Electra, also spelt Elektra (; ; ), is one of the most popular

mythological Myth is a genre of folklore consisting primarily of narratives that play a fundamental role in a society. For scholars, this is very different from the vernacular usage of the term "myth" that refers to a belief that is not true. Instead, the ...

characters in

tragedies A tragedy is a genre of drama based on human suffering and, mainly, the terrible or sorrowful events that befall a main character or cast of characters. Traditionally, the intention of tragedy is to invoke an accompanying catharsis, or a "pain ...

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

Electra Electra, also spelt Elektra (; ; ), is one of the most popular Greek mythology, mythological characters in tragedies.Evans (1970), p. 79 She is the main character in two Greek tragedies, ''Electra (Sophocles play), Electra'' by Sophocles and ''Ele ...

'' by

Sophocles Sophocles ( 497/496 – winter 406/405 BC)Sommerstein (2002), p. 41. was an ancient Greek tragedian known as one of three from whom at least two plays have survived in full. His first plays were written later than, or contemporary with, those ...

and ''

'' by

Euripides Euripides () was a Greek tragedy, tragedian of classical Athens. Along with Aeschylus and Sophocles, he is one of the three ancient Greek tragedians for whom any plays have survived in full. Some ancient scholars attributed ninety-five plays to ...

. She is also the central figure in plays by

Aeschylus Aeschylus (, ; ; /524 – /455 BC) was an ancient Greece, ancient Greek Greek tragedy, tragedian often described as the father of tragedy. Academic knowledge of the genre begins with his work, and understanding of earlier Greek tragedy is large ...

, Alfieri,

Voltaire François-Marie Arouet (; 21 November 169430 May 1778), known by his ''Pen name, nom de plume'' Voltaire (, ; ), was a French Age of Enlightenment, Enlightenment writer, philosopher (''philosophe''), satirist, and historian. Famous for his wit ...

, Hofmannsthal,

Eugene O'Neill Eugene Gladstone O'Neill (October 16, 1888 – November 27, 1953) was an American playwright. His poetically titled plays were among the first to introduce into the U.S. the drama techniques of Realism (theatre), realism, earlier associated with ...

, and

Jean-Paul Sartre Jean-Paul Charles Aymard Sartre (, ; ; 21 June 1905 – 15 April 1980) was a French philosopher, playwright, novelist, screenwriter, political activist, biographer, and literary criticism, literary critic, considered a leading figure in 20th ...

. She is a vengeful soul in '' The Libation Bearers'', the second play of Aeschylus' ''

Oresteia The ''Oresteia'' () is a trilogy of Greek tragedies written by Aeschylus in the 5th century BC, concerning the murder of Agamemnon by Clytemnestra, the murder of Clytemnestra by Orestes, the trial of Orestes, the end of the curse on the House ...

'' trilogy. She plans out an attack with her brother to kill their mother,

Clytemnestra Clytemnestra (, ; , ), in Greek mythology, was the wife of Agamemnon, king of Mycenae, and the half-sister of Helen of Sparta. In Aeschylus' ''Oresteia'', she murders Agamemnon – said by Euripides to be her second husband – and the Trojan p ...

. In

psychology Psychology is the scientific study of mind and behavior. Its subject matter includes the behavior of humans and nonhumans, both consciousness, conscious and Unconscious mind, unconscious phenomena, and mental processes such as thoughts, feel ...

, the

Electra complex In neo-Freudian psychology, the Electra complex, as proposed by Swiss psychiatrist and psychoanalyst Carl Jung in his ''Theory of Psychoanalysis'', is a girl's psychosexual development, psychosexual competition with her mother for possession of he ...

is named after her.

Family

Electra's parents were King

Agamemnon In Greek mythology, Agamemnon (; ''Agamémnōn'') was a king of Mycenae who commanded the Achaeans (Homer), Achaeans during the Trojan War. He was the son (or grandson) of King Atreus and Queen Aerope, the brother of Menelaus, the husband of C ...

and Queen

Mycenae Mycenae ( ; ; or , ''Mykē̂nai'' or ''Mykḗnē'') is an archaeological site near Mykines, Greece, Mykines in Argolis, north-eastern Peloponnese, Greece. It is located about south-west of Athens; north of Argos, Peloponnese, Argos; and sou ...

