An investigation into how 'moral obligation' and its associated values are represented and translated in Sophocles' and Euripides' Electra.

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Michael G W Thomas                The Open University

An investigation into how ‘moral obligation’ and its associated values are represented and translated in Sophocles’ and Euripides’ Electra.

Moral obligation is, according to Collins English Dictionary, ‘Arising from conscience or the sense of right and wrong’.  This conundrum is one that affects the keys protagonists of the tragic story of the line of Pelops has been told many times and forms the basis of many Greek plays.  The plays of Sophocles, Aeschylus and Euripides also deal with the aftermath of the final murder, that of Clytaemnestra and her lover.  It is within this background that I would like to study the idea of moral obligation and how it effects and motivates the characters involved.  Clytaemnestra states (Sophocles, Translator Watling, E.F., ‘Electra and other plays’, 1953, lines 524-526, Penguin Books) that Electra should have obeyed her duty whilst Electra holds her duty to watch she feels is a higher order.  Many of the Greek plays share the concept of a duty to many things including their husbands (Alcestis), ancestors (Orestia), the Gods and to principles.  I would like to understand the conflicting views of obligation through just one short story, the revenge of Electra and Orestes.

  The idea of duty, revenge, obligation justice and honour are all areas that the Greek theatre makes use of and I feel that gaining a better understanding of these, especially that of obligation will greatly help in my understanding of the attitudes of both the playwright, and that of characters in the plays.  Why do some characters feel that they must do something because their conscience tells them or perhaps because they feel it is the ‘right’ thing to do?

Key Objectives

I have a list of objectives that I wish to achieve when I produce the final essay on this subject.  These objectives may not be equal in the amount of work required but they are all questions that I wish to be answered.  These are as follows:

  • The literal meaning of ‘moral obligation’, (definitions from Scott and Liddell plus Oxford Classical Dictionary.)  Does the definition match the usage in the plays?
  • The meaning and context of  ‘duty’ and ‘obligation’ in my chosen plays (select themes from the plays and then identify how the main characters perceive duty and how they use it to argue their cases.
  • The individual playwrights ideas on moral obligation and a comparison of them.  This will obviously cause problems especially as the main writers are very different in character and period (Aeschylus, Euripides and Sophocles).
  • A comparison of the duties of men and women to themselves and others.  This can only take up a small space in this work so some more recent reading would be preferable, ideally related to the plays studied.
  • The role of the Gods and religion with respect to right, wrong and obligation.
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I plan on discovering what moral obligation is and why the protagonists of the story have such differing views upon it.   Finally I will need to identify areas for further study and research.  I would expect that a more broad range of source material would help with a more detailed work; especially by incorporating Aeschylus’ plays thus allowing my study to encompass several ‘ages’ in Greek theatre and attitudes.

Methodology

The final essay will need to follow a tight course if it is to achieve all of my objectives.  To do this I will first have ...

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