Oh Euripides, How I Love Thee.
Title/Subject: Meditation 4
I felt like the characters of this myth did not fully flush out into actually human beings until I read Euripides’ version of the myth. This is really rather strange considering that some of the characters, namely Aegisthus, do not even have dialogue and never once appear on stage. In Aeschylus and Sophocles’ versions the characters are somewhat prototypical. They do what they must because fate as lead them to act. Euripides’ Electra explores the choices set before the characters and gives reasoning behind all the terrible things that have come to pass in their family.
Euripides adds a few little touches to the myth that add depth to the well-known characters. For example, Clytemnestra plainly admits to having had an affair only because her husband was unfaithful first. She blames him for her disgrace and deems that it is unjust for men not to be criticized for their affairs. She makes some pretty good points in this version of the story prior to the knowledge that she is going to die. In the other two myths she only brings up the ‘old shit’ in begging for her life. I found myself more readily sympathizing with her. It was an odd experience for me because I had been so firmly attached to my perception of her as a stupid bitch. And yet here she was coming to purify her daughter after the birth of her grandchild and making some very accurate statements about patriarchal culture. I was almost touched.
Another interesting addition by Euripides was Electra’s forced marriage to a peasant man. This new little twist demonstrates just how far beyond her father’s murder Aegisthus has gone to torture her. She describes her marriage as “a living death.” Though we never even encounter Aegisthus, his cruelty is felt by this one short statement. It is also revealed that the new king has not honored Agamemnon’s grave properly. Electra’s rage seems justified in these instances, but is later complicated by Orestes doubt. That is probably my favorite thing about this version as a whole. Euripides provides amble opportunity for the characters to really have it out with one another. Even those who are seemingly together on an issue.
posted by Averie @ 9:43 AM
2 Comments:
That's great Averie; Clytamnestra is not entirely a stupid bitch.
Actually, what's interesting is that with this play I started to see Clytamnestra as not some holy feminist just fighting for her right to revenge- I mean that was kind of the idea I clung to. With this play I realized that Clytamnestra is really fucked up too. I mean, I think that she used her daughter's death as reason to kill her husband and take the throne. I mean if she cared that much about her daughter, why did she marry her other daughter off to some poor man and treat her like shit? Aegisthus' murder definately went beyond the grave, causing suffering on Electra for not only emotional reasons, but economical ones too. Oh Euripides, you're a genius.
And Orestes did doubt himself; I mean how about that? I agree, that Euripides does "provide amble opportunity for the characters to really have it out with one another...even those who are seemingly together on an issue". I mean, Euripides really makes the characters and therefore the audience to question and see that everyone had selfish intentions (as all humans do). Very nicely said Averie.
I completely agree that the characters of Electra don’t seem human until you read Euripides’ version. As I wrote in my meditation, I agree that that it’s better that the characters make their own choices rather than fate making choices for them. It is easier to sympathize with Clytemnestra in this version, but I still see her as “a stupid bitch”, even though she was able to somewhat justify her actions. Do you think that Euripides was trying to make the audience sympathize with Clytemnestra? What do you think he meant to do when he never showed Aegisthus?
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