Mourning Becomes Electra

by Eugene O’Neill

Start Free Trial

Mourning Becomes Electra Questions and Answers

Mourning Becomes Electra Study Tools

Ask a question Start an essay

Mourning Becomes Electra

The title "Mourning Becomes Electra" signifies the perpetual state of mourning that the lead character, Lavina, endures, similar to Electra in Greek legend. It also plays on the dual meaning of...

2 educator answers

Mourning Becomes Electra

The title of the play is based on the story of Electra in Greek legend. Electra is the daughter of Agamemnon and Clytemnestra. They saved the life of Electra's younger brother, Orestes. In the play,...

1 educator answer

Mourning Becomes Electra

"Mourning Becomes Electra" is a modern tragedy that differs from Greek tragedy by focusing on psychological drama rather than divine fate. Unlike Greek tragedies, it centers on individual characters...

2 educator answers

Mourning Becomes Electra

The relationship between mother and daughter in Mourning Becomes Electra mirrors the Greek tragedy of Electra, characterized by misunderstanding and conflict. Lavinia and Christine, akin to Electra...

1 educator answer

Mourning Becomes Electra

The drama in Mourning Becomes Electra portrays the sins of the fathers through tropes of incest through the relationships between Ezra and Lavinia and between Christine and Orin. Retribution for past...

1 educator answer

Mourning Becomes Electra

Mourning Becomes Electra applies conflict within the family to America’s relationship with its past through the themes of sexuality, betrayal, betrayal, and escapism. O'Neill uses the Mannons, a...

1 educator answer

Mourning Becomes Electra

The elements of Classical Greek tragedy that O'Neill incorporates in his play include a tragic hero. The main character of the play, Lavinia, hates her mother while loving her father Ezra. This...

1 educator answer

Mourning Becomes Electra

The conflict between personal will and Puritan society in Mourning Becomes Electra is rooted in the oppressive Puritan atmosphere that stifles individual openness and enforces rigid social norms....

1 educator answer

Mourning Becomes Electra

The theme of love and lust that unfolds in "Mourning Becomes Electra" is crucial to the plot's development. All of the important events that happen in the play ultimately derive from either love or...

1 educator answer