Electra by Hugo von Hofmannsthal
"Electra" by Hugo von Hofmannsthal is a dramatic adaptation of the ancient Greek myth revolving around Electra, the daughter of Agamemnon, as she grapples with the aftermath of her father's murder and the oppressive rule of her mother, Clytemnestra, and her mother's lover, Aegisthus. The play begins with Electra in a state of deep mourning, dressed in rags and living in squalor, while her longing for revenge drives her actions. Her sister, Chrysothemis, represents a contrasting perspective, yearning for a normal life despite their father’s death, which leads to tensions between the sisters regarding how to handle their tragic legacy.
The narrative unfolds in a tense atmosphere, with Electra’s fervent desire for vengeance culminating in her confrontation with Clytemnestra, who is tormented by her own guilt. As the story progresses, Electra’s hope for her brother Orestes’ return serves as a beacon of strength. The climax revolves around Orestes’ arrival, leading to a brutal reckoning with their mother and Aegisthus. Hofmannsthal's "Electra" captures themes of familial loyalty, the struggle against tyranny, and the psychological turmoil of its characters, enhancing the tragic elements inherent in the original myth. The play is a poignant exploration of revenge, justice, and the heavy burden of grief, framed within the context of a rich mythological heritage.
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Electra by Hugo von Hofmannsthal
First produced: 1903; first published, 1904 (English translation, 1908)
Type of work: Drama
Type of plot: Tragedy
Time of plot: Antiquity
Locale: Mycenae, Greece
Principal characters
Electra , a daughter of the murdered king AgamemnonChrysothemis , her younger sisterOrestes , their brotherClytemnestra , the widow of Agamemnon and mother of Electra, Chrysothemis, and OrestesAegisthus , Clytemnestra’s consort
The Story:
As the reddish glow of the setting sun floods the inner courtyard of the palace, five women servants come to fill their pitchers at the well. While they are speaking, Electra, Agamemnon’s eldest daughter, appears, dressed in ragged clothing. Startled by their presence, she quickly disappears like a frightened animal. Four of the women exchange contemptuous observations about the mourning rites that Electra practices each evening for her father, and they ridicule both her and the wretched conditions of life that her mother and Aegisthus impose upon her. Disdainfully, they mention that she prefers eating on the ground with the dogs to sharing the servants’ table, and that she insults all the servants of the house and stares at them fiercely like a wild cat. When the young fifth servant expresses her admiration for the abused princess, she is ordered inside, where she is promptly beaten for her insolence. Their pitchers filled, the servant women reenter the palace.
Electra returns and, speaking alone, reveals her secret thoughts and feelings. She recalls in vivid detail the murder of her father who, upon his return from the Trojan War, was at this very twilight hour slaughtered in his bath with an ax by his wife and her lover. She prays for her father’s spirit to appear to her again, promising that his blood will one day be avenged. She vows to sacrifice at his grave when that day comes and swears that she, along with her sister Chrysothemis and her brother Orestes, will dance around his tomb in royal pageantry to commemorate his greatness.
Chrysothemis appears in the doorway, interrupting Electra’s fantasy, to alert her that she overheard Clytemnestra and Aegisthus plotting to imprison her in a dungeon. Electra replies contemptuously, which leads Chrysothemis to plead with her to understand her personal unhappiness. She explains that if they are to relinquish the hope of Orestes’ return and his subsequent revenge, they will both be able to lead relatively normal lives, to love and marry, to bear children, and to experience the joys of family life. She will quite willingly tolerate the injustice of their father’s murder in exchange for an ordinary happy life. Not so Electra, who reproaches her sister severely and reassures her that their brother will indeed return one day, and that together they will punish the criminals. Sounds from within alert them of Clytemnestra’s approach. Chrysothemis flees, but Electra resolutely awaits a confrontation.