. Her sisters were

Iphigenia In Greek mythology, Iphigenia (; , ) 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 killing one of Artem ...

and

Chrysothemis In Greek mythology, Chrysothemis or Khrysothemis (; , "golden law") is a name ascribed to several female characters in Greek mythology. * Chrysothemis, daughter of Carmator and the first winner of the oldest contest held at the Pythian Games, ...

, and her brother was

Orestes In Greek mythology, Orestes or Orestis (; ) was the son of Agamemnon and Clytemnestra, and the brother of Electra and Iphigenia. He was also known by the patronymic Agamemnonides (), meaning "son of Agamemnon." He is the subject of several ...

. In the ''

Iliad The ''Iliad'' (; , ; ) is one of two major Ancient Greek epic poems attributed to Homer. It is one of the oldest extant works of literature still widely read by modern audiences. As with the ''Odyssey'', the poem is divided into 24 books and ...

'',

Homer Homer (; , ; possibly born ) was an Ancient Greece, Ancient Greek poet who is credited as the author of the ''Iliad'' and the ''Odyssey'', two epic poems that are foundational works of ancient Greek literature. Despite doubts about his autho ...

is understood to be referring to Electra in mentioning "Laodice" as a daughter of Agamemnon.

Murder of Agamemnon

Electra was absent from

when her father, King Agamemnon, returned from the

Trojan War The Trojan War was a legendary conflict in Greek mythology that took place around the twelfth or thirteenth century BC. The war was waged by the Achaeans (Homer), Achaeans (Ancient Greece, Greeks) against the city of Troy after Paris (mytho ...

. When he came back, he brought with him his war prize, the

Trojan Trojan or Trojans may refer to: * Of or from the ancient city of Troy * Trojan language, the language of the historical Trojans Arts and entertainment Music * '' Les Troyens'' ('The Trojans'), an opera by Berlioz, premiered part 1863, part 18 ...

princess

Cassandra Cassandra or Kassandra (; , , sometimes referred to as Alexandra; ) in Greek mythology was a Trojan priestess dedicated to the god Apollo and fated by him to utter true prophecy, prophecies but never to be believed. In modern usage her name is e ...

, who had already borne him twin sons. Upon their arrival, Agamemnon and Cassandra were murdered, by either Clytemnestra herself, her lover

Aegisthus Aegisthus (; ; also transliterated as Aigisthos, ) was a figure in Greek mythology. Aegisthus is known from two primary sources: the first is Homer's ''Odyssey'', believed to have been first written down by Homer at the end of the 8th century BC ...

, or both. Clytemnestra had held a grudge against her husband for sacrificing their eldest daughter,

, to the goddess

Artemis In ancient Greek religion and Greek mythology, mythology, Artemis (; ) is the goddess of the hunting, hunt, the wilderness, wild animals, transitions, nature, vegetation, childbirth, Kourotrophos, care of children, and chastity. In later tim ...

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 Athens ( ) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Greece, largest city of Greece. A significant coastal urban area in the Mediterranean, Athens is also the capital of the Attica (region), Attica region and is the southe ...

at the same time as her brother,

. (''

Odyssey The ''Odyssey'' (; ) is one of two major epics of ancient Greek literature attributed to Homer. It is one of the oldest surviving works of literature and remains popular with modern audiences. Like the ''Iliad'', the ''Odyssey'' is divi ...

'', iii. 306; X. 542). According to

Pindar Pindar (; ; ; ) was an Greek lyric, Ancient Greek lyric poet from Thebes, Greece, Thebes. Of the Western canon, canonical nine lyric poets of ancient Greece, his work is the best preserved. Quintilian wrote, "Of the nine lyric poets, Pindar i ...

(''Pythia'', xi. 25), Orestes was saved either by his old nurse or by Electra from being killed by his mother, and was taken to

Phanote Phanote or Phanota (), or Phanoteia (), was a strongly fortified ancient Greek town of Chaonia located in the region of Epirus. The town's location was of military/strategic importance as it stood in the midst of a valley surrounded by an amphith ...

