Electra (Giraudoux)
Encyclopedia
Electra is a two act play written in 1937 by French dramatist Jean Giraudoux
. It was the first Giraudoux play to employ the staging of Louis Jouvet
. Based on the classic myth of antiquity, Jean Giraudoux wrote perhaps his best play. Electra has a surprisingly tragic force, without losing the spirit sparkling humor that made by Jean Giraudoux one of the most important playwrights of.
Electra was first performed on 13 May 1937 in Paris at the Théâtre de l'Athénée in a production by Louis Jouvet
.
, The King of Argos, has sacrificed his daughter Iphigenia to the gods. His wife, Clytemnestra
, assisted by her lover, Aegisthus, kills him on his return from the Trojan War
. Orestes
, the son is banished as a child. Rest Electra, the second daughter: ((Citation | She does nothing, says nothing. But it is here)). Aegisthus also wants to marry her to divert to "family Théocathoclès anything that might throw some light on a chandelier unfortunate family of Atreus.
Passage of the epic Odyssey by Homer
, then again in the form of tragedy to the beginnings of it by Aeschylus
Sophocles
and Euripides
((the V th)) century BC, theÉlectre Giraudoux appears as the rewriting of the rewriting of a myth. With many changes anachronistic, including the role of torque burgher as a mirage burlesque tragic couple, Elektra is one of many proofs of the timelessness of the tragedy
. Written in 1937, it would in effect be a "bourgeois tragedy", according to Jean Giraudoux
itself.
After the tragic death of Agamemnon, king of Argos assassinated on his return from Troy, Electra, daughter of the latter and Queen Clytemnestra, while seeking the guilty feeling an inexplicable hatred for her mother. The arrival of Orestes, banished his brother from the mysterious assassination
, and religion
s made of adultery by the wife of the President of the Senate this one, will help in his quest Electra who will eventually be the subject of the curse
burden on his family.
The title character directs his brother and asserts, is actually the main character.
Thanks to its presence, many characters will be burst and "their" truth, such as small Agathe in Act II, 6. In addition, Electra and Aegisthus declare themselves throughout the room.
The character of the beggar (both god, begging and director) helps restore the truth. He explains ((Citation | history pushed or not pushed)), which tells of the murder of Agamemnon, but also that of Aegisthus and Clytemnestra.
The last scene shows Electra, restoring the truth, was cursed and dispossessed, decimating the city. The splendor of this truth was too violent. The last line ((Citation | It has a beautiful name, Female Narses, it is called the aurora)) ends the piece on a delicious ambiguity.
Contradictions between what Agathe and think what the president thinks
The mood of the President objected to the wisdom of the gardener
Aegisthus, a tyrant
A lesson given by Aegisthus corridor
Electra: a woman who dominates her possessive brother
Orestes: Electra creation
The similar allegations against their husbands
The situation described by the characters rapidly extends to all couples
The metamorphosis of Aegisthus: a transfiguration
Aegisthus becomes a king thanks to the Gods
The murder of Clytemnestra: a matricide
The murder of Aegisthus: a tragedy
Jean Giraudoux
Hippolyte Jean Giraudoux was a French novelist, essayist, diplomat and playwright. He is considered among the most important French dramatists of the period between World War I and World War II. His work is noted for its stylistic elegance and poetic fantasy...
. It was the first Giraudoux play to employ the staging of Louis Jouvet
Louis Jouvet
Louis Jouvet was a renowned French actor, director, and theatre director.- Life :Overcoming speech impediments and sometimes paralyzing stage fright as a young man, Jouvet's first important association was with Jacques Copeau's Théâtre du Vieux-Colombier, beginning in 1913...
. Based on the classic myth of antiquity, Jean Giraudoux wrote perhaps his best play. Electra has a surprisingly tragic force, without losing the spirit sparkling humor that made by Jean Giraudoux one of the most important playwrights of.
