Electra E-Book

Euripides

• Herausgeber: Interactive Media
• Kategorie: Poesie und Drama
• Sprache: Englisch
• Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2015

Beschreibung

Electra

Leseprobe

Euripides

Euripides

Electra

LONDON ∙ NEW YORK ∙ TORONTO ∙ SAO PAULO ∙ MOSCOW

PARIS ∙ MADRID ∙ BERLIN ∙ ROME ∙ MEXICO CITY ∙ MUMBAI ∙ SEOUL ∙ DOHA

TOKYO ∙ SYDNEY ∙ CAPE TOWN ∙ AUCKLAND ∙ BEIJING

New Edition

Published by Sovereign Classic

www.sovereignclassic.net

This Edition

First published in 2015

Copyright © 2015 Sovereign Classic

Contents

DRAMATIS PERSONAE

ELECTRA

DRAMATIS PERSONAE

A PEASANT OF MYCENAE, husband of ELECTRAELECTRA, daughter of AgamemnonORESTES, son of AgamemnonPYLADES, friend Of ORESTESCHORUS OF ARGIVE COUNTRY-WOMENCLYTEMNESTRA, widow of AgamemnonOLD MAN, formerly servant of AgamemnonMESSENGERTHE DIOSCURI

ELECTRA

SCENE

Before the hut of the PEASANT, in the country on the borders of Argolis. It is just before sunrise. The PEASANT is discovered alone.

PEASANT

O Argos, ancient land, and streams of Inachus, whence on aday king Agamemnon sailed to the realm of Troy, carrying his warriors aboarda thousand ships; and after he had slain Priam who was reigning in Iliumand captured the famous city of Dardanus, he came hither to Argos and hasset up high on the temple-walls many a trophy, spoil of the barbarians.Though all went well with him in Troy, yet was he slain in his own palaceby the guile of his wife Clytemnestra and the hand of Aegisthus, son ofThyestes. So he died and left behind him the ancient sceptre of Tantalus,and Aegisthus reigns in his stead, with the daughter of Tyndareus, Agamemnon›squeen, to wife. Now as for those whom he left in his halls, when he sailedto Troy, his son Orestes and his tender daughter Electra,-the boy Orestes,as he was like to be slain by Aegisthus, his sire›s old foster-father secretlyremoved to the land of Phocis and gave to Strophius to bring up, but themaid Electra abode in her father›s house, and soon as she had budded intomaidenhood, came all the princes of Hellas asking her hand in marriage.But Aegisthus kept her at home for fear she might bear a son to some chieftainwho would avenge Agamemnon, nor would he betroth her unto any. But whene›en thus there seemed some room for fear that she might bear some noblelord a child by stealth and Aegisthus was minded to slay her, her mother,though she had a cruel heart, yet rescued the maiden from his hand. Forshe could find excuses for having slain her husband, but she feared thehatred she would incur for her children›s murder. Wherefore Aegisthus devisedthis scheme; on Agamemnon›s son who had escaped his realm by flight heset a price to be paid to any who should slay him, while he gave Electrato me in marriage, whose ancestors were citizens of Mycenae. It is notthat I blame myself for; my family was noble enough, though certainly impoverished,and so my good birth suffers. By making for her this weak alliance he thoughthe would have little to fear. For if some man of high position had marriedher, he might have revived the vengeance for Agamemnon›s murder, whichnow is sleeping; in which case Aegisthus would have paid the penalty. ButCypris is my witness that I have ever respected her maidenhood; she isstill as though unwed. Unworthy as I am, honour forbids that I should soaffront the daughter of a better man. Yea, and I am sorry for Orestes,hapless youth, who is called my kinsman, to think that he should ever returnto Argos and behold his sister›s wretched marriage. And whoso counts mebut a fool for leaving a tender maid untouched when I have her in my house,to him I say, he measures purity by the vicious standard of his own soul,a standard like himself.

ELECTRA enters from the hut, carrying a water pitcher on her head. Sheis meanly clad.

ELECTRA

O sable night, nurse of the golden stars! beneath thy pallI go to fetch water from the brook with my pitcher poised upon my head,not indeed because I am forced to this necessity, but that to the godsI may display the affronts Aegisthus puts upon me, and to the wide firmamentpour out my lamentation for my sire. For my own mother, the baleful daughterof Tyndareus, hath cast me forth from her house to gratify her lord; forsince she hath borne other children to Aegisthus she puts me and Oresteson one side at home.

PEASANT

Oh! why, poor maiden, dost thou toil so hard on my behalf,thou that aforetime wert reared so daintily? why canst thou not foregothy labour, as I bid thee?

ELECTRA

As a god’s I count thy kindness to me, for in my distress thouhast never made a mock at me. ‹Tis rare fortune when mortals find suchhealing balm for their cruel wounds as ‹tis my lot to find in thee. WhereforeI ought, though thou forbid me, to lighten thy labours, as far as my strengthallows, and share all burdens with thee to ease thy load. Thou hast enoughto do abroad; ‹tis only right that I should keep thy house in order. Forwhen the toiler cometh to his home from the field, it is pleasant to findall comfortable in the house.

PEASANT

If such thy pleasure, go thy way; for, after all, the springis no great distance from my house. And at break of day I will drive mysteers to my glebe and sow my crop. For no idler, though he has the gods›names ever on his lips, can gather a livelihood without hard work.

ELECTRA and the PEASANT go out. A moment later ORESTES and PYLADESenter.

ORESTES

Ah Pylades, I put thee first ‘mongst men for thy love, thyloyalty and friendliness to me; for thou alone of all my friends wouldststill honour poor Orestes, in spite of the grievous plight whereto I amreduced by Aegisthus, who with my accursed mother›s aid slew my sire. Iam come from Apollo›s mystic shrine to the soil of Argos, without the knowledgeof any, to avenge my father›s death upon his murderers. Last night wentunto his tomb and wept thereon, cutting off my hair as an offering andpouring o›er the grave the blood of a sheep for sacrifice, unmarked bythose who lord it o›er this land. And now though I enter not the walledtown, yet by coming to the borders of the land I combine two objects; Ican escape to another country if any spy me out and recognize me, and atthe same time seek my sister, for I am told she is a maid no longer butis married and living here, that I may meet her, and, after enlisting heraid in the deed of blood, learn for certain what is happening in the town.Let us now, since dawn is uplifting her radiant eye, step aside from thispath. For maybe some labouring man or serving maid will come in sight,of whom we may inquire whether it is here that my sister hath her home.Lo! yonder I see a servant bearing a full pitcher of water on her shavenhead; let us sit down and make inquiry of this bond-maid, if haply we mayglean some tidings of the matter which brought us hither, Pylades.

They retire a little, as ELECTRA returns from thespring.

ELECTRAchanting

strophe 1Bestir thy lagging feet, ‘tis high time; on, on o’er thy path of tears!ah misery! I am Agamemnon›s daughter, she whom Clytemnestra, hateful childof Tyndareus, bare; hapless Electra is the name my countrymen call me.Ah me! for my cruel lot, my hateful existence! O my father Agamemnon! inHades art thou laid, butchered by thy wife and Aegisthus. Come, raise withme that dirge once more; uplift the woful strain that brings relief. antistrophe1On, on o’er thy path of tears! ah misery! And thou, poor brother, in whatcity and house art thou a slave, leaving thy suffering sister behind inthe halls of our fathers to drain the cup of bitterness? Oh! come, greatZeus, to set me free from this life of sorrow, and to avenge my sire inthe blood of his foes, bringing the wanderer home to Argos. strophe2Take this pitcher from my head, put it down, that I may wake betimes, while