The Libation Bearers
(a.k.a. Choephori)
Two Big Questions
Plot Summary
The Libation Bearers
• Dramatis personæ
– Orestes
– Electra
– Pylades of Phocis,
Strophius’ son
– Clytemnestra
– Ægisthus
– Cilissa: Orestes’ nurse
– Chorus (foreign slave
women, i.e. the libation
bearers)
• Setting
– Argos, some ten years
after the Agamemnon
takes place.
• The Plot
– Orpheus returns to
Argos, kills Ægisthus
and his mother to
avenge his father, then
apparently goes mad
and runs off.
The Libation Bearers: plot
– I. Orestes’ monologue at Agamemnon’s grave;
Pylades silent (1-20)
• A. Offers a clip of hair to Inachus (river) and
Agamemnon(1-9)
• B. Sees chorus enter with Electra; recognizes his
sister (10-17)
• C. Asks Zeus to grant him vengeance (17-18)
• D. Orestes and Pylades hide (19-20)
The Libation Bearers: plot (cont.)
– II. Parodos (21-84)
• A. They are in mourning and bear libations (21-30)
• B. Clytemnestra had a terrifying dream of revenge
(31-40)
• C. The house is cursed (45-53)
• D. Fortune has turned against it (44-65)
• E. Murder, like the violation of virginity, is
incurable (71-75)
• F. They are captives of war, but were loyal to
Agamemnon (76-84)
The Libation Bearers: plot (cont.)
– III. Choral dialogue with Electra (85-211)
• A. Electra’s monologue (85-105)
–
–
–
–
1. She doesn’t know what to say (85-89)
2. Clytemnestra sent her (90-91)
3. Agamemnon didn’t receive proper burial (96)
4. She asks chorus for frank advice (100-105)
• B. Stichomythia with chorus (106-122)
– 1. They advise (inter alia) praying for an avenger (119,
121, 123)
– 2. She questions whether that is right (122)
The Libation Bearers: plot (cont.)
• C. Electra prays to Agamemnon’s shade for aid and
for Orestes’ return (123-141)
• D. She prays for an avenger, for justice (142-148)
• E. Chorus echo her (152-163)
• F. Electra sees the lock of Orestes’ hair (164-204)
• G. She sees Pylades’ and Orestes’ footprints, the
latter just like her own (205-211)
The Libation Bearers: plot (cont.)
– IV. Orestes comes out, convinces Electra of his
identity (212-234)
• A. The hair (225-230)
• B. The footprints (228)
• C. The cloth (231-232)
– V. They prepare their revenge (234-584)
• A. Electra urges revenge (234-245): Zeus and Right
invoked (244-245), but Iphigeneia mentioned at 242
• B. Orestes challenges Zeus’ justice (246-263)
The Libation Bearers: plot (cont.)
• C. Orestes recounts Apollo’s oracle: kill
Clytemnestra and Ægisthos or die yourself (269296)
• D. Orestes has his own motives as well (297-305)
• E. Note the chorus’ (340-344) and Orestes’ (394399) entreaties for Zeus’ justice
• F. Agamemnon’s burial described (429-433)
• G. Orestes willing to die for his revenge (434-438):
cf. 481-482
• H. Chorus: enough talk; time for action (510-513)
The Libation Bearers: plot (cont.)
•
•
•
•
I. Orestes asks about the libations (514-522)
J. Chorus tells of Clytemnestra’s dream (523-539)
K. Orestes interprets the dream (540-550)
L. Orestes rehearses the plan (554-584); n.b.
invocation of Apollo (558-559) and the Fury (577578)
– VI. 1st Stasimon comparing Agamemnon’s
murder with other natural and mythological
terrors (585-651)
• A. Natural terrors (585-593)
The Libation Bearers: plot (cont.)
• B. Human horrors: intro (594-602)
• C. Priamel: Althæa, Scylla, Clytemnestra (603-651)
– VII. Orestes and Pylades con their way into the
palace (652-718)
• A. They knock at the door, claim to have news (652667)
• B. Clytemnestra welcomes them (668-673); n.b.
feigned femininity at 672-673
• C. They pose as Phocians, claim to have heard of
Orestes’ death from Strophius (675-690)
The Libation Bearers: plot (cont.)
• D. Clytemnestra sounds legitimately upset, invites
them into the house (691-718)
– VIII. Brief choral interlude (719-733)
– IX. Dialogue between Cilissa and the chorus
(734-782)
•
•
•
•
A. She is going to fetch Ægisthos (734-737)
B. Clytemnestra’s sorrow is feigned (737-741)
C. Comic relief (755-759)
D. Chorus warns Cilissa to tell Ægisthos to come
quickly, i.e. alone and unarmed (760-782)
The Libation Bearers: plot (cont.)
– X. 2nd Stasimon (783-837)
• A. Prayer to Zeus (783-799)
• B. Prayer to household gods, Apollo, and Hermes
(800-818)
• C. Pray for revenge, n.b. 826-830 (819-837)
– XI. The murders (838-930)
• A. Ægisthos arrives, feigns (?) sorrow; chorus urges
him to go in (838-854)
• B. Chorus prays for success, hears a cry from inside
(855-874)
The Libation Bearers: plot (cont.)
• C. Messenger announces Ægisthos’ death, summons
Clytemnestra; she calls for an axe (875-892)
• D. Orestes and Pylades enter; Clytemnestra pleads
for her life (892-930)
–
–
–
–
–
1. Clytemnestra recognizes Orestes (896-898)
2. Orestes is unsure (899)
3. Pylades’s speech: very important (900-902)
4. Orestes is convinced (903-907)
5. Stichomythia: Clytemnestra pleads with him, but fails;
they go inside (903-930)
The Libation Bearers: plot (cont.)
– XII. 3rd Stasimon: the chorus rejoices at the
gods’ justice (931-971)
– XIII. Orestes returns with Clytemnestra’s and
Ægisthos’ corpse; ekkyklema? (973-1062)
• A. Orestes displays the net as evidence of his
mother’s crime; chorus agrees (973-1009)
• B. Doubt begins to set in: no honor in the killing
(1010-1020)
• C. Orestes begins to fear; realizes this is not the end
(1021-1028)
The Libation Bearers: plot (cont.)
• D. He will go to Apollo, who ordered the murder
(1029-1047)
• E. He sees the Furies; the chorus do not; he flees
(1048-1062)
– XIV. Choral coda: where will it all end? (10631076)