Orestes faces the immediate consequences of his matricide as he and his sister Electra are condemned to death by the citizens of Argos. Driven by the guilt of killing his mother Clytemnestra to avenge his father Agamemnon, Orestes descends into madness while awaiting his execution. He and Electra must navigate the political hostility of the Argive assembly and the abandonment by their uncle Menelaus. The narrative unfolds through a series of desperate schemes and divine interventions, characteristic of the playwright's unconventional approach to traditional myth.

Discussion often centers on the play's jarring tonal shifts, which move rapidly from profound grief to dark, cynical humor. Readers frequently highlight the work's departure from the solemnity of Aeschylus, noting how Euripides prioritizes human frailty over divine order. Critics often examine the portrayal of Orestes as a deeply flawed, unstable figure rather than a traditional tragic hero. The play remains a subject of intense study for its innovative structure and its biting critique of the social and political institutions of ancient Greece. Scholars emphasize that the work serves as a pivotal example of the evolution of tragedy toward more complex, character-driven narratives.