Play 2, Part 1 (p. 165-171) Summary

"The Libation-Bearers." The action of this play takes place several years after the action of Agamemnon. Orestes, now a grown man and accompanied by his friend Pylades, visits Agamemnon's tomb and prays to both Hermes, the god who guides dead souls to the underworld, and Zeus, the king of the gods, for success in his plans to take revenge for his father's murder. After leaving a lock of his hair in tribute to his father's memory and to his lineage, he sees a group of black-clad women approaching. He wonders aloud whether they're there to mourn for Agamemnon or whether they're there to mourn some new tragedy that's befallen his family. He also wonders aloud whether the woman leading is his sister, Electra, so Orestes withdraws with Pylades to watch what the women do and uncover the...