Euripides

1
Euripides Electra
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Plot Summary

• I. Prologue by the Farmer (1-53)
• A. Agamemnons death (1-10)
• B. Electra and Orestes (21-34)
• C. Himself (35-53)
• II. Dialogue between Electra and the Farmer
  (54-81)
• III. Orestes returns (81-111)
• A. Backstory (81-89)
• B. Agamemnons tomb (90-93)

3
Plot Summary (cont.)

• C. His plan (94-106)
• D. Electras approach (107-111)
• IV. Choral song and parodos (112-214)
• A. Electras mourning song (112-166)
• B. Parodos with Electra The chorus tries to
  convince her to join a girls festival honoring
  Hera she refuses (167-214)
• V. First meeting with Orestes (215-338)
• A. Orestes (disguised) tells Electra her brother
  is still alive (220-236)

4
Plot Summary (cont.)

• B. Electra tells of her life and of the kind
  farmer (237-271)
• C. Electra longs for murder (272-281)
• D. Electra describes how she might recognize
  Orestes (282-287)
• E. Orestes learns more about the current
  situation (288-338)
• VI. The farmer returns (339-431)
• A. He learns the news and welcomes the
  strangers (339-363)

5
Plot Summary (cont.)

• B. Orestes praises him and goes inside (364-400)
• C. Electra sends the farmer to fetch Agamemnons
  old servant (401-431)
• VII. Stasimon on the Trojan war (431-486)
• VIII. Recognition (487-595)
• A. The old man arrives and tells Electra of the
  signs at the grave (487-546)
• 1. The hair (508-531)
• 2. The footprints (532-537)
• 3. The cloth (538-546)

6
Plot Summary (cont.)

• B. Orestes and Electra united (547-595)
• 1. The old man, then Electra, recognize the scar
  (547-584)
• 2. Celebratory choral song (585-595)
• IX. They plot their revenge (596-698)
• A. Old Man they will have no help from others
  (596-611)
• B. Old Man they cannot do it inside the city
  (612-617)
• C. Old Man Orestes can kill Ægisthus at a
  sacrificial feast (618-639)

7
Plot Summary (cont.)

• D. Electra Ill lure mother here and kill her
  myself (640-667)
• E. They prey to Zeus, Hera, and Agamemnons ghost
  for aid, then begin (668-698)
• X. Stasimon (699-746)
• XI. The Murder of Ægisthus (747-961)
• A. Messenger arrives announcing Ægisthus death
  (747-773)
• B. Messenger Speech (774-858)
• C. Electra and the chorus rejoice (859-879)

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Plot Summary (cont.)

• D. Orestes returns with the body (880-899)
• E. Electra taunts Ægisthus corpse (900-961)
• XII. The Murder of Clytemnestra (962-1171)
• A. Electra talks Orestes into following through
  with the murder (962-987)
• B. Clytemnestra arrives (988-1010)
• C. Rhetorical debate (1011-1122)
• 1. Clytemnestra defends herself (1011-1054)
• a. Introduction (1011-1017)
• b. The murder of Iphigenia (1018-1019)
• c. Cassandra (1030-1034)

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Plot Summary (cont.)

• d. The double-standard (1035-1050)
• 2. Interlude (1051-1059)
• 3. Electra responds (1060-1096)
• a. Your pretense of innocence is false
  (1051-1085)
• b. Your rejection of your children is inexcusable
  (1086-1096)
• 4. Further debate, some in stichomythia
  (1097-1122)
• 5. Clytemnestra enters the house to make a
  birth-sacrifice for her daughter (1123-1146)
• D. Stasimon (1147-1163)
• E. Clytemnestra is murdered (1164-1171)

10
Plot Summary (cont.)

• XIII. Orestes and Electra exclaim their guilt
  (1172-1232)
• XIV. Deus ex machina (1233-1359)
• A. The Dioscuri foretell the future (1233-1291)
• B. All mortals acquiesce and mourn (1292-1341)
• C. The Dioscuri depart (1342-1356)
• D. Choral coda (1357-1359)