ABSTRACT
The chorus of peasant girls in the Electra makes its entrance to inform Electra of the forthcoming celebration of the Heraea , the festival of Hera at Argos, and to invite her participation. The brief allusion to the festival of Hera in the Electra is innovative and surprising, but it is only a minor disturbance in a play which rattles tradition in a host of other and more obvious ways. In Euripides, Electra’s refusal may be self-imposed, but it should not be construed only as a “ subtle and deliberate suggestion of false self-pity”. Euripides’ ironical innovation in creating a married Electra, while, at the same time, preserving her traditional status of virgin, makes her a still greater social misfit, and only increases her bitterness and frustration. The Argives have proclaimed the forthcoming sacrifice to be performed in honor of Hera, and the maidens are gathering to participate in the festive dance.
