Please lend me your arms, so that I may get down from the seat of this carriage modestly. Its blood spattered about, saturating the goddess altar! Surely I could find another wife elsewhere! Women, help her. Agamemnon It will take place at the most propitious time: When the moon completes its cycle again. I would have given it if the Greeks couldnt get to Troy without my doing so. Gods forbid that I should choose to lose a brother to win a Helen! Come on, Orestes, even babies know when theres trouble around! The sacrifice of Iphigenia would be covered by Euripides in 'Iphigenia at Aulis' and in this version Agamemnon has second thoughts. How should I start? Listen! No, mother! Well! 700. First Chorus Joy will come to those who share their marriage bed with the calm of Aphrodites love and not with the frenzy of Eros stinging arrows! You know very well how humble you were during the days you wanted to be the leader of the Trojan expedition. Ive changed my mind, brother. Agamemnon I was out of my wits, old man! Old Man That? Klytaimestra Whats wrong? Iphigeneia Looking into the distance behind curtains. George Bell and Sons. Well, old man, Ive reconsidered all those dreadful decisions Ive made back then and wrote another letter in which I am correcting them. First Chorus Different words now but better. You will be away from me for a very long time. Pleasure, my old friend, is a dubious thing, an unstable thing; and as for all the trappings of office, all the power that goes with it, sure they might look sweet from the distance but once you get them, they become unbearable pains! Then he placed a garland upon the girls head and sprinkled holy water on her hair. Vile trickery, unworthy of his father, Atreas! You have betrayed your own brother! The whole army and both the sons of Atreas stood there in silence, their eyes downcast. Promise me, mummy! Lets think through this together, my lady. 720. Iphigeneia Are you sending me to live with another family, daddy? The Old Man is angry and tries to take the letter back from him. My own heart aches more for poor Hellas than for you because Hellas was about to achieve something great against the barbarians when you and your daughter stopped her; and now these insignificant barbarians will be allowed to go free! What do you think I and the rest of your family will feel towards you? Give me your hand, my dear child. You became a nobody. Looking over the baby. Dont force me to become evil! You must expect to suffer as well as rejoice, since you're a man. Are you still sleeping my baby? I, the destroyer of Priams city and its people! The gods do strange things, madam, things that baffle us mortals but they save those they love. Enter Second Chorus of men and women, Attendants of Klytaimestra, Second Chorus Indicating behind the curtains (Stage Left) 590. Chorus And the weeping and wailing of Priams daughters and of his wife will be bitter and piercing. Here, then, I have suffered the greatest misfortune yet I am ashamed to cry just as I am also ashamed to hold back my tears. Now, Ill tell you everything Ive written in this folded scroll because you are a true and loyal servant to my house and to my wife. Look! Klytaimestra Come, come, old man! Klytaimestra What about the wedding feast after the ceremony? Accept the pure blood from this girls lovely neck! One goddess, Aphrodite, was proud of her insatiable love. There will be no grave. After all, what is it exactly that I want? ("Agamemnon", "Hom. Youll fight them all? Whats going on? some of them ask. London: J.M. Agamemnon The heir was Peleas. Agamemnon You? How could I? Achilles! Come on, wont you beg your father not to kill your big sister? IPHIGENIA IN AULIS - Monologue (Clytemnestra) A monologue from the play by Euripides NOTE: This monologue is reprinted from The Plays of Euripides in English, vol. Who is this exquisite looking woman I see here? Figure 2.1: A possible sacrifice (Iphigenia or Polyxena). They were sitting together on stools, joyfully immersed in a game of draughts, a game full of complex moves. 303. Weve been robbed! What shocking news of disaster is this? Klytaimestra Thats what a mob is like! I had put a wedding wreath on her head and brought her here to be your wife. Checking out the situation carefully. Menelaos Brother, give me your right arm! But my brother, using all sorts of arguments, finally persuaded me to commit this dreadful deed! Theyre all just sitting idly around by the shore. First Chorus What an awful thing it is for brothers whose views differ to come to insults! Let the Greeks win, mother, not the barbarians. Other men may have different views but let me give you my own. First Chorus Words worthy of Tantalus, Zeus son. Orpheus, who could charm even the heartless rocks into following him! That child was Paris. No one was ever born to a life free of misery. Agamemnon approaches Iphigeneia and tries to console her. We took Iphigeneia to the forest of Zeus daughter, Artemis. Let me tell you of your faults, Agamemnon! Agamemnon And still something is holding back the expedition. Ive tried all manner of subtle tricks to get my closest friends to agree with me and there, too, Ive failed. Chorus What joyful news that messenger has brought you, my lady! Miserable, Agamemnon says he has no choice. And you can see how I, a woman, have come