1320
Glorious deliverance, or a glorious death.
ORESTES. Hush! I can hear the steps of someone coming
Out of the palace.
ELECTRA.
You are welcome, strangers.
Enter; the burden that you bring is such
As no one could reject—and no one welcome.
Enter the TUTOR, from the palace
TUTOR. You reckless fools! What, have you got no sense?
Do you not care whether you live or die?
Are you demented? Don’t you understand
The peril you are in? Not one that threatens;
1330
No, it is here! Had I not stood on guard
Inside the door they would have known your plot
Before they saw you. As it is, I took
Good care of that. So, make an end of talk
And these interminable cries of joy.
Go in; delay is dangerous at such
A moment. You must act, and make an end.
ORESTES. When I go in, how shall I find it there?
TUTOR. All’s well. Rely on this: they will not know you.
1340
ORESTES. You have reported, then, that I am dead?
TUTOR. I have; in their eyes you are dead and gone.
ORESTES. And are they glad? Or what have they been saying?
TUTOR. We’ll speak of that hereafter. All is well
Within the palace—even what is shameful.
ELECTRA. In Heaven’s name, who is this man, Orestes?
ORESTES. Do you not know him?
ELECTRA.
I cannot even guess.
ORESTES. You know the man to whom you gave me once?
ELECTRA. Which man? What are you saying?
ORESTES.
The man
by whom
You had me secretly conveyed to Phokis.
1350
ELECTRA. What, this is he?—the only one I found
Remaining loyal at our father’s murder?
ORESTES. That is the man; no need to ask for proof.
ELECTRA. How glad I am! Dear friend, to you alone
The house of Agamemnon owes deliverance.
How come you here? Can you be really he
That saved us both from all that threatened us?
Come, let me take your hands, those faithful hands,*
My friend! How could I not have known you, when
You came to bring me joy—but joy concealed
1360
In words of deadly grief? I’ll call you father,
Give you a daughter’s greeting—for to me
You are a father. How I hated you
A while ago; how much I love you now!
TUTOR. It is enough. Though there is much to tell,
There will be many days and many nights
In which, Electra, you may tell it all.
One word with you, Orestes, Pylades:
This is your moment; now she is alone,
No men-at-arms are near. But if you wait,
Then you will have to face not only them,
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But many more—men trained to use their weapons.
ORESTES. Pylades, there is no longer time for talk;
It seems the hour has come. So, let us go;
And as I go I give my reverence
To all the gods that stand before the house. *
[ORESTES enters the palace with PYLADES, praying before images on either side of the gate. ELECTRA goes to the altar where Clytemnestra’s offerings are still visible.
Exit the TUTOR
ELECTRA. O Lord Apollo, listen to their prayers,
Be gracious to them! Listen too to mine!
How often have I been thy suppliant
Bringing what gifts I had; and therefore now,
Although my hands are empty, I beseech thee,
I beg thee, I implore thee, Lord Apollo:
1380
Give us thy favour, help our purposes,
And show mankind what chastisement the gods
Inflict on those who practise wickedness.
[Exit ELECTRA,into the palace
Strophe
CHORUS [sings]. Look where the god of death* makes his way,
Fierce and implacable.
The Furies, champions of Justice,
Hounds of the gods, hot on the trail of crime,
Have entered the palace.
Before me rises a vision:
Soon shall I see fulfilment.
1390
Antistrophe
The minister of the gods,* with stealthy foot,
Ushered within the palace,
The ancient home of his fathers,
Holds in his hand a keen whetted sword,
With Hermes to guide him,*
To shroud his designs in darkness
And lead him straight to vengeance.
Enter ELECTRA
ELECTRA. My friends, keep silent; wait. It will not be
For long. Their hands are ready; soon they’ll strike.
CHORUS. What are they doing now?
ELECTRA.
She has the urn,
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Preparing it for burial; they are near her.
CHORUS. And why have you come out?
ELECTRA.
To stand on
guard;*
To give the warning if Aegisthus comes.
CLYTEMNESTRA [within]. Ah . . . ! So many
Murderers, and not a single friend!
ELECTRA. Someone inside is screaming. Do you hear it?
CHORUS. I heard.....It makes me shudder; it is fearful.
CLYTEMNESTRA. Aegisthus! O where are you? They will kill me!
ELECTRA. There, yet another scream!
CLYTEMNESTRA.
My son, my son!
1410
Take pity on your mother!
ELECTRA.
You had none
For him, nor for his father!
CHORUS [sings]. O my city! Ill-starred race of our
kings!
So many years a doom has lain on you:
Now it is passing away.
CLYTEMNESTRA. Ah! . . . They have struck me!
