'Libation-Bearers (Morshead Translation)' Summary

The Libation Bearers opens with Electra, consumed by grief and yearning for revenge, tending to her father Agamemnon's tomb. She longs for her brother Orestes' return, hoping he will fulfill the prophecy of their father's vengeance. Orestes arrives, disguised as a traveler, and they plot Clytemnestra's demise. Orestes, driven by a deep sense of duty and a burning desire to avenge his father's death, confronts Clytemnestra, ultimately killing her. The play culminates in a moment of intense emotional turmoil as Orestes is haunted by the Furies, divine beings who represent the consequences of his actions. The play leaves the audience grappling with the moral ambiguity of vengeance and the complex interplay of justice and retribution, setting the stage for the final installment of the trilogy, The Eumenides.