here to the camp of soldiers, tough men, brave and ready for war and violence. Theyre bound to serve someone well, sometime. As the play opens, Iphigenia introduces herself. Once the wise old Tyndareus had convinced them all to take these oaths, he allowed his daughter to choose the suitor she liked and Helen allowed herself to be guided by the sweet, lusty sighs of Aphrodite in her heart. $3.99 delivery March 10 - 14. He is the very reason you are here! Hes gone mad only so far as your daughter and you are concerned. Tell me the reason you will give no let me speak on your behalf, because I know what you will say. What a shocking thing that would be! Achilles The whole army is calling out for. With blessings or with force? Protect your name. Click anywhere in the What a price to pay for the sake of saving a slut! And, no, I will not murder my children and certainly wont do it so that you can wrongfully enjoy some sort of vengeance exacted from a disgraceful wife, while I waste away in tears day and night because I had committed such a godless crime against them, against my own flesh and blood. Iphigeneia Yes, mother, please let me run to him before you do. Palermo, Mus. Here we are, eagerly obedient to your wish! Menelaos Not if he dies first. A garland for my head a garland for my hair some holy water from the sacred basins! Me, Leda's daughter, hapless dame, First blooming offspring of her bed. Ask me, what is it? Think again, Iphigeneia! Would you like her to plead at your knees? Which of the gods has stolen you? And so, the Greeks ordered you to let them board their ships and go back home and to stop wasting their efforts here. It is our custom to bury sacrificial offerings. I am resolved to die; and this I want to do with honor, dismissing from me what is mean. A nanny is holding the baby Orestes in her arms. A prophet? Chorus What an awful, pitiful fate you must endure, child! It is Hellas I must obey, darling, not Menelaos. 80. 670. 773. Klytaimestra Is it your wish to kill our child? Agamemnon I would, but some god has made both you andGreeceinsane! She swings him, sadly, gently back and forth and leans over him as she speaks to him. Menelaos Yes, but an unstable mind is an evil thing, something which befuddles the minds of ones friends. Ive also missed you! Agamemnon My thoughts exactly, my darling. IPHIGENIA A T A ULIS presents many problems to the literary and textual critic. Come, son of a goddess! Iphigeneia Well then, get rid of this ugly frown from the face that I love so much! Klytaimestra Sounds ideal to me. Youll go to a place where youll forget about your father. When I first thought you were going to be my son-in-law, I had high hopes vain hopes as it turned out but hopes nevertheless. Messenger My dear lady I shall. 583. Oh, goddess who lets her brilliant light roll along through the gloomy darkness of the night! Good bye. No! Ill have none of it! How dreadful! Whats with this flushed face of yours? That! Klytaimestra Will he try and come here and drag my darling away, just like that, against her will? Finally, my old friend, he came upon the answer. They live at a place, darling, where I wish Paris, Priams son, never lived! I envy the man with the quiet life, the safe life. Our friend here should certainly be thanked for his efforts but we should be careful not to put his life in jeopardy against the army with no advance in our predicament. Iphigenia was sacrificed in the Boeotian harbor of Aulis, opposite the island of Euboea, or as others say, was saved at the last moment by Artemis, who substituted for her a deer or a bull at the altar, and transported her to Tauris where she later, having met his brother Orestes 2, was brought by him back home. You already know your fathers intentions, poor love. Agamemnon No, the wedding was held in the sacred valleys of Pelion, where Cheiron lives. I will never permit your husband to perform such treacherous deeds! I swear by my mother, the goddess Thetis, that I shall fight the Greeks to save you! Iphigenia's mother Clytemnestra is also determined to save her. Old Man Your very reprimand shows the extent of my virtue! Old Man You have dared to do a most frightening thing, my lord, Agamemnon! Achilles They jeered at me! 919. It is what a mother must do! 330. An unrelenting curse. What a sweet joy! How much more time do we need to waste on this expedition toTroy? Youll be back inArgos, taking care of our other daughters. If the oracle has given me some say into your daughters fate then I pass that say over to you. IPHIGENIA IN AULIS A monologue from the play by Euripides NOTE: This monologue is reprinted from The Plays of Euripides in English, vol. 785, Chorus Do you hear them, Helen? Leaders are but slaves to the common folk. 