fermé le chemin de, barred the retum to

12. écarta, separated hère, aux yeux de, in sight of heie. The figurative use oiyeux is almost a mannerism with Racine, and may be noted constantly in this play. Cf. for instance, 124, 315-317, 557, 568, 1032, 1151.

14. vos. Pylades uses the plural of respect to Orestes who addresses him in the singular. See Introduction, page xii.