"Electra recounts the murders of Clytemnestra and Aegisthus by Clytemnestra's son Orestes, to avenge their murder of his father Agamemnon, commander of the Greeks at Troy, upon his return home. Sophocles' version is presented from the viewpoint of Electra, Orestes' sister, who laments her father, bears witness to her mother's crime, and for years endures her mother's scorn. When Orestes arrives at last, her mood shifts from grief to joy as Orestes carries out the bloody vengeance. Despite her overwhelming passion for just revenge, Electra admits that her own actions are shameful."
Electra by Sophocles is an ancient Greek tragedy, believed to have been written around 410 BCE. It is part of the broader mythological cycle surrounding the House of Atreus, a family cursed by betrayal, murder, and revenge. The play focuses on Electra, the daughter of King Agamemnon and Queen Clytemnestra, and her intense emotional and moral struggles in the aftermath of her father’s murder.
The story is set after Agamemnon’s death, who was killed by his wife Clytemnestra and her lover Aegisthus. Electra, devastated by the murder and the betrayal, seeks vengeance on her mother and Aegisthus. She is portrayed as a woman driven by grief and a sense of justice, endlessly mourning her father’s death and yearning for revenge.
Electra is joined in her mission by her brother Orestes, who returns to Argos in secret after years of exile. The siblings ultimately carry out a plan to avenge their father’s death by killing Clytemnestra and Aegisthus. Their actions are justified in the context of Greek revenge ethics, which dictate that the murder of a family member must be avenged to restore balance and honor.
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