Publisher Description
"Electra," one of the enduring tragedies of ancient Greek literature attributed to playwrights like Sophocles and Euripides, explores themes of revenge, justice, and familial duty. The play revolves around the eponymous Electra, daughter of King Agamemnon and Queen Clytemnestra, who seeks vengeance for her father's murder at the hands of her mother and her lover, Aegisthus. Consumed by grief and a thirst for retribution, Electra becomes a tragic figure trapped in a cycle of violence, torn between her loyalty to her father's memory and the moral ambiguity of her actions.
Throughout the play, the tension between divine justice and human agency is palpable as characters grapple with the consequences of their choices. Electra's steadfast determination to avenge her father's death serves as a catalyst for the unfolding drama, highlighting the destructive power of unchecked rage and the complexities of the human psyche. As the tragic events unfold, "Electra" forces audiences to confront timeless questions about the nature of justice, the limits of forgiveness, and the cost of vengeance in a world plagued by suffering and betrayal.
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About Sophocles
Sophocles (496
BC–406 BC), one of the great Greek dramatists of the ancient world, was born to
a wealthy family at Colonus, near Athens. He had a charmed childhood, was
highly educated and a personal friend of prominent statesmen, and, as a good
Athenian, served faithfully as a treasurer and general for Athens when it was
expanding its empire and influence. Though he wrote approximately 123 plays,
only seven tragedies survive in their entirety: Ajax, Antigone, Trachinian Women, Oedipus the King, Electra,
Philoctetes, and Oedipus at Colonus.
With Sophocles, Greek tragedy reached its most characteristic form; he
frequently beat out rivals Aeschylus and Euripides in annual drama
competitions.
About Geoffrey Giuliano
Geoffrey Giuliano is the author of over twenty internationally bestselling biographies, including the London Sunday Times bestseller Blackbird: The Life and Times of Paul McCartney and Dark Horse: The Private Life of George Harrison. In addition, he can be heard on the Westwood One Radio Network and has written and produced over sixty original spoken-word albums and video documentaries on various aspects of popular culture.