1. Euripides’ Electra

2. Plot 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)

3. 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)

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 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)

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: 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)

8. 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)

9. 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)