Euripides’ ElectraPlot SummaryPlot Summary (cont.)Slide 4Slide 5Slide 6Slide 7Slide 8Slide 9Slide 10Euripides’ ElectraPlot Summary–I. Prologue by the Farmer (1-53)•A. Agamemnon’s 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. Agamemnon’s tomb (90-93)Plot Summary (cont.)•C. His plan (94-106)•D. Electra’s approach (107-111)–IV. Choral song and parodos (112-214)•A. Electra’s 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)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)Plot Summary (cont.)•B. Orestes praises him and goes inside (364-400)•C. Electra sends the farmer to fetch Agamemnon’s 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)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)Plot Summary (cont.)•D. Electra: I’ll lure mother here and kill her myself (640-667)•E. They prey to Zeus, Hera, and Agamemnon’s 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)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)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)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
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