Electra

Euripides

43 pages 1-hour read

Euripides

Electra

Fiction | Play | Adult

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Character List

Meet the key characters, with insights into their roles, motivations, and relationships—spoiler-free.

Major Characters

Electra is the daughter of the murdered King Agamemnon and Queen Clytemnestra. To neutralize her as a political threat, the new rulers force her into a marriage with a humble farmer, stripping her of royal privileges. She performs grueling domestic chores and harbors intense resentment toward her mother while awaiting the return of her brother to exact vengeance.

Key Relationships

Daughter of Agamemnon

Daughter of Clytemnestra

Sister of Orestes

Wife of The Farmer

Friend of The Chorus

Oppressed by Aegisthus

Orestes is the exiled son of Agamemnon and Clytemnestra. He returns to the Argive countryside in disguise, seeking to fulfill an oracle of Apollo by avenging his father's death. Though he boasts of his high birth and education, he relies heavily on his sister and local allies to execute his covert mission.

Key Relationships

Brother of Electra

Son of Agamemnon

Companion of Pylades

Former Ward of The Old Man

Enemy of Aegisthus

Clytemnestra is the queen of Argos who murdered her former husband Agamemnon. She rules the city alongside her lover Aegisthus while keeping her surviving children marginalized or exiled. Despite her ruthless past actions, she harbors feelings of guilt and expresses unexpected maternal concern.

Key Relationships

Mother of Electra

Mother of Orestes

Partner of Aegisthus

Former Wife of Agamemnon

Sister of The Dioscuri

Queen of The Chorus

Aegisthus is Clytemnestra's lover and the current ruler of Argos. He orchestrated the plot to marry Electra to a lowly farmer to remove her from the royal bloodline. He lives in wealth and paranoia, constantly guarding against the potential return of the rightful heir.

Key Relationships

Partner of Clytemnestra

Oppressor of Electra

Enemy of Orestes

Usurper of Agamemnon

Supporting Characters

The Farmer is a poor but highly honorable man living in the Argive countryside. The usurping rulers give him the royal Electra in marriage to ensure her children will have no claim to the throne. Recognizing the political nature of this arrangement, he treats his wife with deep respect and refuses to consummate the union.

Key Relationships

Husband of Electra

Host of Orestes

Subject of Aegisthus

The Old Man is an elderly, formerly enslaved servant of King Agamemnon. Years ago, he saved the young Orestes from execution by smuggling him out of Argos. He remains fiercely loyal to Agamemnon's surviving children and openly despises the current rulers of the city.

Key Relationships

Former Protector of Orestes

Ally of Electra

Former Servant of Agamemnon

The Chorus consists of a group of young women from the Argive countryside. They visit the Farmer's home to offer Electra companionship. They provide a sympathetic audience for Electra's grievances and comment on the unfolding events.

Key Relationships

Confidant of Electra

Subject of Clytemnestra

Pylades is the silent companion and closest ally of Orestes. He travels alongside the exiled prince back to Argos, standing faithfully by his side as they survey the dangerous political environment of their homeland.

Key Relationships

Companion of Orestes

Secret Ally of Electra

The Dioscuri are Castor and Polydeuces, the divine twin brothers of Clytemnestra who have been elevated to godhood. They observe the mortal realm from above, representing divine destiny and the ultimate judgment of human actions.

Key Relationships

Brother of Clytemnestra

Uncle of Electra

Uncle of Orestes

Agamemnon is the former King of Argos and commander of the Greek forces at Troy. Though deceased before the events of the play, his murder at the hands of his wife Clytemnestra drives the entire plot. His memory motivates his surviving children to seek retribution.

Key Relationships

Father of Electra

Father of Orestes

Former Husband of Clytemnestra

Victim of Aegisthus