Electra

Speech is used in Electra as a means to construct narratives. The most notable example of this is Orestes himself, who proclaims his death with words alone. His strategy proves successful, as he is able to return home without being recognized. In an act of foreshadowing, Orestes states that he has heard of “shred men / who die a false death / so as to come home / all the more valued” (87-90). His return will be triumphant, not only because his family will believe him dead, but because they will witness a miraculous resurrection. This resurrection is depicted as light which breaks on the other characters in a moment of awe and shock. Such light imagery also connects Orestes to his father, as he represents the symbolic resurrection of Agamemnon. This connection is made apparent when Chrysothemis recalls a dream that Clytemnestra had: “Well the story is / she dreamed of our father / and knew him again / for he came back into the light” (568-571). Electra echoes this return when she exclaims to Orestes, “Oh love, you break on me like light!” (1638).