Electra

by Sophocles
January 27

Electra’s father Agamemnon has been murdered by her mother Clytemnestra. Her brother Orestes has been missing for years and is thought to be dead. In order to revenge her father, she must do the unthinkable, kill her mother. This important play is in many ways the female version of Oedipus Rex and Hamlet. While they explore the darker side of father / son relationships, this play explores the complexities of the mother / daughter relationships. It is from this play that we get the “Electra Complex.”