Euripides' Electra (Ancient Greek: Ἠλέκτρα, Ēlektra) is a play probably written in the mid 410s BC, likely before 413 BC. It is unclear whether it was first produced before or after Sophocles' version of the Electra story.
Electra
Orestes, Electra and Hermes at Agamemnon's tomb. Side A of a Lucanian red-figure pelike, c. 380–370 BC.
Years before the start of the play, near the start of the Trojan War, the Greek general Agamemnon sacrificed his daughter Iphigeneia in order to appease the goddess Artemis. While his sacrifice allowed the Greek army to set sail for Troy, it led to a deep resentment in his wife, Clytemnestra. Upon Agamemnon's return from the Trojan War ten years later, Clytemnestra and her lover Aegisthus murdered him.
Plotedit
The play begins with the introduction of Electra, the daughter of Clytemnestra and the late Agamemnon. Several years after Agamemnon's death suitors began requesting Electra's hand in marriage. Out of fear that Electra's child might seek revenge, Clytemnestra and Aegisthus married her off to a peasant of Mycenae. The peasant is kind to her and has respected her family name and her virginity. In return for his kindness, Electra helps her husband with the household chores. Despite her appreciation for her husband's kindness, Electra resents being cast out of her house and laments to the Chorus about her struggles with her drastic change in social status.
Upon Agamemnon's murder, Clytemnestra and Aegisthus put Orestes, the other child of Clytemnestra and Agamemnon, under the care of the king of Phocis, where he became friends with the king's son, Pylades. Now grown, Orestes and Pylades travel to Electra and her husband's house. Orestes keeps his identity hidden from Electra, claiming to be messengers of Orestes. He uses his anonymity to determine Electra's loyalty to him and Agamemnon before he reveals his plans for revenge. After some time it is clear that Electra is passionate about avenging the death of their father. At this point the aged servant who brought Orestes to Phocis years before enters the play. He recognizes Orestes because of the scar on his brow and the siblings are reunited.
They begin to plot how they will murder both Aegisthus and Clytemnestra. The aged servant explains that Aegisthus is currently in his stables, preparing to sacrifice oxen for a feast. Orestes goes to confront Aegisthus while Electra sends the aged servant to tell Clytemnestra that she had a son ten days ago, knowing this will bring Clytemnestra to her house. A messenger arrives and describes Orestes’ successful murder of Aegisthus. Orestes and Pylades return bearing Aegisthus’ body. As Clytemnestra approaches, Orestes begins to waver on his decision to murder their mother. Electra convinces Orestes that he must fulfill his duty to Agamemnon and murder their mother. When Clytemnestra arrives, Orestes and Electra lure her into the house, where they thrust a sword into her throat.
The two leave the house, filled with grief and guilt. As they lament, Clytemnestra's deified brothers, Castor and Pollux, appear. They tell Electra and Orestes that their mother received just punishment but their matricide was still a shameful act, and they instruct the siblings on what they must do to atone and purge their souls.
Aeschylean parody and Homeric allusionedit
The enduring popularity of Aeschylus' Oresteia trilogy (produced in 458 BC) is evident in Euripides' construction of the recognition scene between Orestes and Electra, which mocks Aeschylus' play. In The Libation Bearers (whose plot is roughly equivalent to the events in Electra), Electra recognizes her brother by a series of tokens: a lock of his hair, a footprint he leaves at Agamemnon's grave, and an article of clothing she had made for him years earlier. Euripides' own recognition scene clearly ridicules Aeschylus' account. In Euripides' play (510ff.), Electra laughs at the idea of using such tokens to recognize her brother because: there is no reason their hair should match; Orestes' footprint would in no way resemble her smaller footprint; and it would be illogical for a grown Orestes to still have a piece of clothing made for him when he was a small child.
Orestes is instead recognized from a scar he received on the forehead while chasing a doe in the house as a child (571-74). This is a mock-heroic allusion to a scene from Homer's Odyssey. In Odyssey 19.428-54, the nurse Eurycleia recognizes a newly returned Odysseus from a scar on his thigh that he received as a child while on his first boar hunt. In the Odyssey, Orestes' return to Argos and taking revenge for his father's death is held up several times as a model for Telemachus' behavior (see Telemachy). Euripides in turn uses his recognition scene to allude to the one in Odyssey 19. Instead of an epic heroic boar hunt, Euripides instead invents a semi-comic incident involving a fawn.[1]
^See (e.g.) Solmsen 1967; Tarkow 1981; Halporn 1983. For a general study of allusions to Homer in Greek tragedy, see Garner 1990.
^"Electra, adapted from Euripides". pwcenter.org. Retrieved 2022-10-20.
Sourcesedit
Arnott, W. G. 1993. "Double the Vision: A Reading of Euripides' Electra (1981)" In Greek Tragedy. Greece and Rome Studies, Volume II. Edited by Ian McAuslan and Peter Walcot. New York: Oxford University Press
Gallagher, Robert L. 2003. "Making the Stronger Argument the Weaker: Euripides, Electra 518-41." Classical Quarterly 53.2: 401-415
Garner, R. 1990. From Homer to Tragedy: The Art of Allusion in Greek Poetry. London: Routledge.