ELECTRA. Strike her again, if you have strength enough!
CLYTEMNESTRA. Another blow!
ELECTRA.
Pray God there’ll be a third,
And that one for Aegisthus!
CHORUS [sings]. The cry for vengeance is at work; the
dead are stirring.
Those who were killed of old now
1420
Drink in return the blood of those who killed
them.
CHORUS [speaks]. See, they are coming, and the blood-
stained arm
Drips sacrifice of death. It was deserved.
Enter ORESTES and PYLADES
ELECTRA. How is it with you both?
ORESTES.
All’s well, within
The palace, if Apollo’s oracle was well.
ELECTRA. Then she is dead?
ORESTES. No longer need you fear
Your mother’s insolence and cruelty. *
CHORUS. Be silent! I can see Aegisthus coming. ELECTRA. Stand back, Orestes.
ORESTES.
Are you sure you see
1430
him?
ELECTRA. Yes, he is coming from the town. He smiles;
We have him in our hands.
CHORUS [sings]. Back to the doorway quickly! One
Task is accomplished; may the second prosper
too!
ORESTES. It will. No fear of that.
ELECTRA.
Then, to your station.
ORESTES. I go at once.
ELECTRA.
And leave the rest to me.
[ORESTES and PYLADES enter the palace
CHORUS [sings]. Speak some gentle words to him
That he may fall, unawares,
<
br /> 1440
Into the retribution that awaits him.
Enter AEGISTHUS
AEGISTHUS. They tell me that some men have come from Phokis
With news about Orestes; dead, they say,
Killed in a chariot-race. Where are these men?
Will someone tell me? [To ELECTRA.] YOU! Yes, you should know;*
It will have special interest for you!
ELECTRA. I know. Of course I know. I loved my brother;
How then should I make little of his death?
AEGISTHUS. Then tell me where these men are to be found.
1450
ELECTRA. In there.
They’ve won their way to Clytemnestra’s heart.
AEGISTHUS. And is it true that they have brought this message?
ELECTRA. More than the message: they brought Orestes too.
AEGISTHUS. What, is the very body to be seen?
ELECTRA. It is; I do not envy you the sight.
AEGISTHUS. Our meetings have not always been so pleasant!
ELECTRA. If this proves to your liking, you are welcome.
AEGISTHUS. I bid you all keep silence. Let the doors
Be opened.
The palace doors open to disclose ORESTES and
PYLADES, standing over the shrouded body of
CLYTEMNESTRA
Citizens of Argos, look!
If there is any who had hopes in him,
1460
That hope lies shattered. Look upon this body
And learn that I am master—or the weight
Of my strong arm will make him learn the lesson.
ELECTRA. I need no teaching; I have learned, at last,
That I must live at peace with those that rule.
AEGISTHUS. Zeus! Here is one laid low, before our eyes,
By the angry gods—and may no Nemesis
Attend my words, or I unsay them.—Now,
Turn back the shroud, and let me see the face.
It was a kinsman, and I too must mourn.
ORESTES. This you should do; it is for you, not me,
1470
To look upon this face and take farewell.
AEGISTHUS. It is indeed for me, and I will do it.—
Call Clytemnestra, if she is at hand.
ORESTES. She is not far away; look straight before you.
[AEGISTHUS takes the shroud from the face
AEGISTHUS. God! What is this?
ORESTES.
Some stranger,
frightening you?
AEGISTHUS. Who are you, that have got me in your clutches
For my destruction?
ORESTES.
Have you not seen already?
Someone you thought was dead is still alive.
AEGISTHUS. Ah. . . . Now I understand.—You, who speak,
1480
You are Orestes!
ORESTES. You could read the future
So well,* yet were so blind.
AEGISTHUS.
Ah. . . . You have come
To kill me! Give me time, a little time,
To speak.
ELECTRA., No by the gods, Orestes! No
Long speech from him! No, not a single word!
He’s face to face with death; there’s nothing gained
In gaining time. Kill him at once! And when
You’ve killed him, throw the body out of sight,
And let him have the funeral he deserves.
Animals shall eat him! Nothing less than this
Will compensate for all that he has done.
1490
ORESTES. Sir, come with me into the house; this is
No time for talk. My business is your life.
AEGISTHUS. Why to the house? If you are not ashamed
At what you do, then do it openly.
ORESTES. You shall not order me. Go in, and die
On the same spot on which you killed my father.
AEGISTHUS. This house of Atreus* must, it seems, behold
Death upon death, those now and those to come.* ORESTES. It will see yours; so much I can foresee.
AEGISTHUS. You did not get this foresight from your
1500
father!