Original productions
Électre was translated into English as Electra by Winifred Smith, in The Modern Theatre, ed. Eric Bentley (1955), and by Phyllis La Farge and Peter H. Judd in Jean Giraudoux, Three Plays, vol. 2 (1964).Electra was first performed on 13 May 1937 in Paris at the Théâtre de l'Athénée in a production by Louis Jouvet
Louis Jouvet
Louis Jouvet was a renowned French actor, director, and theatre director.- Life :Overcoming speech impediments and sometimes paralyzing stage fright as a young man, Jouvet's first important association was with Jacques Copeau's Théâtre du Vieux-Colombier, beginning in 1913...
.
Plot summary
AgamemnonAgamemnon
In Greek mythology, Agamemnon was the son of King Atreus and Queen Aerope of Mycenae, the brother of Menelaus, the husband of Clytemnestra, and the father of Electra and Orestes. Mythical legends make him the king of Mycenae or Argos, thought to be different names for the same area...
, The King of Argos, has sacrificed his daughter Iphigenia to the gods. His wife, Clytemnestra
Clytemnestra
Clytemnestra or Clytaemnestra , in ancient Greek legend, was the wife of Agamemnon, king of the Ancient Greek kingdom of Mycenae or Argos. In the Oresteia by Aeschylus, she was a femme fatale who murdered her husband, Agamemnon – said by Euripides to be her second husband – and the Trojan princess...
, assisted by her lover, Aegisthus, kills him on his return from the Trojan War
Trojan War
In Greek mythology, the Trojan War was waged against the city of Troy by the Achaeans after Paris of Troy took Helen from her husband Menelaus, the king of Sparta. The war is among the most important events in Greek mythology and was narrated in many works of Greek literature, including the Iliad...
. Orestes
Orestes
Orestes was the son of Agamemnon in Greek mythology; Orestes may also refer to:Drama*Orestes , by Euripides*Orestes, the character in Sophocles' tragedy Electra*Orestes, the character in Aeschylus' trilogy of tragedies, Oresteia...
, the son is banished as a child. Rest Electra, the second daughter: ((Citation | She does nothing, says nothing. But it is here)). Aegisthus also wants to marry her to divert to "family Théocathoclès anything that might throw some light on a chandelier unfortunate family of Atreus.
Passage of the epic Odyssey by Homer
Homer
In the Western classical tradition Homer , is the author of the Iliad and the Odyssey, and is revered as the greatest ancient Greek epic poet. These epics lie at the beginning of the Western canon of literature, and have had an enormous influence on the history of literature.When he lived is...
, then again in the form of tragedy to the beginnings of it by Aeschylus
Aeschylus
Aeschylus was the first of the three ancient Greek tragedians whose work has survived, the others being Sophocles and Euripides, and is often described as the father of tragedy. His name derives from the Greek word aiskhos , meaning "shame"...
Sophocles
Electra (Sophocles)
Electra or Elektra is a Greek tragedy by Sophocles. Its date is not known, but various stylistic similarities with the Philoctetes and the Oedipus at Colonus lead scholars to suppose that it was written towards the end of Sophocles' career.Set in the city of Argos a few years after the Trojan...
and Euripides
Euripides
Euripides was one of the three great tragedians of classical Athens, the other two being Aeschylus and Sophocles. Some ancient scholars attributed ninety-five plays to him but according to the Suda it was ninety-two at most...
((the V th)) century BC, theÉlectre Giraudoux appears as the rewriting of the rewriting of a myth. With many changes anachronistic, including the role of torque burgher as a mirage burlesque tragic couple, Elektra is one of many proofs of the timelessness of the tragedy
Tragedy
Tragedy is a form of art based on human suffering that offers its audience pleasure. While most cultures have developed forms that provoke this paradoxical response, tragedy refers to a specific tradition of drama that has played a unique and important role historically in the self-definition of...
. Written in 1937, it would in effect be a "bourgeois tragedy", according to Jean Giraudoux
Jean Giraudoux
Hippolyte Jean Giraudoux was a French novelist, essayist, diplomat and playwright. He is considered among the most important French dramatists of the period between World War I and World War II. His work is noted for its stylistic elegance and poetic fantasy...
itself.
After the tragic death of Agamemnon, king of Argos assassinated on his return from Troy, Electra, daughter of the latter and Queen Clytemnestra, while seeking the guilty feeling an inexplicable hatred for her mother. The arrival of Orestes, banished his brother from the mysterious assassination
Assassination
To carry out an assassination is "to murder by a sudden and/or secret attack, often for political reasons." Alternatively, assassination may be defined as "the act of deliberately killing someone, especially a public figure, usually for hire or for political reasons."An assassination may be...