Mount Parnassus Mount Parnassus (; , ''Parnassós'') is a mountain range of central Greece that is, and historically has been, especially valuable to the Greek nation and the earlier Greek city-states for many reasons. In peace, it offers scenic views of the c ...

, where King

Strophius In Greek mythology, Strophius (; Ancient Greek: Στρόφιος means "slippery fellow, twister") was the name of the following personages: * Strophius, son of Crisus, was a King of Phocis, husband of the sister of Agamemnon (whose name was eit ...

took charge of him. When Orestes was twenty, the

Oracle of Delphi An oracle is a person or thing considered to provide insight, wise counsel or prophecy, prophetic predictions, most notably including precognition of the future, inspired by Deity, deities. If done through occultic means, it is a form of divina ...

ordered him to return home and avenge his father's death.

Murder of Clytemnestra

According to

, 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 Phocis (ancient region), 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 ...

, son of King Strophius of Phocis and Anaxibia, killed Clytemnestra and Aegisthus (in some accounts with Electra helping). There is some disagreement between sources on how to characterize Electra after the death of her father. According to Aeschylus, she is unsure of her own ability to avenge her father, though she is certain in her conviction that revenge is necessary. This version posits that she is a confused participant in the murder of her mother. She turns to her brother to take the role of avenger, uncertain or unwilling to kill Clytemnestra herself. Sophoclean Electra is much more imposing than Aeschylus’ character. She is consumed by hatred in reaction to her father’s death, a far cry from the more reluctant Aeschylus interpretation. Sophocles’ Electra is also uncontrollably saddened by her father’s murder which only serves to further her desire for revenge. Furthermore, she is borderline hysterical to avenge her father. This suggests that according to Sophocles, Electra was more attached to Agamemnon than Clytemnestra. In this version of events, Electra and Orestes are equal partners in Clytemenestra’s murder. Sophocles also goes as far as to present a more philosophical side of Electra. She confronts her mother about the morality of her actions, where she is presented with a logical defense of the murder by Clytemenestra. Electra rejects this colder view of the death of her father, focusing on the act of murder rather than the circumstances around the event. Electra goes as far as to show complete contempt for Clytemenestra, a unique feature of this interpretation. Euripides' Electra portrays her as a shrewd yet feeling figure. Unlike the Sophoclean Electra, Euripides’ tempers her emotions in order to accomplish her goals throughout the narrative. The act of avenging her father is understood as a necessity, not an emotional endeavor according to Euripedes. This colder portrayal of Electra has been interpreted to represent the strength of unmaternal temperaments, as well as an acute understanding between the two female characters the realities of the gendered world they move within. More divergently, this version of Electra sets the trap that kills Clytemnestra. Orestes is not an equal partner in the murder, with Electra being the ultimate leader of the entire machination. She even feigns maternalism in order to ensnare her mother, though interpretations vary on their relationship up until this point. Some suggest that this final interaction was actually adorned with mutual love and respect, paying homage to both character’s proclivities. With that being said, no love is lost between Electra and Clytemnestra. Despite her daughter killing her, Clytemenestra’s unmaternal bond holds true. In the same vein Electra harbors no hatred for her mother unlike in other tellings. Before her death, Clytemnestra cursed Orestes. The

Erinyes The Erinyes ( ; , ), also known as the Eumenides (, the "Gracious ones"), are chthonic goddesses of vengeance in ancient Greek religion and mythology. A formulaic oath in the ''Iliad'' invokes them as "the Erinyes, that under earth tak ...

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'' (, ''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 (play), Helen'', as well as the lost play ''Andromed ...

'', Euripides tells the tale somewhat differently. In his version, Orestes was led by the Furies to Tauris on the Black Sea, where his sister

was being held. The two met when Orestes and Pylades were brought to Iphigenia to be prepared for sacrifice to

. 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 ''

'', a trilogy of plays by

* ''

'', play by

* ''

'', play by

* ''

'', play by

* ''Electra'', a lost play by

Quintus Tullius Cicero Quintus Tullius Cicero ( , ; 102 BC – 43 BC) was a Roman statesman and military leader, as well as the younger brother of Marcus Tullius Cicero. He was born into a family of the equestrian order, as the son of a wealthy landowner in Arpinum, so ...

