Electra (; grc, Ήλέκτρα) is one of the most popular

mythological Myth is a folklore genre consisting of narratives that play a fundamental role in a society, such as foundational tales or origin myths. Since "myth" is widely used to imply that a story is not objectively true, the identification of a narrat ...

characters in tragedies.Evans (1970), p. 79 She is the main character in two Greek tragedies, ''

Electra Electra (; grc, Ήλέκτρα) is one of the most popular mythological characters in tragedies.Evans (1970), p. 79 She is the main character in two Greek tragedies, '' Electra'' by Sophocles and '' Electra'' by Euripides. She is also the centra ...

'' by Sophocles and ''

'' by Euripides. She is also the central figure in plays by Aeschylus,

Alfieri Alfieri is an Italian surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Anastase Alfieri (1892–1971), Italian entomologist * Benedetto Alfieri (1700–1767), Italian architect * Carmine Alfieri (born 1943), Italian Camorra boss * Cesare Alfier ...

, Voltaire,

Hofmannsthal Hofmannsthal may refer to: * Isaak Löw Hofmann, Edler von Hofmannsthal (1759–1849), Austrian merchant * Augustin Emil Hofmann von Hofmannsthal (1815–1881), industrialist * Hugo von Hofmannsthal (1874–1929), Austrian prodigy, writer, and libr ...

, and Eugene O'Neill. She is a vengeful soul in ''

The Libation Bearers The ''Oresteia'' ( grc, Ὀρέστεια) is a trilogy of Greek tragedies written by Aeschylus in the 5th century BCE, concerning the murder of Agamemnon by Clytemnestra, the murder of Clytemnestra by Orestes, the trial of Orestes, the end of th ...

'', the second play of Aeschylus' '' Oresteia'' trilogy. She plans out an attack with her brother to kill their mother, Clytemnestra. In psychology, the Electra complex is named after her.

Family

Electra's parents were King Agamemnon and Queen Clytemnestra. Her sisters were

Iphigeneia In Greek mythology, Iphigenia (; grc, Ἰφιγένεια, , ) was a daughter of King Agamemnon and Queen Clytemnestra, and thus a princess of Mycenae. In the story, Agamemnon offends the goddess Artemis on his way to the Trojan War by hunting ...

and

Chrysothemis In Greek mythology, Chrysothemis or Khrysothemis (; grc, Χρυσόθεμις, "golden law") is a name ascribed to several characters. ''Female:'' * Chrysothemis, may refer to known as the attributes of the golden harvest as an agricultural demi ...

, and her brother was Orestes. In the '' Iliad'', Homer is understood to be referring to Electra in mentioning "Laodice" as a daughter of Agamemnon.

Murder of Agamemnon

Electra was absent from Mycenae when her father, King Agamemnon, returned from the Trojan War. When he came back, he brought with him his war prize, the Trojan princess Cassandra, who had already borne him twin sons. Upon their arrival, Agamemnon and Cassandra were murdered, by either Clytemnestra herself, her lover Aegisthus, or both. Clytemnestra had held a grudge against her husband for sacrificing their eldest daughter, Iphigenia, to the goddess Artemis in exchange for a fair wind so that he could set sail for Troy. In some versions of this story, Iphigenia was saved by the goddess at the last moment. Eight years later, Electra returned home from Athens at the same time as her brother, Orestes. ('' Odyssey'', iii. 306; X. 542). According to Pindar (''Pythia'', xi. 25), Orestes was saved either by his old nurse or by Electra, and was taken to Phanote on Mount Parnassus, where King Strophius took charge of him. When Orestes was twenty, the Oracle of Delphi ordered him to return home and avenge his father's death.

Murder of Clytemnestra

According to Aeschylus, Orestes recognized Electra's face before the tomb of Agamemnon, where both had gone to perform rites to the dead, and they arranged how Orestes should accomplish his revenge.Fagles (1977), p. 188 Orestes and his friend

Pylades In Greek mythology, Pylades (; Ancient Greek: Πυλάδης) was a Phocian prince as the son of King Strophius and Anaxibia who is the daughter of Atreus and sister of Agamemnon and Menelaus. He is mostly known for his relationship with his cous ...

, son of King Strophius of Phocis and Anaxibia, killed Clytemnestra and Aegisthus (in some accounts with Electra helping). Before her death, Clytemnestra cursed Orestes. The

Erinyes The Erinyes ( ; sing. Erinys ; grc, Ἐρινύες, pl. of ), also known as the Furies, and the Eumenides, were female chthonic deities of vengeance in ancient Greek religion and mythology. A formulaic oath in the ''Iliad'' invokes ...

or Furies, whose duty it is to punish any violation of the ties of family piety, fulfill this curse with their torment. They pursue Orestes, urging him to end his life. Electra was not hounded by the Erinyes. In ''

Iphigeneia in Tauris ''Iphigenia in Tauris'' ( grc, Ἰφιγένεια ἐν Ταύροις, ''Iphigeneia en Taurois'') is a drama by the playwright Euripides, written between 414 BC and 412 BC. It has much in common with another of Euripides's plays, ''Helen'', as w ...