, and religion
Religion
Religion is a collection of cultural systems, belief systems, and worldviews that establishes symbols that relate humanity to spirituality and, sometimes, to moral values. Many religions have narratives, symbols, traditions and sacred histories that are intended to give meaning to life or to...
s made of adultery by the wife of the President of the Senate this one, will help in his quest Electra who will eventually be the subject of the curse
Curse
A curse is any expressed wish that some form of adversity or misfortune will befall or attach to some other entity—one or more persons, a place, or an object...
burden on his family.
The title character directs his brother and asserts, is actually the main character.
The quest for the truth
This is the main theme of the room. Electra comes from the GreekElektrawhich means "light". In fact, Electra is there to shed light on the events, bring out the truth.Thanks to its presence, many characters will be burst and "their" truth, such as small Agathe in Act II, 6. In addition, Electra and Aegisthus declare themselves throughout the room.
The character of the beggar (both god, begging and director) helps restore the truth. He explains ((Citation | history pushed or not pushed)), which tells of the murder of Agamemnon, but also that of Aegisthus and Clytemnestra.
The last scene shows Electra, restoring the truth, was cursed and dispossessed, decimating the city. The splendor of this truth was too violent. The last line ((Citation | It has a beautiful name, Female Narses, it is called the aurora)) ends the piece on a delicious ambiguity.
Characters
- ElectraElectraIn Greek mythology, Electra was an Argive princess and daughter of King Agamemnon and Queen Clytemnestra. She and her brother Orestes plotted revenge against their mother Clytemnestra and stepfather Aegisthus for the murder of their father Agamemnon...
. As mentioned previously, it is really the central character. Daughter of Agamemnon and Clytemnestra, she hates her mother who killed her father with the help of her lover Aegisthus, who is now Regent to the throne. She awaits the arrival of Orestes in revenge. - OrestesOrestesOrestes was the son of Agamemnon in Greek mythology; Orestes may also refer to:Drama*Orestes , by Euripides*Orestes, the character in Sophocles' tragedy Electra*Orestes, the character in Aeschylus' trilogy of tragedies, Oresteia...
. Electra's brother, he was very young exile and returned to his family by appearing as a mere alien. - ClytemnestraClytemnestraClytemnestra or Clytaemnestra , in ancient Greek legend, was the wife of Agamemnon, king of the Ancient Greek kingdom of Mycenae or Argos. In the Oresteia by Aeschylus, she was a femme fatale who murdered her husband, Agamemnon – said by Euripides to be her second husband – and the Trojan princess...
. Mother of Electra and Orestes, Agamemnon's widow and lover of Aegisthus, queen of Argos. - AegisthusAegisthusIn Greek mythology, Aegisthus was the son of Thyestes and of Thyestes' daughter, Pelopia....
. Regent, he holds the power in the city of Argos. The play begins on the consequences of his ideas: Electra married the gardener, and thus deter the Gods of their views on the line of Atreus. - The Chairman. Second President of the court, he cares for his peace and opposes Aegisthus.
- Agatha. President's wife, she is young and pretty, and decides to deceive her husband.
- The gardener. Future husband of Electra, he looks after the garden of the palace. It belongs to the same family as the president.
- The EumenidesEumenidesEumenides may refer to:* Another name for the Erinyes, Greek deities of vengeance* The Eumenides, the third part of Aeschylus' Greek tragedy, the Oresteia...
. Girls at the beginning of the play, they grow several years in a few hours. They are related to the gods and justice. - The beggar. Enigmatic character: ((Citation | Never has there been a beggar as perfect as a beggar, as rumor has it that this must be a God)).
- Women Narses. Friend of the beggar.
Act 1, Scene 2
This double face of the palace and characters found in the room itself, since here we have included a scene from comedy to tragedy.Contradictions between what Agathe and think what the president thinks
- The president believes that "life can be fun," Agathe added: "infinitely enjoyable.
- Agathe is no agreement on what that big word "adultery", she returned twice.
