Language, Lamentation, and Power in Sophocles' Electra

This paper examines the language of the heroine in Sophocles' Electra and the effects of her language. Though Electra is initially rendered powerless by circumstances, she nonetheless imposes her priorities on other characters and on the shape of the tragedy itself. I focus particularly on two scenes in which Electra's character is expressed through lyrics and lamentation: her opening entrance and her mourning over the urn that supposedly holds her brother's ashes. I then argue that Electra uses these tools of speech and song to direct the course of vengeance at the end of the play.