The character of Electra
- Created by: Isabella
- Created on: 30-04-14 21:33
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- The character of Electra
- Tragic heroine
- She is obsessed with her father's death and begins the play in mourning
- Early speeches- characterised by grief and despair
- Waits for Orestes- feels he is the only one who can commit their revenge
- Grief genuine- but also feels it is a duty
- Resentment of her life
- Resentment of her life in the palace & her mother's treatment of her
- Complains of her ragged clothes and being treated like a servant
- Expresses her situation with a degree of self pity
- Dislikes Aegithus- "a spineless man- a total disaster"
- However, he has a degree of power over her- is able to treat her as a prisoner when present
- Resentment of her life in the palace & her mother's treatment of her
- Emotional rollcoaster throughout
- Reaches the depths of despair- thinking of suicide when she discovers Orestes' death
- Followed by a determination to kill Aegithus herself
- Then reaches elation on discovering Orestes is alive
- The ending- completely determined about the death of her mother and Aegithus- NO MERCY.
- Sophoclean hero
- Typical Sophoclean hero
- Individual who stands up for her beliefs and refuses to compromise
- So determined she ignores the arguments put forward by her sister
- For her- ultimately "glory through victory, or death"
- Instrument of revenge
- From start- does not fundamentally question the justice of her case
- Becomes this is as the play progresses
- By the end- keener to kill then Orestes
- B/c she has been facing everything on her own whilst Orestes has been away
- Relationship with the audience
- How people see her and sympathise with her depends on how she is played
- At first- motivated bylove for her father and sense of betrayal by her mother
- Thus- her actions are easy to sympathise with
- Later is more driven by revenge, which she enjoys
- Nature of her cause
- Modern audiences- sympathise with her grief and lamentations
- But the nature of her cause may cause problems
- Killing her mother- extreme act
- Idea of personal revenge- not relatable to modern audiences; this is often left to the Courts nowadays
- Determination, resilience and rebellious
- These attitudes can be seen as admirable
- She is heroic, courageous and self sacrificing towards her duty to her dead father
- However- her other qualities, such as self-reliance and self pity, viciousness and glee at revenge may not be as admired by modern audiences
- Tragic heroine
- Killing her mother- extreme act
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