- It is, however, agree that a number of women in history as they have "saved the world from selfishness.
The mood of the President objected to the wisdom of the gardener
- The president uses empty phrases, but reflect his state of mind:
- His selfish happiness comes before everything else;
- As president of the court is first to suppress the scandal;
- For him, anything is better than to stir the mud to find the truth;
- Conscience do not worry much because he says it is very easy to forget the moral suffering.
- The gardener does not agree with the president: 'I do not understand you. "The president believes that there are" stories of women "while the gardener thinks rather" a conscience ".
Act 1 Scene 3
Aegisthus here answers a question from the President who asked what do you make a sign to the gods. Recall that Argos is a prosperous city in which high-wage, low prices and which long ago not spread any storm and no epidemic. What is the source of this prosperity and what is the way to govern Aegisthus?Aegisthus, a tyrant
- It gathers all power in his hands (personal pronouns to first person singular).
- It determines the laws and their application as the courts are his helpers and approve an unjust justice.
- He gets involved in everything, even marriage and we see that individual freedoms are suppressed.
- Poets, painters, competent people never see their acknowledged merit because it is important for him to even out differences.
A lesson given by Aegisthus corridor
- It applies primarily to Elektra as we said the last words of the speech. It differs from the mass by his love of justice, by his passion for truth and its tendency to stir up the past. She prefers the moral values to the economic prosperity of Argos.
- It applies universally to men of all time. The anachronisms are numerous and proves the timelessness of the drama is taken to the gods and men but also the political strategies of the tyrant.
Act 1 scene 8
In this scene Orestes and Electra come face to face filled with the happiness of their reunion, but you realize pretty quickly Electra is a very possessive person who emits the need to recreate a brother face his own image.Electra: a woman who dominates her possessive brother
- It does not address the experiences of Orestes, did not ask any questions, told him to shut up when he has everything to say.
- She gives him orders as shown by the use of the imperative.
- The first person pronouns predominate, as well as possessive adjectives.
- She never let him speak to the point that the impression of being stifled.
Orestes: Electra creation
- Electra as the God of Genesis a new model Orestes.
- Presence of verbs that refer to the creation ("call to life", "train", "shape").
- Orestes however, is the reincarnation of Agamemnon. It develops as a result of the Electra complex that brings the hatred of the mother and the father's love.
Act 2 scene 6 and Act 2 scene 8
The two women paint a portrait in which they express their hatred and disgust for their respective husbands. In both cases, they seem to release a weight which has crushed the silent too long because they have endured all kinds of humiliations.The similar allegations against their husbands
- They had a tyrannical, impossible (pretentious, vain, naive, ...).
- Physically, they are pushing (ugly, old, ...).
- There is no love between them. "One gives without receiving any" and "the other was married by force."
- In both cases, the wives ridicule their husbands, are the portrait of a failed marriage and have only hatred and contempt for stupid husbands and even unspeakable cruelty.
The situation described by the characters rapidly extends to all couples
- Agatha, for example, moves from her own case to that of all the husbands and wives, as suggested by the passage of the "I" or "they".
- The vocabulary used in a timeless quality to the situation. We can note the presence of anachronisms (cigar, coffee, ...).
- We find frequent situations in the theater and especially in vaudeville.
Act 2 scene 7
Electra made it clear to Aegisthus and Clytemnestra that these are universal values as freedom, justice and fraternity course. For Elektra, Aegisthus has still not paid its debt and the defense of material values can not yield to moral values.The metamorphosis of Aegisthus: a transfiguration
- Until then, his image is poor because those around him he is a perjurer, an infidel, a rival, a scoundrel.
- He himself described his speech as having been a hedonist, a pest and a cheat. He had no qualities that would be those of a king, he told himself that he is cowardly, false, selfish, ...
- It is now a new man who feels pure, strong, great patriot, ready to sacrifice body and soul to Argos, courageous, honest, independent, generous.
- It only lacks one thing, the only Electra can give him, the sense of duty.
Aegisthus becomes a king thanks to the Gods
- Loyalty is a gift from heaven: the gods offered Argos, towers, temples, ruins, its people.
- There is established a relationship between Aegisthus and the Gods, what they call the powers of the world or simply God.
