Sophocles' Electra Ramble Review
I just finished Sophocles' Electra, and I was struck by how much more romanticized the events are than Aeschylus' Libation Bearers.
In that version, Orestes' actions never feel clean. Even as Apollo commands him and everyone reminds him to avenge Agamemnon, we never forget that this is still matricide. It's as horrifying as it's necessary, and that's reflected in the ending, with Orestes being consumed by guilt, pursued by the Furies, as the family curse continues to haunt him.
Sophocles, however, takes a very different approach
Electra is similar to his Antigone. They're both heroines defined by their unyielding determination to honor their fallen kin and refusal to compromise, even at the risk of their own lives, while having sisters who serve as cautious foils. Antigone acts for her brother Polynices' burial. Electra for father Agamemnon's vengeance.
The biggest difference, though, is the ending.
When Clytemnestra and Aegisthus die, it isn't treated as tragic. Instead of a family being destroyed once again, it's a triumphant celebration of the overthrow of tyrants. There are no Furies, no madness, nor any immediate consequences waiting around the corner.
What's fascinating is that Sophocles and his audience would have known the tradition where Orestes is pursued after the murder. Yet the play ends before any of that can happen.
As a result, the same myth feels completely different depending on the playwright. Aeschylus presents the murder of Clytemnestra as another link in a cycle of violence. Sophocles presents it as justice finally being delivered.
Personally, while this play does an excellent job of exploring Electra's character far more than Aeschylus' version, it also removes much of the curse that hangs over the House of Atreus, which makes sense given that Aeschylus was far more interested in that aspect of the story.
Electra in this play is not just a heroine, but someone who seeks for a wrong to be corrected, even as the world, including her own family, is against her
