Now, come, take me away to the altar! And the gods will see to that, whether you like it or not. A member of the chorus rushes into the tent. Iphigeneia Youve been so long here in the harbours ofAulis! How could I ever speak the truth now? Miserable, Agamemnon says he has no choice. It has burdened me with lack of sleep and with overactive eyes. I offer my body to my country and to the rest of Greece, willingly. Spare my young life, father. Well, then, may you and your friends also enjoy a marriage such as mine! She will say to me! He, madam, hes the cause of all your torment, madam. Iphigenia hoped for but now lacks, and which the chorus explicitly offers as a measure of Iphigenia's cruel fate: she should not be a sacrificial animal but a bride for kings (1085 ff.). Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 United States License. Is it marriage? Iphigenia and Clytemnestra come to Aulis, and are received with acclamations by the Greeks. Iphigeneia Then I shall be stupid and make you laugh! Come out! She decides to ruin the party by tossing in a golden apple that says "To the . Its going past those seven stars, the Pleiades, my lord straight through the very centre of the heavens. No mother, no father. You will say that youve killed our daughter so that Menelaos, your brother, can get back his Helen! For such a young girl you are so intelligent! Good bye. How can I insult them all -insult their efforts, by trying to save myself I, one, single life? And others, is there going to be a wedding? Yet others again, did the king call his daughter here because hes missed her? Then there were others who said, the girl will be presented to the goddess Artemis, protector ofAulis, before the wedding. Agamemnon Calchas will reveal his oracles to the men. Accept it and let our spears sack the tall towers of Troy!. Id rather live a life full of misery than die a heros death! Agamemnon So you broke its seal and read its contents? Here, friends, take this baby to his father, Agamemnon. This is a happy day for Iphigeneia! Iphigeneia Come, now, mother, dont make me lose heart! Words escape me! Old Man To stop you By then he had come back to his senses. Achilles Weighty words, old man! I wonder who her groom is. 430. I shall give it to her for the sake of Greece. The Iphigenia at Aulis Community Note includes chapter-by-chapter summary and analysis, character list, theme list, historical context, author biography and quizzes written by community members like you. He married her and they had a son, Aeacus who became King of the island Oenone. If Im lying to you, madam, then let death come upon me. And tell me another thing, Agamemnon: when you return home, when you come back to Argos, will you have the gall to put your arms around any of your children? The circumstances are too dire now for modesty and for polite coyness! Vile trickery, unworthy of his father, Atreas! Chorus There goes the destroyer of Troy and her people! What would be the best action for him to take? Calchas. Why are we wasting our time around here? Old man, come out here! I wont let anyone take your life even though it would be against your wish. Iphegenia at Aulis) was left unfinished at Euripides' death in 406 BCE, and so the beginning and the ending especially are mutilated and choppy.Completed by someone else, it along with The Bacchae and the lost Alcmaeon formed a trio produced in Athens which won Euripides a fifth albeit posthumous first prize.. Agamemnon recounts the recent history of Helen's suitors . What a shocking thing that would be! The most interesting alteration for me is that at the end of the play it seems that Artemis had replaced Iphigenia with a deer. Come, go into my tent now. Tell me Agamemnon! Helen fell in love with him and he fell in love with Helen. Chorus Go, young girl! 880. The whole army and both the sons of Atreas stood there in silence, their eyes downcast. I accepted my fortune and youll admit that I have always been a good wife to you. Greece is lucky to have you as one of her daughters I envy her and I envy you because you are lucky to have Greece as your mother. 