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

* '' Elektra'', a 1903 play by

Hugo von Hofmannsthal Hugo Laurenz August Hofmann von Hofmannsthal (; 1 February 1874 – 15 July 1929) was an Austrian novelist, libretto, librettist, Poetry, poet, Playwdramatist, narrator, and essayist. Early life Hofmannsthal was born in Landstraße, Vienna, th ...

, 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 Ba ...

'', 1931 play by

, based on Aeschylus * ''

'', 1937 play by

Jean Giraudoux Hippolyte Jean Giraudoux (; ; 29 October 1882 – 31 January 1944) was a French novelist, essayist, diplomat and playwright. He is considered among the most important French dramatists of the period between World War I and World War II. His wo ...

* ''

The Flies ''The Flies'' () is a play by Jean-Paul Sartre, produced in 1943. It is an adaptation of the Electra myth, previously used by the Greek playwrights Sophocles, Aeschylus and Euripides. The play recounts the story of Orestes and his sister E ...

'', a 1943 play by

, modernizing the Electra myth by introducing the theme of

existentialism Existentialism is a family of philosophical views and inquiry that explore the human individual's struggle to lead an authentic life despite the apparent absurdity or incomprehensibility of existence. In examining meaning, purpose, and valu ...

* ''

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

Ezra Pound Ezra Weston Loomis Pound (30 October 1885 – 1 November 1972) was an List of poets from the United States, American poet and critic, a major figure in the early modernist poetry movement, and a Collaboration with Nazi Germany and Fascist Ita ...

and Rudd Fleming * ''Electra, or The dropping of the masks'' (1954) a play by

Marguerite Yourcenar Marguerite Yourcenar (, ; ; born Marguerite Antoinette Jeanne Marie Ghislaine Cleenewerck de Crayencour; 8 June 190317 December 1987) was a Belgian-born French novelist and essayist who became a US citizen in 1947. Winner of the Prix Femina and ...

* ''Electra'' and ''Orestes'', plays by

Adrienne Kennedy Adrienne Kennedy (born September 13, 1931) is an American playwright.Peterson, Jane T., and Suzanne Bennett. "Adrienne Kennedy". ''Women Playwrights of Diversity''. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 1997. 201–205. She is best known for '' Funnyhou ...

, 1972 * ''Electra'' (1974) a play by Robert Montgomery, directed by

Joseph Chaikin Joseph Chaikin (September 16, 1935 – June 22, 2003) was an American theatre director, actor, playwright, and pedagogue. Early life and education The youngest of five children, Chaikin was born to a poor Jewish family living in the Borough Pa ...

* ''

'', 1995 drama by

Danilo Kiš Danilo Kiš (; born Dániel Kiss; 22 February 1935 – 15 October 1989) was a Yugoslav and Serbian novelist, short story writer, essayist and translator. His best known works include ''Hourglass'', '' A Tomb for Boris Davidovich'' and '' The En ...

* ''

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 was ...

'', 2004 play by

Luis Alfaro Luis Alfaro (born 1963 in Los Angeles) 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 East Los An ...

, 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. Early life and education Anne-Louise Sarks studied acting at the Victorian College of ...

* ''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 and conductor best known for his Tone poems (Strauss), tone poems and List of operas by Richard Strauss, operas. Considered a leading composer of the late Roman ...

, with libretto by

, based on his own play * ''

'', by

Mikis Theodorakis Michail "Mikis" Theodorakis ( ; 29 July 1925 – 2 September 2021) was a Greek composer and lyricist credited with over 1,000 works. He scored for the films '' Zorba the Greek'' (1964), '' Z'' (1969), and '' Serpico'' (1973). He was a three-ti ...

