Mourning Becomes Electra

Eugene O’ Neill

Structure of the Play:• A Trilogy• Home coming in four acts• The Hunted in five acts• The Haunted in four acts• Based on Greek myth

Charcters:• Two communities • Mannon family:• Ezra Mannon – the Brigadier• Christine Mannon- Ezra Mannon’s wife• Laviana Mannon – daughter• Orin Mannon – son• Captain Adam Brant – illegitimate child of one

of the Mannons

• Hazel Niles and Peter (siblings and Lavinia’s friend)

• Seth Beckwih – an old man and a gardener in Mannon house

• Amos Ames – a carpenter• Louisa Ames – his wife• Minnie – Louisa’s cousin• Josiah Borden – Manager in Mannon shipping

company• Emma Borden- Josiah’s wife• Everett Hills – a minister

• Mrs Hills – Everett’s wife• Dr. Joseph Blake – a physician in Mannon

family

Act- 1, part - i• The play starts in the late afternoon.• The house looks like a Greek temple.• A band of music is heard. It’s ‘John Brown’s

Body’.• Seth enters into the house singing

"Shenandoah" .• Amos Ames, Louisa and Minnie have to visit

the house.• Seth gives the news of Ezra Mannon’s return.

• Seth praises Ezra Mannon.• Seth meets Lavinia and wants to talk about

Brant.• The three visitors are alone and talk about a

‘secret’ of the family but keeps quite when Seth comes back.

• The secret is about Abe Mannon’s brother David who impregnated a French girl.

• Seth gives Lavinial a special news about her father’s return. Seth and Lavinia’s talk is interrupted by her friends arrival , Hazeel and Peter.

• Lavinia decides not to marry .• Peter talks about Orin’s love for Hazel.

Act-1, part-2• Christine and Lavinia stare at each other.

Christine is holding a bunch of flowers. She talks about the house and the need for ‘brightness’ in it.

• Brant is invited for dinner.• Lavinia asks Seth to reveal the story. Seth tells

her to observe the face of Brant. He looks just like Lavinia’s father and other male members of the family.

• Seth reveals the parentage of Brant that he is the son of David Mannon and Marie Brantome.

• To Seth he looks like David’s ghost.• Brant enters in the house.• Lavinia becomes angry when she is compared

with her mother.• The story of the love affair.• Lavinia is forcefully told the story of her

forefather.

• David committed suicide. Brant’s mother blames him. He escapes. When he comes back to New York he finds his mother dying of starvation.

• She asks for a loan to Ezra Mannon. Brant decides to take revenge.

• Lavinia goes into her father’s room and observes the face.

• Christine enters in the room as she was summoned by Lavinia.

• Lavinia tells Christine that she has seen christine kissing Brant.

• Christine tells her that she has never loved Ezra and she doesn’t even love Lavinia . Moreover the mother misses the company of her son.

• Christine knows the secret of Brant and its connection with Mannon family. Lavinia forces her mother not to meet Brant.

• Lavinia threatens her mother. • Brant remembers that he hated Christine for

being Ezra’s wife. • An intrigue to kill Ezra.

Act- 3• Seth enters singing the same song and Lavinia

is standing just like a statue.• Lavinia asks Seth about Marie Brantome.• Ezra enters into the room.• Lavinia embraces his father but Ezra greets his

wife.• Christine asks about Orin. He is wounded in

act heroism.• Lavinia wants to talk about Brant.

• Christine prefers to talk alone and Ezra orders Lavinia to go to bed.

• Christine tells Ezra that there is nothing to doubt about Brant.

• Lavinia interrupts and decides to reveal her secret. She tries to talk with her father but is ordered to go to bed again.

Act-4• Bed room of Ezra and Christine • Ezra’s feeling of discomfort. • Christine bitterly remarks that she is treated as

Ezra’s property.• She has become Brant’s mistress.• Ezra threatens her to murder.• Christine give Ezra his medicine, his poison.• Hot argument between husband and wife.• Levinia comes in. she finds the box. Ezra is

dying.

The Hunted: Act-1• People come to meet Christine • Lavinia has gone to meet Orin and Mrs.

Borden is surprised to see the reaction of both the mother and the daughter.

• Doubts about Ezra’s death• Christine wants Hazel to become Orin’s wife,

Hazel consoles her.• Orin looks like her father. Christine doesn’t

want to face him.

• When Orin came he didn’t like the appearance of the home.

• He was not ready to believe that Ezra is dead.• Lavinia warns Orin about Brant. Christine

comes and the mother and the son embrace. Orin goes in with his mother inside the room. Christine comes out and talks with Lavinia and is being called by Orin.

Act-2• Hazel, Peter and Orin in the drawing room and

looking at the portraits of the ancestors. • Orin jealously talks about Lavinia and Ezra. • He feels that Ezra is alive. Orin thinks that his

mother now looks more beautiful and young.• Orin asks Christine about Brant. Christine says

that Lavinia has gone mad. • Orin sits beside Chirstine.

Act-3• Orin observes Ezra body and face. The face

resembles the face in the portrait than he feels that he is also having the look of Ezra.

• Orin thinks and talks about war. It just killing the same person.

• Lavinia present the pillbox to Orin. • A plan by Lavinia and Orin.

Act-4• Ezra’s funeral.• Christine and Brant meet secretly. They are

followed by Lavinia and Orin. • Orin shoots Brant.• Orin notes that Brant looks like his father.

Act-5

• Christine haunted calls Hazel.• Orin and Lavinia comes and Orin shows the

proof of Brant’s death. • Orin tries to comfort his mother.• Seth returns singing the same song.

The Haunted, Act-1, Scene-I• A year later. • Deaths in Mannon house. The house has

become haunted.• Lavinia and Orin’s return. • Change in their look.

Act-1, Scene-II

• Lavinia stares at the portraits of the dead. • Orin looks for his mother.• Lavinia and Orin wants to live a new life.• Peter comes and feels that he has seen

Christine’s ghost. • Lavinia declare her love for Peter.• Orin is jealous.

Act-2• A month later. Orin looks like Ezra.• When Lavinia comes in he locks his

manuscript. Lavinia suggests him to go in day light. Orin prefers yellow light of the lamp.

• Orin has written the history of crime. • Both have taken the place of their parents.

Act-3• Lavinia wishes for Orin’s suicide.• Seth inform them about the maid complains

of ghosts.• Peter and Hazel come.• Orin brings an envelop. • Lavinia must be punished. She never allow

Orin to go with Hazel. • To Orin Lavinia looks like a stranger.• He wants her to confess something.• Lavinia wishes Orin’s death. A shot is heard.

Act-4

• Seth comes singing the same song. The house has the look of “Home Coming”.

• Lavinia looks exactly like her mother. She is picking flowers. Gives them to Seth. She wants to make the house cheerful for Peter.

• Hazels gives the envelop to Peter to read which was given by Orin.

• Orin’s blood is on Lavinia’s hand. Seth advises her to go away.

• Lavinia suggests that they should marry immediately.

• Peter refuses and Lavinia begs for a moment of happiness.

• Lavinia orders Peter to leave the house.• She closes the door. She goes to live with The

Dead• Seth sings the same song.

The Curtain Falls…..