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. Come, go into my tent now. Dont waste time kissing my hand. Old Man Yes, my lady. No, you look after everything outside the household and I shall take care of things within it! Agamemnon Yes but first I must make a sacrifice here, inAulis. Go away old man! But now? Death is a dreadful thing! Perhaps were both being deceived. This work may be freely reproduced, stored and transmitted, electronically or otherwise, for any non-commercial purpose. Dent & Sons, 1920. Youve forgotten them and so, now, you want to kill me. Iphigenia in Aulis or Iphigenia at Aulis (Ancient Greek: , romanized: phigneia en Auldi; variously translated, including the Latin Iphigenia in Aulide) is the last of the extant works by the playwright Euripides. Directing his question to the chorus. Iphigenia at Aulis (the title is sometimes rendered as Iphigenia in Aulis) has been criticised for its melodrama, but its portrayal of the central character's decision to agree to renounce her life for the 'greater good', and Agamemnon's ambivalence about sacrificing his own daughter, make it a curious and satisfying play which repays close analysis . Klytaimestra Who then was the heir to the House of Aeacus? A good man, my brother, must not change his manner just because his life is going well. Youve murdered Tantalus, my first husband and with even more brutal violence, youve torn my baby from my breast and dashed it hard against the ground! That will be very easy to accomplish. Well, old man, Menelaos was outraged by this! 710. Unjustly but I must! If you really want to do something againstTroythen do it, or else just take us all back home. Chorus Ah! So you will sacrifice your daughter! Obedient child. Chorus How the dance-loving lyre and the enchanting notes of the reedy flute brought the fair haired Muses up from their home, the Pierian Springs, to the top of Mount Pelios! If this works out well, then the result will be good for you and your family without my getting mixed up in the affair. But go! Achilles First, plead with him. Agamemnon This is scandalous! He is interrupted by Klytaimestras entrance. My sacrifice will bring about a victory for the Greeks and secure their safety. If I try to stop them they will kill us all. Give thanks to the goddess Hope! Youve raised me to be the shining light of Greece. Record the pronunciation of this word in your own voice and play it to listen to how you have pronounced it. Why are you leaving? I do but you dont! Menelaos Brothers must share each others pain. You have been wronged, madam. When Agamemnon tries to avoid sacrificing Iphigenia, Menelaus calls Agamemnon a traitor to both Greece and his own brother. Iphigeneia Do not hate daddy my daddy, your husband. He has abandoned me to deal with this dreadful calamity all on my own! For a moment a great deal of shouting by men is heard behind the curtains. Youre both in such a state of distress and confusion! Moderate. London. How can I insult all those countless brave warriors and their shields, all those myriads of men, clasping hard at the oars men with courage enough to attack our enemy and die for our country, to clear her name? How I wish he never lived at that meadow where all the flowers bloomed: roses and hyacinths, all those flowers that the goddesses plucked. This is very dangerous indeed, my lord! Married and single alike? . Agamemnon And if she has already left the safety of her home and if you chance to meet her retinue on the road, send them back again take the reins from their hands and hasten the horses towards the shrines of the Cyclopes. First Chorus I sped through Artemis woods, a place rich with sacrifices, my youthful shyness blushing my cheeks, anxious to see the armys might, the tents of the Greeks and their countless horses. Enter from Stage Left Klytaimestra and Iphigeneia, accompanied by an entourage of men and women, some of whom are carrying gifts into Agamemnons tent. Why has their marriage brought about my death, father? If Im lying to you, madam, then let death come upon me. Why are we wasting our time around here? Klytaimestra I am not so insensitive, Agamemnon. And you, dear wife, daughter of Leda, I ask forgiveness from you, too, for all my tears. The girl is with the gods! employee value proposition model; 10 minute virtual bike ride; application for head of school; dawnelle 120'' wide velvet symmetrical modular sectional with ottoman A kiss to remember you by in the underworld, since my words have not convinced you. It is the wish of the Heavens. Your Fate and mine and hers, too! The gods are no fools and they know when oaths are falsely pledged or forced upon people. Klytaimestra Well? You both know the size of the army gathered here. Why should I, a faithful wife, endure the misery of having my daughter killed while she, a slut, gets to rejoice by having her daughter kept safely at home, in Sparta? Reg. Be careful of one thing, Menelaos: Be careful when youre walking among the men not to let Klytaimestra find out anything about the sacrifice; at least not until after Ive sent my daughter to Hades. Here I am. I could not. So, we have all gathered here and here we are still, tied down by the weather! All this is his own doing. My mother! Ah, heres your father, go to him, darling! 630. This is desperate behaviour, my lord and it leaves no doubt to anyone who sees you, my lord, that youve gone mad! Now come out of Agamemnons tent. Klytaimestra Ah! July 4, 2022 . You talk about my ambition. Related Characters: The Old Man (speaker), Agamemnon , Clytemnestra Related Themes: Please dont do it! Im shaking with fear. Chorus And their call to the Nereid was loud and clear: 1061. The choruses "Que d'attraits" and "Non, jamais, jamais aux regards" are full of grace. Old Man Yes, my lady and so, I am more loyal to you than I am to your husband. If I must then I shall wash away her oracle with my blood, with my sacrifice upon her altar. I also feel ashamed Iturns towards the tent. Menelaus appears to be the caring brother. The news spread quickly and so the whole army already knows that your daughter has arrived. 