The Play

ELECTRA
A Play by Sophocles

Presented by Sara Navarro and Jesus Garcia

 Part I
The playwright of Electra was Sophocles, who was one of three classical playwrights from Athens.
Sophocles came from a wealthy family.
• Sophocles was considered a talented athlete with a striking physique and very skilled in
music.
• An invention that Sophocles is credited with is scene paintings, which set up location or
atmosphere.
• The introduction of a third actor on stage is also another invention credited to Sophocles.
• Of the 123 dramas that Sophocles wrote, only seven of those, that are tragedies, survive in
their completeness.
• Electra is not Sophocles’ most famous work. That tile goes to his play, Oedipus the King.
• Sophocles was born 496 BCE, in Colonus which is near Athens. He died 406 in Athens.

The Playwright
 Part II
The play Electra was written in the Ancient Greek era of the mid 410s BC.
• The play Electra was written in the Ancient Greek era of the mid 410s BC.
• This era is known as the Classical era, which lasted from 480 until 323 BCE.

• Athens and Sparta were peaceful at the beginning of this era but later opposed each other both
in their political and cultural views.
• The conflict between the Athens and the Spartan navy, led to the Battle of Cysicus, in which
the Athens were victorious, giving the Athens control over the crucial grain route from the
Black Sea.

History
 Part II
These historical plays, mainly tragedies, were usually performed during festivals
worshipping a god and in open aired theatres. In modern day, this stage type of
stage is called an amphitheater.

• The stage for these plays were in a fan-shaped auditorium.

• Stages were circular in shape.
• The back wall of the stage was made of stone.
• Plays in this era were performed by two actors who, between them, would
double for several roles in the play.
• Sophocles was famous for using three actors instead of two, and was credited
for introducing this form of stage performance.

History Continued
Part III
◦ Characters:
◦ Paedagogus:  The faithful servant to whom Electra entrusted Orestes as a young boy. A voice of wisdom and
practicality, he acts as Orestes' advisor in exacting revenge for Agamemnon's death, paying strict attention to
detail, focus, and timing.
◦ Orestes:  Orestes is the son of Clytemnestra and Agamemnon, and therefore, he is the rightful king of
Argos. Orestes is somewhat naïve and inexperienced. He acts because he has been so instructed by Apollo's
oracle, and not as motivated by intense or deep emotion.
◦ Pylades: Pylades is Orestes's silent friend who accompanies him and the Old Man to Mycenae to exact revenge
for Agamemnon's death. He is the mute witness to the play's drama in much the same way that the audience is.
◦ Electra: Electra is the eldest daughter of Clytemnestra and Agamemnon. Poorly treated by her mother and her
mother's husband. She is stubbornly devoted to the principles of justice, reverence, and honor, although
oftentimes her grasp on these principles seems questionable.
◦ Chrysothemis: Chrysothemis is the younger daughter of Clytemnestra and Agamemnon. Unlike Electra, who
adheres to the principles of justice, Chrysothemis clings to the principle of expediency in the hopes of
maximizing her own comfort and profit.
◦ Chorus: The chorus is comprised of the virgins of the palace. Traditionally reserved and conservative, this
chorus abandons its conventional stance to whole-heartedly support both Electra and the play's final act of
vengeance.
◦ Clytemnestra: Clytemnestra is the Queen of Argos. Formerly married to Agamemnon, whom she murdered.
She despises and poorly treats her daughter, Electra. She loves wealth and well being, both of which she enjoys,
but she is clearly haunted by her past actions and aware that her current happiness rests on uneasy ground.
◦ Aegisthus: Aegisthus is the paramour of Clytemnestra and responsible for the murder of Agamemnon. His great
desire is to eliminate threats to his way of life; always cruel to Electra, he wants to lock her away along with her
perpetual grieving, and he celebrates Orestes' supposed death.
Part III
◦ Set in the city of Argos a few years after the Trojan War, the play tells of a bitter struggle for
justice by Electra and her brother Orestes for the murder of their
father Agamemnon by Clytemnestra and their step father Aegisthus.

◦ Inciting incident:
◦ The central conflict is that Clytemnestra and Aegisthus are murderers, and have yet to be
punished for their deeds. But Chrysothemis raises the conflict stakes when she reveals to
her sister that Aegisthus has plans for her that involve a slow and painful death inside an
abandoned cave, presumably where no one can her scream
◦ Climax:
◦ Clytemnestra Death: This is the moment the play has been building towards – revenge
against the woman who murdered her husband. For the main character, Electra, this is an
emotional and decisive climax. Electra is fully committed to the action, as we gather from
her urging Orestes to strike the Queen a second blow.
◦ Denouement:
◦ Orestes ushers Aegisthus inside to murder him off stage. Certainly not the heart-thumping
action of Clytemnestra's death. This death is anti-climactic, a forgone conclusion.
Part IV
◦ Conclusion:

◦ Personally I liked the play, it was a little weird although it was

suspenseful in a way because you never knew what was going to
happen. As for the climax, it was pretty much what I expected. I
expected Electra to kill Clytemnestra and obviously Aegisthus would
die after that. The end definitely left me a little emotionally
confused. Overall it was a good play, and I enjoyed reading it but
only thing I would change would be to make the end a little more
clear.