Clytemnestra, covered with jewels and charms that she believes to possess magical powers, appears in the window with her attendants and speaks insultingly to Electra, who answers deceptively, inducing her mother to descend into the courtyard to seek her counsel. Clytemnestra complains that her sleep is often troubled by bad dreams and that a terrible “nothing” torments her soul, causing her to feel horror of sinking alive into chaos; whatever demon is responsible can be appeased by an appropriate sacrifice, and she solicits assistance in discovering it. Electra offers elusive and evasive responses: To dispel the dreams, a man of their house, but yet a stranger, must slay some unidentified impure woman in any place, at any hour. Receiving indifferent answers to her questions about Orestes’ return, Electra, overcome by hysterical rage, screams that Clytemnestra herself must be the sacrificial victim and that Orestes will slay her with the same ax she used to kill his father. Taken aback, Clytemnestra shakes with voiceless fear.
A servant enters and whispers something in Clytemnestra’s ear, at which the expression on her face changes to one of evil triumph; calling for lights, she sweeps inside. Chrysothemis returns to tell Electra of the arrival of two strangers who announce the death of Orestes. A young manservant comes looking for a horse, so that he might carry such important news immediately to Aegisthus. Electra now determines to kill the guilty rulers herself, and when her frightened sister refuses to participate in such a deed and runs away, Electra resolves to accomplish it alone. She is digging in the earth for the ax that she buried years before when she notices a stranger enter the courtyard.
She speaks with him cautiously, since he claims to have information about Orestes’ death, but when she reveals her name, he discloses that he is indeed Orestes. Brother and sister embrace. Rejoicing at their reunion, Electra explains that the expectation of his return sustained her through terrible times. A servant leads Orestes into the palace to meet the queen, and, soon after, her screams can be heard. The servants become frightened and bewildered. When Aegisthus returns home, Electra meets him with a torch and conducts him to the palace door. Within minutes, he appears at a window crying for help, but he is quickly dragged out of sight.
Chrysothemis enters the courtyard with other women and tells her sister that the wicked are all slaughtered by Orestes and his followers. Electra seems to be able to hear only the triumphant music in her own head, to which she dances like a maenad, arms stretched wide, knees flung high, in a mad dance of triumph. She suddenly falls to the ground, while Chrysothemis pounds on the palace door, calling helplessly for her brother.
Bibliography
Bottenberg, Joanna. Shared Creation: Words and Music in the Hofmannsthal-Strauss Operas. New York: Peter Lang, 1996. Examines the collaboration of Hofmannsthal and Richard Strauss that resulted in the creation of six operas, including Electra.
Hamburger, Michael. Hofmannsthal: Three Essays. Princeton, N.J.: Princeton University Press, 1972. An excellent introduction to Hofmannsthal’s poems, plays, and libretti for English-speaking readers.
‗‗‗‗‗‗‗. A Proliferation of Prophets: Essays on German Writers from Nietzsche to Brecht. Manchester, England: Carcanet Press, 1983. Contains a highly readable essay tracing Hofmannsthal’s poetic and artistic development, with advice for readers new to his work on how to approach his poetry. Includes a very good section on Electra.
Kovach, Thomas A., ed. A Companion to the Works of Hugo von Hofmannsthal. Columbia, S.C.: Camden House, 2002. Collection of essays analyzing Hofmannsthal’s works, including discussions of his lyric drama, collaborations with Richard Strauss, and his works’ reception in the twentieth century.
Puffett, Derrick, ed. Richard Strauss: “Elektra.” New York: Cambridge University Press, 1989. A collection of eight essays from renowned scholars that examine in depth all aspects of the opera based on Hofmannsthal’s drama.
Scott, Jill. “Beyond Tragic Catharsis: Hugo von Hofmannsthal’s Elektra.” In Electra After Freud: Myth and Culture. Ithaca, N.Y.: Cornell University Press, 2005. Analyzes the depiction of Electra in Hofmannsthal’s play and other literary works in which writers transformed the ancient Greek myth.
Strathausen, Carsten. “Hofmannsthal and the Voice of Language.” In The Look of Things: Poetry and Vision Around 1900. Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 2003. A study of German poetry, philosophy, and visual media around 1900. Describes how Hofmannsthal and other writers used language as a means of competing with photography and film.
Ward, Philip. Hofmannsthal and Greek Myth: Expression and Performance. New York: Peter Lang, 2002. Examines why and how Hoffmansthal adapted Greek mythology in his works. In one chapter, Ward focuses on how Hoffmansthal used myth to depict women’s behavior in Electra.