Elektra - Paperback

Among the most celebrated plays of ancient Athens, Elektra is one of seven surviving dramas by the great Greek playwright, Sophocles, now available from Harper Perennial in a vivid and dynamic new translation by award-winning poet Robert Bagg.

Elektra masterfully explores the consequences of revenge--both for those who bear the brunt of violence and for those who become obsessed by hatred under its influence--as it focuses on the cycle of bloodshed that consumes a royal family. This is Sophocles, vibrant and alive, for a new generation.

How does a 2,500-year-old play about revenge speak to a new generation?

• Vibrant Modern Translation: Experience Sophocles' powerful language through the lens of award-winning poet Robert Bagg, in a version that is both faithful and dynamic for today's readers.
• A Classic Revenge Tragedy: Witness Elektra's all-consuming wait for her brother Orestes and their brutal plot to avenge their father's murder at the hands of their mother, Klytemnestra.
• The Curse of the House of Atreus: Delve into one of Greek mythology's most infamous family sagas, a story of matricide, justice, and a cycle of bloodshed passed down through generations.
• Complete with Scholarly Introduction: An extensive introduction provides invaluable context on the world of Greek theater, the life of Sophocles, and the enduring themes that make this play a cornerstone of Western literature.

Back Jacket

A dynamic and necessary new translation of Sophocles' chilling tragedy of hatred, revenge, and murder

Orestes, the son of King Agamemnon, returns to his homeland to take revenge on his mother, Klytemnestra, and her lover, Aegisthus, for killing his father in cold blood. Elektra has long awaited her brother's return, bitter and contemptuous of their mother's moral justification for slaughtering Agamemnon, who had sacrificed the life of another daughter, Iphigenia, so the Greek army could sail to Troy. Elektra helps Orestes and his friend Pylades execute an ingenious plan, continuing a bloody cycle that destroys the lives of their enemies and will forever haunt their own.

Robert Bagg's new translation, modern in idiom while faithful to the original, conveys the complex range of emotion experienced by grieving family members who expect vengeance to set them free. This is Sophocles for a new generation.