* ''

'', by Marvin David Levy, based on

's play * ''

Idomeneo (Italian for ''Idomeneus, King of Crete, or, Ilia and Idamante''; usually referred to simply as ''Idomeneo'', Köchel catalogue, K. 366) is an Italian-language opera seria by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. The libretto was adapted by Giambattista Vares ...

'', by

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (27 January 1756 – 5 December 1791) was a prolific and influential composer of the Classical period (music), Classical period. Despite his short life, his rapid pace of composition and proficiency from an early age ...

, where she plays the role of rejected lover/villain * ''Electra'', opera by Johann Christian Friedrich Haeffner, Libretto by Adolf Fredrik Ristell after Nicolas Francois Guillard * '' Électre'',

tragédie lyrique This is a glossary list of opera genres, giving alternative names. "Opera" is an Italian word (short for "opera in musica"); it was not at first ''commonly'' used in Italy (or in other countries) to refer to the genre of particular works. Most co ...

Jean-Baptiste Lemoyne Jean-Baptiste Lemoyne (; 15 February 1704 – 25 May 1778) was a French sculptor of the 18th century who worked in both the rococo and neoclassical style. He made monumental statuary for the Gardens of Versailles but was best known for his exp ...

, set to a libretto by

Nicolas-François Guillard Nicolas-François Guillard (; 16 January 1752 – 26 December 1814) was a French librettist. He was born in Chartres and died in Paris, the recipient of a government pension in recognition of his work writing librettos. He was also on ''Comité d ...

Films

* ''

'', a film by

Michael Cacoyannis Michalis Kakogiannis (; ; 11 June 1922 – 25 July 2011), usually credited as Michael Cacoyannis or Michael Yannis, was a Greek Cypriot filmmaker, theatre director, and playwright. He is best known for writing, directing, producing, and e ...

, starring

Irene Papas Irene Papas or Irene Pappas (, ; born Eirini Lelekou (); 3 September 1929 – 14 September 2022) was a Greek actress and singer who starred in over 70 films in a career spanning more than 50 years. She gained international recognition through ...

, based on Euripides * ''

Mourning Becomes Electra (film) ''Mourning Becomes Electra'' is a 1947 American drama film by Dudley Nichols adapted from the 1931 Eugene O'Neill play ''Mourning Becomes Electra'', based in turn on the ''Oresteia''. The film stars Rosalind Russell, Michael Redgrave, Raymond Ma ...

'', a film by

Dudley Nichols Dudley Nichols (April 6, 1895 – January 4, 1960) was an American screenwriter and film director. He was the first person to decline an Academy Award, as part of a boycott to gain recognition for the Screen Writers Guild; he would later accept ...

, starring

Rosalind Russell Catherine Rosalind Russell (June 4, 1907November 28, 1976) was an American actress, model, comedian, screenwriter, and singer,Obituary '' Variety'', December 1, 1976, p. 79. known for her role as fast-talking newspaper reporter Hildy Johnson in ...

and

Michael Redgrave Sir Michael Scudamore Redgrave (20 March 1908 – 21 March 1985) was an English actor and filmmaker. Beginning his career in theatre, he first appeared in the West End in 1937. He made his film debut in Alfred Hitchcock's ''The Lady Vanishes'' ...

* ''

The Forgotten Pistolero ''The Forgotten Pistolero'' ( Italian: ''Il pistolero dell'Ave Maria'', lit. "The Gunman of Hail Mary") is a 1969 Italian Spaghetti Western film co-written and directed by Ferdinando Baldi. The film is a western adaptation of the Greek myth of O ...

'', 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 filmmaking style and international box-office success. The term was used by foreign critics because most o ...

Ferdinando Baldi Ferdinando Baldi (19 May 1927 – 12 November 2007) was an Italian film director and screenwriter. Throughout his career he used a number of pseudonyms, including Ted Kaplan, Ferdy Baldwin and Sam Livingstone. Biography Baldi was born in ...

starring Leonard Mann and

Luciana Paluzzi Luciana Paluzzi (born 10 June 1937) is an Italian actress. She is perhaps best known for playing SPECTRE assassin Fiona Volpe in the fourth James Bond film, '' Thunderball'', but she had important roles in notable films of the 1960s and 1970s ...

