Electra
BY SOPHOCLES
Play Information
Originally
written in ~400 BC
This adaptation was first
performed September 11,
1997
This play is a Greek tragedy
Plot Summary

Electra is mourning the death of her father who was killed by her mother,
Clytemnestra, and her lover Aegisthus. Orestes, her brother, plots revenge
by faking his death and slipping into the house as a stranger. Electra’s sister
Chrysothemis tries to convince her to stop mourning, but winds up siding
with Electra until they hear of Orestes’ death and she plans to kill
Aegisthus. Orestes comes into the house pretending to be delivering his
fake ashes and reveals his identity to Electra. They go inside and kill
Chrysothemis and wait for Aegisthus to return home so they can kill him too
Plot
Plot
• The Inciting Incident is when Electra sneaks out of
the house and wails
• The Climax is when Clytemnestra dies
• Three major issues discussed in the play:
1.Loyalty for ones family
2.Dominance of men
3.Justice
• The theme of the play is: Always have hope
Characters
1.
Electra- a princess of Mycenae. She wants justice for the death of her
father
2.
Clytemnestra- the queen of Mycenae. She loves her children and killed
her husband to avenge Iphigenia. She is a bad apple
3.
Orestes- the prince of Mycenae. He plots revenge against Clytemnestra
to avenge his father
Opposing Forces

The protagonist of the play is Electra. We sympathize with her struggle
throughout the play

The antagonist of the play is Clytemnestra. She murdered her husband and
is constantly fighting with Electra
Setting
The
play takes place
in the courtyard of the
palace of Mycenae in
ancient Greece
Vocabulary
1.
Lamenting- to feel or express sorrow or regret for
2.
Nightingale- any of several small, Old World, migratory birds of the thrush family,
especially Luscinia megarhynchos, of Europe, noted for the melodious song of the male,
given chiefly at night during the breeding season
3.
Scourge- a cause of affliction or calamity
4.
Retribution- requital according to merits or deserts, especially for evil
5.
Stock- a quantity of something accumulated, as for future use: a stock of provisions
Vocabulary PART TWO
1.
Proclaimed- to announce or declare in an official or formal manner
2.
Revere- to regard with respect tinged with awe; venerate
3.
Vengeance- infliction of injury, harm, humiliation, or the like, on a person
by another who has been harmed by that person; violent revenge
4.
Omen-anything perceived or happening that is believed to portend a
good or evil event or circumstance in the future; portent
5.
Sacrifice- the offering of animal, plant, or human life or of some material
possession to a deity, as in propitiation or homage
6.
Oracle- an utterance, often ambiguous or obscure, given by a priest or
priestess at a shrine as the response of a god to an inquiry.
References

I call upon Persephone- goddess of spring, and queen of the dead.

I call upon the Furies- deities of vengeance.

Both were said when she was asking for revenge for her father’s murder

Delphic Games- a precursor of the Olympic Games. They were
held in Delphi

Io- a nymph who was seduced by Zeus

Trojan War- waged against the city of Troy by the Greece after
Paris of Troy took Helen from her husband Menelaus, king of Sparta
Scenes and Monologues

Electra- page 10-11

Electra- page 17-18

Electra- page 44-45

Clytemnestra- page 23-24

Clytemnestra & Electra- page 23-29

Orestes & Electra- page 46-49