalty and commitment to avenging Agamemnon's murder. Eventually, the siblings are joyfully reunited and plot to murder Clytemnestra and Aegisthus.
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Electra's father, Agamemnon, is murdered
Electra is the main character in two Greek tragedies: Electra by Sophocles and Electra by Euripides. The play by Sophocles begins years after the murder of King Agamemnon, when Orestes, Electra's brother, returns as a grown man to claim the throne and plot his revenge.
In the play by Sophocles, Electra is consumed by hatred and is uncontrollably saddened by her father's murder, which fuels her desire for revenge. She is borderline hysterical to avenge her father, suggesting that she was more attached to Agamemnon than Clytemnestra. In this version, Electra and Orestes are equal partners in Clytemnestra's murder.
In Euripides' version, Electra portrays a shrewd yet feeling figure. She tempers her emotions to accomplish her goals, and the act of avenging her father is understood as a necessity, not an emotional endeavour. This colder portrayal of Electra has been interpreted to represent the strength of unmaternal temperaments and the gendered world she inhabits. In this version, Electra is the leader and sets the trap that kills Clytemnestra, with Orestes playing a lesser role.
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Orestes returns to avenge Agamemnon's murder
The play Electra, written by Sophocles, revolves around the titular character Electra and her brother Orestes' quest for revenge for their father Agamemnon's murder. The story explores themes of vengeance and justice, with Electra consumed by hatred and a desire for retribution.
In the play, Orestes returns to Argos as a grown man, accompanied by his friend Pylades, the son of Strophius of Phocis. Before Orestes' return, Electra had rescued him from their mother, Clytemnestra, by sending him to Strophius for safekeeping. Now, Orestes seeks to avenge his father's death and claim the throne. They devise a plan where a tutor announces that Orestes has died in a chariot race, and he and Pylades are bringing an urn with his ashes.
Unaware of the deception, Electra grieves for her brother, only to be overjoyed when Orestes reveals himself. Together, they plot to murder Clytemnestra and her lover, Aegisthus, who had seized the throne after Agamemnon's death. Electra's commitment to avenging her father's murder is unwavering, and she plays a crucial role in orchestrating the plan.
Orestes and Pylades enter the house and kill Clytemnestra. They hide her corpse under a sheet and present it to Aegisthus as Orestes' body when he returns. Orestes then reveals himself, and they escort Aegisthus to be killed at the same hearth where Agamemnon was slain. The play ends before the death of Aegisthus is shown, leaving the audience with a sense of anticipation.
The story of Orestes' revenge is a popular theme in Greek tragedies, including Sophocles' Electra and Euripides' version of the play. The recognition scene between Orestes and Electra is a notable aspect of the plot, with Sophocles' version differing from Aeschylus' account in The Libation Bearers, where Electra recognises her brother through a series of tokens.
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Electra mourns her father and plans revenge
Electra is one of the most popular mythological characters in tragedies. She is the main character in two Greek tragedies: Electra by Sophocles and Electra by Euripides. The story was also told at the end of the lost epic poem Nostoi (also known as Returns or Returns of the Greeks). The events are also brought up in Homer's Odyssey.
In Sophocles' play, Electra is the daughter of Agamemnon and Clytemnestra. The play is set a few years after the Trojan War and tells of a bitter struggle for justice by Electra and her brother Orestes for the murder of their father, Agamemnon, by Clytemnestra and their stepfather Aegisthus. Electra is consumed by hatred in reaction to her father's death, which only serves to further her desire for revenge. She is borderline hysterical to avenge her father, suggesting that she was more attached to Agamemnon than Clytemnestra. Electra and Orestes are equal partners in Clytemnestra's murder.
Electra mourns her father's murder and his loss of status. She is forced to live with her father's killers, who abuse her and treat her like a slave. She prays to the gods that "the dread Furies" will punish Agamemnon's murderers and that her brother, Orestes, will return. A chorus of Mycenean women arrives to comfort her and asks what good it will do to keep mourning. Electra insists that doing so is necessary because it's a child's duty to remember a deceased parent.
In Euripides' play, Electra is a shrewd yet feeling figure. The act of avenging her father is understood as a necessity, not an emotional endeavour. This colder portrayal of Electra has been interpreted to represent the strength of unmaternal temperaments and an acute understanding of the gendered world she moves within.
In both plays, Electra plans an attack with her brother to kill their mother, Clytemnestra. Orestes returns to Argos with Pylades, seeking news of his sister Electra and considering how to avenge their father Agamemnon's murder. Electra sends her husband to tell Clytemnestra that she has given birth, knowing this will bring Clytemnestra to her house. Orestes and Pylades kill Clytemnestra and present her corpse to Aegisthus as the body of Orestes. Orestes then reveals himself, and they escort Aegisthus off to be killed at the hearth, the same location where Agamemnon was slain.
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Clytemnestra and Aegisthus are killed
Electra, one of the most popular mythological characters in tragedies, is the main character in two Greek tragedies: Electra by Sophocles and Electra by Euripides. The story was also told at the end of the lost epic poem Nostoi (also known as Returns or Returns of the Greeks), and the events are brought up in Homer's Odyssey.
In the play by Sophocles, Electra is consumed by hatred in reaction to her father Agamemnon's death. She is also saddened by her father's murder, which fuels her desire for revenge. Electra and her brother Orestes are equal partners in the murder of their mother, Clytemnestra. Orestes arrives with his friend Pylades, and they plan to have a tutor announce that Orestes has died in a chariot race. Meanwhile, Electra continues to mourn her father's death, holding her mother Clytemnestra responsible for his murder. Orestes arrives carrying an urn supposedly containing his ashes. Electra does not recognize him, and he gives her the urn, unaware that her brother is standing alive next to her.
In the play by Euripides, Clytemnestra murders her husband Agamemnon when he returns victorious from the Trojan War. Orestes goes into exile, while Electra remains in the palace under the rule of Clytemnestra and her lover Aegisthus. Electra is married off to a poor Mycenaean farmer, who treats her kindly and respects her royal lineage and virginity. Orestes and Pylades return and plot to murder both Aegisthus and Clytemnestra. A messenger arrives and describes Orestes' murder of Aegisthus during a sacrifice. Orestes and Pylades return with the corpse, and Electra delivers a vindictive speech over the body. Orestes and Pylades then kill Clytemnestra with a sword, with Electra's help.
In both plays, Clytemnestra and Aegisthus are killed, with Orestes and Electra seeking revenge for their father's murder.
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Frequently asked questions
The play Electra by Euripides was probably written in the mid-410s BC, likely before 413 BC.
Yes, there is another play with the same name, written by Sophocles, probably in the same decade as Euripides' play.
The play Electra by Euripides is set to be performed at the Duke of York's Theatre in London, starting on January 24, 2025.
