Electra: An Unconventional Tragedy Anonymous College

The play Electra by Sophocles has long been regarded as an excellent tragedy, from Cicero calling it a “masterpiece” (Csapo 67) to widespread modern praise. However, most of the critical discourse centers not around evaluating the larger picture of its success or failure as a tragedy, but rather around controversy over a few different elements of the play. Many are concerned with the justification or lack thereof for the violent killings which take place, the strangeness of the heroine’s emotions, and the crux of the seemingly triumphant yet somehow uneasy ending. In short, while Electra is widely considered to be a successful tragedy, no single critic seems to agree why. However, it could be argued that though the elements of tragedy in Electra have more complex factors than other tragedies, this does not necessarily indicate a failure on the play’s partthat the play is actually a failure. Rather, Electra successfully meets the tragic formula with great emotional depth and moral complexity. It does so through its excellent movement of action, the portrayal of an emotional, psychological, and moral downfall rather than a circumstantial one, and its final effect of catharsis on the audience.

Much of the critical acclaim for the...