Electra in the Forest of Oma

Rehearsed reading by Foreign Affairs, 1 June 2018

With Agamemnon dead and his rival Aegisthus installed beside Clytemnestra on the throne of Argos, all that remains of the former king is the forest of Oma, planted at his birth on the outskirts of the city.  But even this legacy is too much for the new Argive rulers:  a chorus of men is sent to destroy every last tree.  Returning from exile, the former royal advisor Demodocus finds an Argos unrecognisable to the one he left behind, and a plantation of spiritual significance on the verge of disappearance.  But he also finds one woman willing to fight for Agamemnon’s legacy:  grieving for her father, outraged at the new royal match, and longing for the return of her brother Orestes, the brave Electra risks her own life to keep the forest standing.  But chained to a tree, exposed to the elements and to Aegisthus’ fury, and with her mind and body struggling to survive, how long can she hold out?.

Oma, sacred forest. Oma,
profaned temple, respected now by no one. Oma,
born with my father
and now about to die…
But Agamemnon is dead too
and no one seems to care.
Father, I know you’re here, in the forest,
which is your grave, among these trees,
which are yours, in some corner of this place,
which once was your home and which will always be
even if Aegisthus’ men tear up the last root
and clear the last trunk.     

Back to translations.

Contact me for more details.