Garvie, Alexander F. 2012. "Three Different Electras in Three Different Plots." Lexis 30:283–293.
Gellie, G. H. 1981. "Tragedy and Euripides’ Electra." Bulletin of the Institute of Classical Studies 28:1–12.
Goff, Barbara. 1999–2000. "Try to Make it Real Compared to What? Euripides’ Electra and the Play of Genres." Illinois Classical Studies 24–25:93–105.
Hammond, N. G. L. 1985. "Spectacle and Parody in Euripides’ Electra." Greek, Roman and Byzantine Studies 25:373–387.
Morwood, J. H. W. 1981. "The Pattern of the Euripides Electra." American Journal of Philology 102:362–370.
Mossman, Judith. 2001. "Women’s Speech in Greek Tragedy: The Case of Electra and Clytemnestra in Euripides’ Electra." Classical Quarterly n 51:374–384.
Raeburn, David. 2000. "The Significance of Stage Properties in Euripides’ Electra." Greece & Rome 47:149–168.
Solmsen, F. 1967. Electra and Orestes: Three Recognitions in Greek Tragedy. Amsterdam: Noord-Hollandsche Uitgevers Mij.
Tarkow, T. 1981. "The Scar of Orestes: Observations on a Euripidean Innovation." Rheinisches Museum 124: 143-53.
Wohl, Victoria. 2015. "How to Recognise a Hero in Euripides’ Electra." Bulletin of the Institute of Classical Studies 58:61–76.
External linksedit
Greek Wikisource has original text related to this article: Ἠλέκτρα
(in English)Electra public domain audiobook at LibriVox
Textual criticism. A.E. Haigh (1896). "The Electra". The Tragic Drama of the Greeks. Oxford: Clarendon Press. pp. 301–303. Theatre Database (online).
Works related to The Tragic Drama of the Greeks at Wikisource
November 13, 2023
electra, euripides, play, this, article, about, play, euripides, other, uses, electra, disambiguation, euripides, electra, ancient, greek, Ἠλέκτρα, Ēlektra, play, probably, written, 410s, likely, before, unclear, whether, first, produced, before, after, sophoc. This article is about the play by Euripides For other uses see Electra disambiguation Euripides Electra Ancient Greek Ἠlektra Elektra is a play probably written in the mid 410s BC likely before 413 BC It is unclear whether it was first produced before or after Sophocles version of the Electra story ElectraOrestes Electra and Hermes at Agamemnon s tomb Side A of a Lucanian red figure pelike c 380 370 BC Written byEuripidesChorusArgive womenCharactersFarmer husband of ElectraElectraOrestesOld servantMessengerClytemnestraCastorMutePyladesPolydeucesServantsPlace premieredCity DionysiaOriginal languageAncient GreekGenreTragedySettingArgos at the house of Electra s husband Contents 1 Background 2 Plot 3 Aeschylean parody and Homeric allusion 4 Translations 5 Adaptations 6 References 7 Sources 8 External linksBackground editYears before the start of the play near the start of the Trojan War the Greek general Agamemnon sacrificed his daughter Iphigeneia in order to appease the goddess Artemis While his sacrifice allowed the Greek army to set sail for Troy it led to a deep resentment in his wife Clytemnestra Upon Agamemnon s return from the Trojan War ten years later Clytemnestra and her lover Aegisthus murdered him Plot editThe play begins with the introduction of Electra the daughter of Clytemnestra and the late Agamemnon Several years after Agamemnon s death suitors began requesting Electra s hand in marriage Out of fear that Electra s child might seek revenge Clytemnestra and Aegisthus married her off to a peasant of Mycenae The peasant is kind to her and has respected her family name and her virginity In return for his kindness Electra helps her husband with the household chores Despite her appreciation for her husband s kindness Electra resents being cast out of her house and laments to the Chorus about her struggles with her drastic change in social status Upon Agamemnon s murder Clytemnestra and Aegisthus put Orestes the other child of Clytemnestra and Agamemnon under the care of the king of Phocis where he became friends with the king s son Pylades Now grown Orestes and Pylades travel to Electra and her husband s house Orestes keeps his identity hidden from Electra claiming to be messengers of Orestes He uses his anonymity to determine Electra s loyalty to him and Agamemnon before he reveals his plans for revenge After some time it is clear that Electra is passionate about avenging the death of their father At this point the aged servant who brought Orestes to Phocis years before enters the play He recognizes Orestes because of the scar on his brow and the siblings are reunited They begin to plot how they will murder both Aegisthus and Clytemnestra The aged servant explains that Aegisthus is currently in his stables preparing to sacrifice oxen for a feast Orestes goes to confront Aegisthus while Electra sends the aged servant to tell Clytemnestra that she had a son ten days ago knowing this will bring Clytemnestra to her house A messenger arrives and describes Orestes successful murder of Aegisthus Orestes and Pylades return bearing Aegisthus