- The Gods have decided the metamorphosis of Aegisthus and now dictate his behavior.
- Here we find the notion of divine right monarchy.
Act 2 scene 9
The murder of Clytemnestra and Aegisthus is told by the beggar at the same time he runs even with or slightly ahead, yet verbs are in the past which reminds us that this is an ancient legend we have long known the fate of two characters, tragic fate we know. It is Orestes who will act as guided by Electra which it is somehow avenging arm.The murder of Clytemnestra: a matricide
- The vocabulary of the butcher gives him a dimension barbaric, savage and barbaric that we feel is felt by both Aegisthus by Orestes.
- Aegisthus not believe either his eyes or his ears. He gradually reflect what is happening: the beast that we bleed, we go to a real matricide.
- Orestes is like in a daze: he acts but he is terrified by her own gesture, striking at random, eyes closed. He personifies the blind fate which strikes indiscriminately the culprits.
The murder of Aegisthus: a tragedy
- His death seems unfair here because it is not him who killed Agamemnon.
- The one that leads to death is indeed Clytemnestra who became a burden to him that prevents him from fighting and to be in a better light.
- Has served Aegisthus Clytemnestra to kill Agamemnon. It was handled as Orestes was by Electra.
Cast
- Renee Devillers: ElectraElectraIn Greek mythology, Electra was an Argive princess and daughter of King Agamemnon and Queen Clytemnestra. She and her brother Orestes plotted revenge against their mother Clytemnestra and stepfather Aegisthus for the murder of their father Agamemnon...
- Gabrielle DorziatGabrielle DorziatGabrielle Dorziat was a French stage and film actress. Dorziat was a fashion trend setter in Paris and helped popularize the designs of Coco Chanel. The Théâtre Gabrielle-Dorziat, a theater in Épernay, France is named for her.-Biography:...
: ClytemnestraClytemnestraClytemnestra or Clytaemnestra , in ancient Greek legend, was the wife of Agamemnon, king of the Ancient Greek kingdom of Mycenae or Argos. In the Oresteia by Aeschylus, she was a femme fatale who murdered her husband, Agamemnon – said by Euripides to be her second husband – and the Trojan princess... - Madeleine OzerayMadeleine OzerayMadeleine Ozeray , was a French stage and film actress. She appeared in many films between 1932 and 1980...
: Agatha - Raymone: Women Narses
- Martha Herlin: Fury
- Monique Mélinand: Fury
- Pezzani Denise: Fury
- Vera Perez: Little Fury
- Nicole Fitted Berny: Little Fury
- Clairette Fournier: Little Fury
- Louis JouvetLouis JouvetLouis Jouvet was a renowned French actor, director, and theatre director.- Life :Overcoming speech impediments and sometimes paralyzing stage fright as a young man, Jouvet's first important association was with Jacques Copeau's Théâtre du Vieux-Colombier, beginning in 1913...
: The Beggar - Pierre RenoirPierre RenoirPierre Renoir was a French stage and film actor and served briefly as the director of the Théâtre de l'Athénée in Paris, taking over after the death of Louis Jouvet in 1951....
: AegisthusAegisthusIn Greek mythology, Aegisthus was the son of Thyestes and of Thyestes' daughter, Pelopia.... - Romain Bouquet: President
- Paul Cambo: OrestesOrestesOrestes was the son of Agamemnon in Greek mythology; Orestes may also refer to:Drama*Orestes , by Euripides*Orestes, the character in Sophocles' tragedy Electra*Orestes, the character in Aeschylus' trilogy of tragedies, Oresteia...
- Alfred AdamAlfred AdamAlfred Adam was a French character actor, who usually played weak or villainous roles.-Partial filmography:*La Kermesse Héroïque *Au service du Tsar *La Glu *Carnet de Bal...
: The Gardener - John Deninx: the young man
- Robert Bogar: Captain
- Maurice Castel: best man
- Julien Barrot: butler
- René Belloc: butler
- Andre MoreauAndré MoreauAndre' Moreau is a news presenter at WAFB-TV, Baton Rouge's CBS affiliate. He co-anchors the station's top rated 10 PM news broadcasts, also its sister station 9 PM newscast....
: beggar