919. And thats why the whole ofGreecerose up in arms with great fervour. First Chorus It is wise to be modest because modesty gives you the rare gift of circumspection, the ability to judge what is right, what is your duty; an ability that will give you respect and will remain with you for ever. The Plays of Euripides, translated by E. P. Coleridge. Thank you, my sweet daughter! Cry! Well, Helen, unfortunately, old man, chose Menelaos! i. Trans. George Bell and Sons. My lord! Agamemnon What you must do is not leave your other daughters alone, back at the house. His servants use the other. Klytaimestra turns away angrily and enters the tent. Klytaimestra Oh, no, child! And this, my lady, this is no lie, believe me! You will be away from me for a very long time. Whats in your mind, this time, my lord Agamemnon? Let my pity be a protective blanket over you; it is the pity of a young man but it is a sincere pity, nevertheless and one brought about by the fact that I have been the one named as your daughters husband. 610. Youve forgotten them and so, now, you want to kill me. Dont force me to become evil! Klytaimestra Yes. No, you look after everything outside the household and I shall take care of things within it! Old Man Yes, tell me so that what I say to your wife agrees with what youve written in there. You have chosen logic and good intentions to that of continuing a war against Fate and against Necessity. Klytaimestra goes into the tent. Eumelus, Pheres grandson was the driver of the chariot who, with a goad in his hand, he urged on and shouted at his beautiful steeds whose reins were a work of wondrous design, wrought in lustrous gold. Sweet daughter! 0 rating. In his frenzy, he rushed about the whole ofGreece, calling upon everyone to remember Tyndareus solemn oath and to help him, since he was the wronged husband. Dont waste time kissing my hand. Now you know the whole thing. Iphigeneia Whats wrong, daddy? Youd greet anyone and everyone, hoping with this behaviour to gain their approval and thus become their leader. Achilles Yes, madam and I too, am furious at your husband. Agamemnon Nods, then looks around him. They will sail over to our home, to Argos and kill our children and the two of us as well! Then he placed a garland upon the girls head and sprinkled holy water on her hair. Iphigeneia Of course. Chorus And so, the blessed couple were wed by the gods: The nobly born oldest daughter of Nereas and Peleas. Old Man Old age! The young heifers that will be sacrificed and that will deliver their abundant dark blood to the goddess Artemis are ready. Can you pronounce this word better. Ill obey your every command. Youve raised me to be the shining light of Greece. He managed to film a Greek tragedy to screen without losing its effectiveness and importance. Spare me! Iphigeneia Youll come right back after youre done withTroy, wont you? Full search London: J.M. If any barbarian dared to bring his ships against these hed never see his home again. Last Updated on July 14, 2022, by eNotes Editorial. Towards this now, mother turn your thoughts, and with me weigh how well I speak; to me the whole of mighty Hellas looks; on me the passage over the sea depends; on me the sack of Troy; [1380] and in my power it lies to check henceforth barbarian raids on happy Hellas, if ever in the days to come they seek to seize her women, when once they have Click anywhere in the Agamemnon This is scandalous! My friend, neither kill nor be killed because of me. The play is co-produced by the Court Theatre of Chicago, directed by Charles Newell, and translated by Nicholas Rudall. Klytaimestra May joy be with you for ever, Achilles. She will be saved if you will it. Youll soon hear it all. Agamemnon Look at you? Old Man That womans there. That would be bad for both of us. Achilles Slave to whom? No tomb, no tombstone! Chorus There, upon the citys towers and round about its high walls, the Trojan folk will stand when the warriors with their bronze shields bring their ships closer, over the rivers waters, after their long journey over the ocean. You must expect to suffer as well as rejoice, since you're a man. Agamemnon Achilles is acting in name only and not in deed. Finally, he picks up the scroll and gets up and moves away from the table. However, when he tries to rally the Greeks against the sacrifice, he discovers that the entirety of the Greek soldiers demand that Agamemnon's wishes be carried out. Chorus Hell be able to confirm the messengers words. Klytaimestra I am Klytaimestra, Ledas daughter and Agamemnons wife. Poor, poor girl! Next to these were the Athenian ships -sixty of them, and these were captained by Theseus son. This light is the sweetest thing that can fill the eyes! Menelaos And what would that be? Listen, mother; hear what thoughts have passed across my mind. IPHIGENIA: