In Sophocles' Electra, the driving force behind the plot is the notion of obtaining justice outside of a formal legal system. The play shows how the search for justice can quickly turn into a revenge plot. Without any formal authority, cycles of violence quickly develop as justice is played out between rival factions. The fine line between justice and revenge is the one crossed by the characters of “Electra”. Despite all the horrible acts that occur in the plot, all the characters feel that they are morally right. This leaves us wondering how justice can best be delivered and who has the right to determine what that justice is. As modern audiences, we must ask ourselves whether the outcome of the play is consistent with what we consider a fair system of justice. Say no to plagiarism. Get a Custom Essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”?Get Original Essay The climactic event of the play's plot is a brutal home invasion that leads to a double homicide. If we saw an event like this unfold on the news, we would be appalled at the barbarity of such a dastardly act, but in the context of the play, we are meant to view this as a triumph for Electra and Orestes. The chorus joyfully sings: “O seed of Atreus: you suffered and you were free, you aimed and you struck; you have earned your way to the finish” (2004-2008). If we want to believe that this is a joyful event, then we must reconcile this with a set of circumstances that allow us to change our perspective from the one we had in the current situation. The facts we have to work with in this case come in the form of the information we receive in the room. Electra and Orestes clearly feel justified in the murders of their mother and Aegisthus. The siblings believe that Clytemnestra and Aegisthus should be killed to avenge the death of their father, Agamemnon. Agamemnon's death came as a result of domestic violence involving an axe, another crime we would call heinous if we read about it in the newspapers. If we only had this information, we might be forced to admit that Clytemnestra and Aegisthus deserved to be punished, but there are other facts to consider. When Electra confronts her mother in front of their house, Clytemnestra attempts to defend her actions against Agamemnon. Clytemnestra blames Agamemnon for the death of their third daughter, and rightly so. “For your father, the one you mourn, this unique Greek, had the heart to sacrifice his own sister to the gods” (707-710). Agamemnon sacrificed his own daughter to save his fleet. Clytemnestra saw justice in Agamemnon's death just as Electra and Orestes had later seen justice in Clytemnestra's death. “Your father died because of me. From me! That's right! I make no denial. It was Justice who took him, not me alone” (703-705). Clytemnestra is clearly right. If Electra is willing to kill Clytemnestra because of the death of a father, then why wouldn't Clytemnestra be willing to kill Agamemnon because of the death of a daughter? Or for that matter, why wouldn't those close to Aegisthus feel justified if they wish to kill Orestes for his crimes? These shades of gray offered in the piece reinforce the assertion that vengeance against justice constitutes the key theme of the work. As Sophocles' play illustrates, it is evident that attempts to achieve justice without any formal guidelines or laws quickly degenerate into a self-perpetuating cycle of death. If everyone who has lost a family member to murder., 2001.