Oh what a tangled web we weave—and almost every single major character in Mourning Becomes Electra is lying about something. There are lies about everything: parentage, love affairs, murder plots, who said what, who did what. Most of the lies are quite intentional, and they're aimed at protecting someone or some secret. Christine's definitely the best liar of the bunch. Her bold-faced lies to her husband and children make it hard for her to keep her story straight. Orin has the most trouble lying; he's too disorganized and disturbed to do much else than spill his guts. O'Neill makes it clear that the most dangerous kind of lying is lying to yourself. It leaves you wide open to a world of misery.
Questions About Lies and Deceit
- If you had to choose, what would the hugest lie be that a single character tells?
- How does Lavinia engage in self-deception?
- Are there any characters that tell the truth consistently? What does that tell you about them?
Chew on This
There are times when one of the Mannons' lies is justified for the sake of the greater good or to protect the family.
Many of the lies in this play stem from sexual frustrations.