Electra — Sophocles (Greek Tragedy in New Translations)

Sophocles’ Electra centres on a daughter who has refused to let the murder of Agamemnon be forgotten. Living under the rule of Clytemnestra and Aegisthus, Electra mourns her father and waits for her brother Orestes to return from exile. When he does, grief and longing give way to recognition, conspiracy and the violent fulfilment of a long-delayed revenge.

This Oxford Greek Tragedy in New Translations edition presents Anne Carson’s translation, with Michael Shaw, of a play remarkable for the intensity of Electra’s voice and the moral pressure Sophocles places on vengeance. The translation preserves the play’s abrupt emotional shifts and forceful language while the edition provides supporting material for modern readers. It is especially useful alongside Aeschylus’ and Euripides’ treatments of the same story, revealing how differently Greek tragedy could interpret the obligations of family, justice and revenge.