Summary

This play opens at dusk in an inner courtyard formed by the low buildings of servants' houses and the rear wall of the palace of Clytemnestra and her husband Aegisthus. Gathered around a well are female servants of the palace, with a Matron who oversees them at their tasks. As they fill their pitchers with water, several of the women remark on the absence of Clytemnestra's daughter, Electra, noting that it is the time of day when she generally appears there, howling in mourning for her dead father, Agamemnon.

As if on cue, Electra appears, running into the courtyard from a darkening hallway. When the women turn to stare at her she reacts as if under attack, backing away and throwing one arm up in a defensive pose across her face. The servants liken her to a wild, unfriendly animal, one...