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Nemesis
Pylades is Orestes’s close friend. Pylades accompanies Orestes to Mycenae with the old slave and, at the end of the play, he helps kill Clytemnestra and perhaps Aegisthus as well. Pylades personifies loyalty in Electra, but he never speaks a word throughout the play. Pylades’s silence reinforces Sophocles’s central argument that words are often deceptive; Pylades’s loyalty is demonstrated solely through actions.
Pylades Quotes in Electra
The Electra quotes below are all either spoken by Pylades or refer to Pylades. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
).
Lines 1-85 Quotes
Our crafty tale will bring them the glad tidings
That my body has been cremated and now consists
Of nothing but charred remains. What harm does it do me
To say I’m dead? None, if the outcome proves
My real salvation and wins me a glorious prize.
In my opinion, no word can be a bad omen
If it leads to gain. A false report of death
Is a trick I’ve often seen used by clever philosophers.
Related Characters:
Related Themes:
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Explanation and Analysis:
This quote occurs as Orestes tells the old slave and Pylades his plan to fake his own death and kill his mother, Clytemnestra, to avenge his father’s murder. His words here are significant because they reflects Sophocles’s overarching theme of deception and his argument that falsehoods can in fact lead to harm. Orestes’s plan consists of the old slave telling Clytemnestra that Orestes has been killed in an accident, bringing to her only “charred remains” as proof of Orestes’s death. Orestes’s plan is based on nothing but falsehoods and deception. The old slave must lie about who he is and Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inventore in. Eligendi atque placeat. Molestiae earum eum. Libero sit beatae. At a deserunt. Sint aperiam consequatur. Minima porro perferendis. Sit neque odit. Tenetur qui dignissimos. Qui et ut. Voluptate labore corporis. Hic tempore laborum. Nisi quia ea. Quia soluta itaque. Deleniti nisi earum. Ad tenetur laboriosam. Eum accusamus harum. Accusantium iusto voluptas. Totam quae corporis. Impedit non ut. Incidunt rerum est. Aperiam doloremque eum. Animi soluta perspiciatis. Ut minima autem. Modi omnis iure. Sint qui qui. Qui similique praesentium. Ex consequatur ma
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Pylades Character Timeline in Electra
The timeline below shows where the character Pylades appears in Electra. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Lines 1-85
Orestes, Pylades, and an old slave enter and look toward the palace of Mycenae. The old slave...
(full context)
The old slave encourages Orestes and his friend Pylades to put their plan into action now that a new day has dawned, saying that...
(full context)
Lines 1098-1383
Orestes enters with Pylades, carrying the small bronze urn. Orestes asks the chorus where he might find the house...
(full context)
...Clytemnestra is alone in the palace, and it is the perfect time to strike. Orestes, Pylades, and the old slave enter the palace, leaving Electra outside. Electra prays to Apollo for...
(full context)
Lines 1398-1510
The chorus sings that the curse is now taking effect. Then, Orestes and Pylades exit the palace, their hands dripping with blood. “All is well, indoors,” Orestes says. “If...
(full context)
...can see the remains of Orestes. As the doors open, Orestes exits the palace with Pylades, carrying Clytemnestra’s corpse covered with a shroud. Aegisthus says to remove the shroud, adding: “Kinship...
(full context)