'', Euripides tells the tale somewhat differently. In his version, Orestes was led by the Furies to Tauris on the Black Sea, where his sister Iphigenia was being held. The two met when Orestes and Pylades were brought to Iphigenia to be prepared for sacrifice to Artemis. Iphigeneia, Orestes, and Pylades escaped from Tauris. The Furies, appeased by the reunion of the family, abated their persecution. Electra then married Pylades.

Adaptations of the Electra story

Plays

* The '' Oresteia'', a trilogy of plays by Aeschylus * ''

'', play by Sophocles * ''

'', play by Euripides * '' Orestes'', play by Euripides * ''Electra'', a lost play by Quintus Tullius Cicero of which nothing is known but the name and that it was "a tragedy in the Greek style" * ''Electra'' (1901) a play by

Benito Pérez Galdós Benito Pérez Galdós (May 10, 1843 – January 4, 1920) was a Spanish Spanish Realist literature, realist novelist. He was the leading literary figure in 19th-century Spain, and some scholars consider him second only to Miguel de Cervantes ...

* '' Elektra'', a 1903 play by Hugo von Hofmannsthal, based on the Sophocles play * ''

Mourning Becomes Electra ''Mourning Becomes Electra'' is a play cycle written by American playwright Eugene O'Neill. The play premiered on Broadway at the Guild Theatre on 26 October 1931 where it ran for 150 performances before closing in March 1932, starring Lee Baker ...

'', 1931 play by Eugene O'Neill, based on Aeschylus * ''

'', 1937 play by Jean Giraudoux * '' The Flies'', a 1943 play by Jean-Paul Sartre, modernizing the Electra myth by introducing the theme of existentialism * ''

'' (started in 1949, first performed 1987), a play by

Ezra Pound Ezra Weston Loomis Pound (30 October 1885 – 1 November 1972) was an expatriate American poet and critic, a major figure in the early modernist poetry movement, and a Fascism, fascist collaborator in Italy during World War II. His works ...

and Rudd Fleming * ''Electra, or The dropping of the masks'' (1954) a play by Marguerite Yourcenar * ''Electra'' and ''Orestes'', plays by Adrienne Kennedy, 1972 * ''Electra'' (1974) a play by Robert Montgomery, directed by Joseph Chaikin * ''

'', 1995 drama by Danilo Kiš * ''

Electricidad ''Electricidad'' (English: ''Electricity'') is the second studio album by Mexican duo Jesse & Joy. The album was released on 15 September 2009, by Warner Music México, and reached number twenty-one on the Mexican Albums Chart. The album wa ...

'', 2004 play by

Luis Alfaro Luis Alfaro (born 1963 in Los Angeles, California) is a Chicano performance artist, writer, theater director, and social activist. He grew up in the Pico Union district near Downtown Los Angeles, and graduated from Woodrow Wilson High School in ...

, modern adaptation of Electra based in the Chicano barrio * ''Electra/Orestes'', 2015 play by Jada Alberts and

Anne-Louise Sarks Anne-Louise Sarks is an Australian theatre director, writer and actor. She has been the Artistic Director of the Melbourne Theatre Company since October 2021. Her partner is journalist Sean Kelly. Career Studies and early work Sarks studied ...

* ''Small and Tired,'' 2017 play by Kit Brookman * ''Pitribhumi'', 2021 play by Sandarbha * ''Electra'', 2021 play by Tadashi Suzuki

Opera

* '' Elektra'', by

Richard Strauss Richard Georg Strauss (; 11 June 1864 – 8 September 1949) was a German composer, conductor, pianist, and violinist. Considered a leading composer of the late Romantic and early modern eras, he has been described as a successor of Richard Wag ...

, with libretto by Hugo von Hofmannsthal, based on his own play * ''

'', by Mikis Theodorakis * ''

'', by Marvin David Levy, based on Eugene O'Neill's play * '' Idomeneo'', by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, where she plays the role of rejected lover/villain * ''Electra'', opera by Johann Christian Friedrich Haeffner, Libretto by

Adolf Fredrik Ristell Adolf (also spelt Adolph or Adolphe, Adolfo and when Latinised Adolphus) is a given name used in German-speaking countries, Scandinavia, the Netherlands and Flanders, France, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Latin America and to a lesser extent in vari ...

after

Nicolas Francois Guillard Nicolas or Nicolás may refer to: People Given name * Nicolas (given name) Mononym * Nicolas (footballer, born 1999), Brazilian footballer * Nicolas (footballer, born 2000), Brazilian footballer Surname Nicolas * Dafydd Nicolas (c.1705–17 ...

* '' Électre'', tragédie lyrique by Jean-Baptiste Lemoyne, set to a libretto by Nicolas-François Guillard

Films

* ''

'', a film by

Michael Cacoyannis Michael Cacoyannis ( el, Μιχάλης Κακογιάννης, ''Michalis Kakogiannis''; 11 June 1922 – 25 July 2011), sometimes credited as Michael Yannis, was a Greek Cypriots, Greek Cypriot theatre and film director, writer, produce ...