Had I, my father, the persuasive voice Of Orpheus, and his skill to charm the rocks To follow me, and soothe whome'er I please With winning words, I would make trial of it; But I have nothing to present thee now Save tears, my only eloquence; and those I can present thee. I have my army, the famous Myrmidons, wasting their time hanging about the quiet waters ofEpirus, getting angrier and more impatient by the minute. My curiosity. Iphigeneia She runs her fingers gently through her mothers hair. Dent & Sons, 1920. The whole world loves to talk about the famous and to see them in their flesh. I wrap its limbs around your knees and beg you: Please father, do not cut off my life short. But then, suddenly a miracle happened, my lady! 1150. Old Man No, madam! First Chorus Words worthy of Tantalus, Zeus son. We use cookies for essential site functions and for social media integration. Klytaimestra Answer me honestly, my husband! Achilles The whole army is calling out for. Would you like her to plead at your knees? Achilles He was elected, all right, but he didnt say no! Difficult. 1171, I would be there, alone, Agamemnon, wailing, crying bitter tears, yelling, Darling Iphigeneia! How should I start? 280. Oh, goddess who lets her brilliant light roll along through the gloomy darkness of the night! Its an unbearable, harsh dread. 1531. Klytaimestra Thats where they say the centaurs live. You have been wronged, madam. Tears that come about from making our daughter a bride to Achilles. There, alongside of them, ran Achilles, Peleas son, in his full armour. Agamemnon Menelaos! A teller of truth one time and a teller of lies one thousand times if hes lucky! It is the wish of the Heavens. Klytaimestra Good idea. I saw you trying to write it by the light of that lamp there. 440. Details. Ah, but the common folk have it easy. It was upon the forests of Trojan Ida, its woods covered thickly by the shroud of snow where King Priam once abandoned his child boy, Paris. The play was set in the small amphitheater at the Getty Villa. But I will talk: the strong ought to help the weak where they can, even if they have little to do with their plight. 320. How could I possibly express my gratitude to you in a modest way? Summary of Iphigenia in Aulis Prologue The play opens with a prologue which starts with a dubitable, suspiciously non-Euripidean discussion between Agamemnon and a loyal Servant of his, in which the commander of the Greeks under Troy expresses second thoughts over the content of a previously sent letter to his wife Clytemnestra. All the women are frightened and turn towards it. Shelley Dean Milman. She leans before him and embraces his knees. Please dont do it! Lift your head up for me, darling, smile for me. Old Man You should not have opened this letter! The opportunity was made for him to elope with her, since Menelaos was absent at the time. He knows nothing of my scheme, nothing of the marriage and nothing of my supposed wish to give my daughter to him, to have him take her into his arms and into his marital bed. Stay here. The gods deserted you and they wouldnt give you a favourable wind for our sails. Agamemnon Where, darling? Iphigeneia Dont let them wear black either! Chorus And to the feast of the gods and to Bacchus wine-mixing bowl came, too, with spears of fir and with wreaths of green leaves, the troupe of horse-mounted centaurs. Let me make it absolutely clear, my lady: I was there and I saw it with my own eyes! Old Man Tries to take the letter from Menelaos. Agamemnon Make sure you dont break the seal of the scroll! I do but you dont! You are the cause of this miserable conflict between the sons of Atreas and their children! One of the myths in the Cypria inspired the tragedy Iphigenia in Aulis, written by Euripides (ca. My death will bring about all this liberation and my good name will live into eternity. Moderate. The plain truth. Not a sound to be heard anywhere, old man! 860. The Old Man is angry and tries to take the letter back from him. Iphigeneia Well then, get rid of this ugly frown from the face that I love so much! He writes a few words, then scratches them out and begins again. Menelaos If you dont let go of it I shall crack your skull open with this staff! And you, foreign ladies, say nothing about this. Achilles Yes. Its a meadow full of bright and beautiful flowers. 231. Menelaos Brother, give me your right arm! Menelaos And you should not be bringing so much trouble to the Greeks!