body As Clytemnestra approaches Orestes begins to waver on his decision to murder their mother Electra convinces Orestes that he must fulfill his duty to Agamemnon and murder their mother When Clytemnestra arrives Orestes and Electra lure her into the house where they thrust a sword into her throat The two leave the house filled with grief and guilt As they lament Clytemnestra s deified brothers Castor and Pollux appear They tell Electra and Orestes that their mother received just punishment but their matricide was still a shameful act and they instruct the siblings on what they must do to atone and purge their souls Aeschylean parody and Homeric allusion editThe enduring popularity of Aeschylus Oresteia trilogy produced in 458 BC is evident in Euripides construction of the recognition scene between Orestes and Electra which mocks Aeschylus play In The Libation Bearers whose plot is roughly equivalent to the events in Electra Electra recognizes her brother by a series of tokens a lock of his hair a footprint he leaves at Agamemnon s grave and an article of clothing she had made for him years earlier Euripides own recognition scene clearly ridicules Aeschylus account In Euripides play 510ff Electra laughs at the idea of using such tokens to recognize her brother because there is no reason their hair should match Orestes footprint would in no way resemble her smaller footprint and it would be illogical for a grown Orestes to still have a piece of clothing made for him when he was a small child Orestes is instead recognized from a scar he received on the forehead while chasing a doe in the house as a child 571 74 This is a mock heroic allusion to a scene from Homer s Odyssey In Odyssey 19 428 54 the nurse Eurycleia recognizes a newly returned Odysseus from a scar on his thigh that he received as a child while on his first boar hunt In the Odyssey Orestes return to Argos and taking revenge for his father s death is held up several times as a model for Telemachus behavior see Telemachy Euripides in turn uses his recognition scene to allude to the one in Odyssey 19 Instead of an epic heroic boar hunt Euripides instead invents a semi comic incident involving a fawn 1 Translations editEdward P Coleridge 1891 prose full text Aurthur S Way 1896 verse full text Gilbert Murray 1911 verse full text D W Lucas 1951 prose Emily Townsend Vermeule 1958 verse M J Cropp 1988 verse J Lembke amp K J Reckford 1994 James Morwood 1997 prose K McLeish 1997 J Davie 1998 J Morwood 1998 M MacDonald and J M Walton 2004 verse G Theodoridis 2006 prose full text Ian C Johnston 2009 verse full text Brian Vinero 2012 verse 2 Emily Wilson 2016 verseAdaptations editElectra 1962 filmReferences edit See e g Solmsen 1967 Tarkow 1981 Halporn 1983 For a general study of allusions to Homer in Greek tragedy see Garner 1990 Electra adapted from Euripides pwcenter org Retrieved 2022 10 20 Sources editArnott W G 1993 Double the Vision A Reading of Euripides Electra 1981 In Greek Tragedy Greece and Rome Studies Volume II Edited by Ian McAuslan and Peter Walcot New York Oxford University Press Gallagher Robert L 2003 Making the Stronger Argument the Weaker Euripides Electra 518 41 Classical Quarterly 53 2 401 415 Garner R 1990 From Homer to Tragedy The Art of Allusion in Greek Poetry London Routledge Garvie Alexander F 2012 Three Different Electras in Three Different Plots Lexis 30 283 293 Gellie G H 1981 Tragedy and Euripides Electra Bulletin of the Institute of Classical Studies 28 1 12 Goff Barbara 1999 2000 Try to Make it Real Compared to What Euripides Electra and the Play of Genres Illinois Classical Studies 24 25 93 105 Hammond N G L 1985 Spectacle and Parody in Euripides Electra Greek Roman and Byzantine Studies 25 373 387 Morwood J H W 1981 The Pattern of the Euripides Electra American Journal of Philology 102 362 370 Mossman Judith 2001 Women s Speech in Greek Tragedy The Case of Electra and Clytemnestra in Euripides Electra Classical Quarterly n 51 374 384 Raeburn David 2000 The Significance of Stage Properties in Euripides Electra Greece amp Rome 47 149 168 Solmsen F 1967 Electra and Orestes Three Recognitions in Greek Tragedy Amsterdam Noord Hollandsche Uitgevers Mij Tarkow T 1981 The Scar of Orestes Observations on a Euripidean Innovation Rheinisches Museum 124 143 53 Wohl Victoria 2015 How to Recognise a Hero in Euripides Electra Bulletin of the Institute of Classical Studies 58 61 76 External links edit nbsp Greek Wikisource has original text related to this article Ἠlektra in English nbsp Electra public domain audiobook at LibriVox Textual criticism A E Haigh 1896 The Electra The Tragic Drama of the Greeks Oxford Clarendon Press pp 301 303 Theatre Database online nbsp Works related to The Tragic Drama of the Greeks at Wikisource Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Electra Euripides play amp oldid 1178868779, 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