, starring Irene Papas, based on Euripides * ''

Mourning Becomes Electra (film) ''Mourning Becomes Electra'' is a 1947 American drama (film and television), drama film by Dudley Nichols adapted from the 1931 Eugene O'Neill play ''Mourning Becomes Electra''. The film stars Rosalind Russell, Michael Redgrave, Raymond Massey, ...

'', a film by Dudley Nichols, starring Rosalind Russell and Michael Redgrave * '' The Forgotten Pistolero'', a

Spaghetti Western The Spaghetti Western is a broad subgenre of Western films produced in Europe. It emerged in the mid-1960s in the wake of Sergio Leone's film-making style and international box-office success. The term was used by foreign critics because most o ...

by Ferdinando Baldi starring Leonard Mann and Luciana Paluzzi * '' Ellie'', a film which transfers the story to a Southern U.S. locale * ''

Szerelmem, Elektra ''Electra, My Love'' ( hu, Szerelmem, Elektra) is a 1974 Hungarian drama film directed by Miklós Jancsó. It was included in the official selection for the 1975 Cannes Film Festival. Like most of Jancsó's films, this one uses extremely long ta ...

'' (Elektra, My Love), film by

Miklós Jancsó Miklós Jancsó (; 27 September 192131 January 2014) was a Hungarian film director and screenwriter. Jancsó achieved international prominence starting in the mid-1960s with works including '' The Round-Up'' (''Szegénylegények'', 1965), ''T ...

, starring

Mari Törőcsik Mari Törőcsik (born Marián Törőcsik; 23 November 1935 – 16 April 2021) was a Hungarian stage and film actress. She appeared in more than 170 films from 1956 to 2020. She won the award for Best Actress at the 1976 Cannes Film Festival ...

* '' Filha da Mãe'' and '' Mal Nascida'', both by Portuguese film director João Canijo * '' elektraZenSuite'', medium-length film by

Alessandro Brucini Alessandro is both a given name and a surname, the Italian form of the name Alexander. Notable people with the name include: People with the given name Alessandro * Alessandro Allori (1535–1607), Italian portrait painter * Alessandro Baric ...

, based on texts by Aeschylus, Sophocles, William Shakespeare, Hugo von Hofmannsthal, Sylvia Plath, and the Zen Buddhist monk Takuan Soho * ''

'', film by Shyamaprasad, starring

Nayanthara Diana Mariam Kurian, known professionally as Nayanthara, is an Indian actress and film producer who is known for her work in Tamil, Telugu and Malayalam films. She was in the ''Forbes India'' "Celebrity 100" 2018 list, with her total annual ...

Skanda Ashok Skanda Ashok (born 26 April 1986) is an Indian actor who has appeared in Kannada, Malayalam, Tamil and Telugu films. He made his breakthrough playing Sooraj Menon in the coming-of-age Malayalam film, '' Notebook'' (2006), before gaining critica ...

, Manisha Koirala and

Prakash Raj Prakash Raj (born Prakash Rai; 26 March 1965) is an Indian actor, film director, producer, television presenter, and politician. Known for his works in Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Hindi, and Malayalam-language films, he is the recipient of several ...

, based on Euripides

Literature

* Elektra (Laodice) is the unnamed protagonist and speaker in

Yannis Ritsos Yiannis Ritsos ( el, Γιάννης Ρίτσος; 1 May 1909 – 11 November 1990) was a Greek poet and communist and an active member of the Greek Resistance during World War II. While he disliked being regarded as a political poet, he has be ...

's long poem ''Beneath the Shadow of the Mountain''. This poem forms part of the cycle colloquially referred to as the ''New Oresteia''. * Electra is the eponymous narrator of her story in the book 'Electra' by

Henry Treece Henry Treece (22 December 1911 – 10 June 1966) was a British poet and writer who also worked as a teacher and editor. He wrote a range of works but is mostly remembered as a writer of children's historical novels. Life and work Treece wa ...

. (Bodley Head, 1963: Sphere Books., 1968). * ''Electra on

Azalea Azaleas are flowering shrubs in the genus ''Rhododendron'', particularly the former sections ''Tsutsusi'' (evergreen) and '' Pentanthera'' (deciduous). Azaleas bloom in the spring (April and May in the temperate Northern Hemisphere, and Octob ...

Path'' is the title of Sylvia Plath's poem published in 1959, in reference to the Electra Complex * A central character in Donna Leon's crime fiction series is a present-day young woman named Elettra (the Italian form of "Electra"), who is highly resourceful and who bears some resemblance to the mythological character. * ''House of Names'', by Colm Tóibín. A retelling of the story of Agamemnon's death and the resulting events. (Simon and Schuster, May 9, 2017. 275 pages) * '' Elektra '' a novel by Jennifer Saint that tells the story of Elektra's life

References

External links

* * * {{Authority control Matricides Children of Agamemnon Princesses in Greek mythology