* ''

Ellie Ellie or Elly is a given name. The name stands on its own or can be a shortened form of any of the numerous female names beginning with the syllable El-, in particular Elizabeth, Eleanor, or Elvira. It can also be a short form of Elaine, Elena ...

'', a film which transfers the story to a Southern U.S. locale * ''

Szerelmem, Elektra ''Electra, My Love'' () 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 takes, often as long as t ...

'' (Elektra, My Love), film by

Miklós Jancsó Miklós Jancsó (; 27 September 192131 January 2014) was a Hungarian people, Hungarian film director and screenwriter. Jancsó achieved international prominence starting in the mid-1960s with works including ''Szegénylegények, The Round-Up'' ...

, 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 Festiva ...

* '' Filha da Mãe'' and '' Mal Nascida'', both by Portuguese film director

João Canijo João Canijo (born 1957) is a Portuguese film director. His film '' Get a Life'' was screened in the Un Certain Regard section at the 2001 Cannes Film Festival. His 2011 film '' Blood of My Blood'' was selected as the Portuguese entry for the B ...

* '' 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 Baricco ...

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

'', film by

Shyamaprasad Shyamaprasad (born 7 November 1960) is an Indian filmmaker, screenwriter and actor who works in Malayalam films. Career Shyamaprasad was born on 7 November 1960 in Palakkad, Kerala, India as the younger son of O. Rajagopal and Santhakumari. H ...

, starring

Nayanthara Nayanthara (born Diana Mariam Kurian; 18 November 1984) is an Indian actress and producer known for her work in Tamil cinema, Tamil, Telugu cinema, Telugu and Malayalam cinema, Malayalam films. One of the highest-paid actresses in India, she ...

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 critic ...

Manisha Koirala Manisha Koirala (; born 16 August 1970) is a Nepali people, Nepalese actress who works in Cinema of India, Indian films, predominantly in Hindi and Tamil language, Tamil. Born to the politically prominent Koirala family, she is the daughter of ...

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 Telugu language, Telugu, Tamil language, Tamil, Kannada, Malayalam, English language, Engl ...

, based on Euripides

Literature

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

Yannis Ritsos Yiannis Ritsos ( ; 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 been called "the great poet of th ...

'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 was ...

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

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

Path'' is the title of

Sylvia Plath Sylvia Plath (; October 27, 1932 – February 11, 1963) was an American poet and author. She is credited with advancing the genre of confessional poetry and is best known for '' The Colossus and Other Poems'' (1960), '' Ariel'' (1965), a ...

's poem published in 1959, in reference to the

Electra Complex In neo-Freudian psychology, the Electra complex, as proposed by Swiss psychiatrist and psychoanalyst Carl Jung in his ''Theory of Psychoanalysis'', is a girl's psychosexual development, psychosexual competition with her mother for possession of he ...

* A central character in

Donna Leon Donna Leon (; born September 28, 1942) is the American author of a series of crime novels set in Venice, Italy, featuring the fictional hero Commissario Guido Brunetti. The novels are written in English and have been translated into many forei ...

crime fiction Crime fiction, detective story, murder mystery, crime novel, mystery novel, and police novel are terms used to describe narratives or fiction that centre on criminal acts and especially on the investigation, either by an amateur or a professiona ...

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 Colm Tóibín ( , ; born 30 May 1955) is an Irish novelist, short story writer, essayist, journalist, critic, playwright and poet. His first novel, ''The South (novel), The South'', was published in 1990. ''The Blackwater Lightship'' was short ...

. 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 Jennifer Saint is a British novelist known for retelling the stories of female figures from Greek mythology. In the ''Chicago Review of Books'', ''Elektra'' has "brought fascinating women from Greek myth to life". In ''Paste'', her novel ''Atala ...

that tells the parallel story of Elektra's life, along with her mother Clytemnestra, and Cassandra of Troy

References

External links

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

Family

Murder of Agamemnon

Murder of Clytemnestra

Adaptations of the Electra story

Plays

Opera

Films

Literature

See also

References

External links