1421. You, girls! They say that Zeus had transformed himself into a bird and then slept with your mother. Now, you must take with you our newborn son from here and go back home. Iphigeneia Dont let them wear black either! 1560. Agamemnon Curse Calchas and his whole horde of glory-loving prophets! 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 . Iphigenia I am ashamed to face Achilles. He lifted his cloak up and dug his face deep into it, trying to hide the tears that flooded his eyes. Another, Pallas, was proud of her war spear and the third, Hera, proud of the fact that she shared her bed with Lord Zeus. Old Man The army is heading to Troy, my lady. But tell me what I must do. Current location in this text. The returned soldier has been a central figure in the first wave of Canadian plays to deal with the War in Afghanistan. Im not talking like this because Im missing out on this wedding. Shes about to be slaughtered by the hand of her own father! You groan but you say nothing. As she imagines Agamemnon killing Iphigenia, Clytemnestra. Iphigeneia Shall we set up choruses around it, daddy? Chorus A man whose body will be clothed in golden armour, fashioned by Hephaistos himself and given as a gift to him by his divine mother. 1070. It will be a long time before I return from Troy, a long time before I greet you again. Achilles, stay! Klytaimestra But who on earth would dare touch you, Achilles? Let our friends here see how happy you make me. Klytaimestra You? She leads her mother into the tent and returns to centre stage. Paristook it and carried her off back to his own home, in Ida, a place where the cows graze in luxurious pastures. 0 rating. Klytaimestra Thats where they say the centaurs live. Menelaos Yes, you may well suffer now because I did break your seal and yes, I do know the secret trickery you were concocting! Aided and abetted by the gods! Will he not get furious with you and with your wife if you deprive him of his bride? Give you my right hand? IPHIGENIA IN AULIS - Monologue (Iphigenia) A monologue from the play by Euripides NOTE: This monologue is reprinted from The Plays of Euripides in English, vol. A god or a mortal? She has flown away to the Heavens! My father, my own father has left me! Then the priest took hold of the sword and, after a few words of prayer, began searching the girls neck looking for the best place to strike. Those with dignity are respected, those without are shamed, though defending ones dignity is not always possible. Youd greet anyone and everyone, hoping with this behaviour to gain their approval and thus become their leader. 680. And Helen, Zeus daughter, will shed bitter tears, too, for betraying her husband. The King feared the prophets words that the boy would grow up to destroy him him and his city and so he tore the baby away from its mothers arms and cast him on the mountainside, hoping that he would die. Klytaimestra And you will abandon your mother like this? Hes gone out a while ago and Iphigeneia, in the meantime, has heard how her father is planning to kill her. Someone must be playing games with both of us for some reason! 'Iphigenia' is the great achievement of Michael Cacoyannis. Do you not want to fight for her? The whole place glitters with the bronze armour of the warriors. 1290. No one in the world can deny that the act of saving a child is a blessed act. Thank you, my sweet daughter! I will be led to a godless slaughter by a godless father! She turns and looks sadly around her, then up at the sun. Iphigenia in Aulis (a.k.a. Agamemnon Alone, darling. Make sure this golden hair god stays far away from my bed chamber! Intelligence, brother, can turn any man into a head of State. Agamemnon Here, at the harbour, near our beautiful Greek ships. Iphigenia In Aulis - Read online for free. No, its not my ambition thats bothering you, my brother! Agamemnon Look, the sacrificial ceremony is ready. Id rather live a life full of misery than die a heros death! She has accepted this offering gladly and has granted us a safe journey for our expedition against Troy. But I have no such skill. Its not proper for young girls to be in the public eye for too long. Agamemnon And when you come across some fork in the road, check it carefully. Klytaimestra But tell me, good servant, where did you hear all this? By the gods, Agamemnon! At the tip of their sterns stood the golden statues of Nereids, the emblem of Achilles army. You are the cause of it! Iphigeneia Of course. First Chorus And I saw Gerenian Nestor who came from Pylos. Come, darling Iphigeneia, come down from the carriage now. 350. I have a greater right to speak than he does! See what troubles the gods have thrown at me, the poor wretch? Come! Menelaos I was waiting to see if your daughter would leaveArgosto come to the army camp. And where will I be at the time? I see. Old Man Psssst! Your wit is truly far greater than mine. Menelaos Who gave me the right? We also let the horses loose to drink and to graze at a meadow nearby. Begging you by his silence. Open Document. Menelaos And what aboutGreece? 1340. Here! I, being Menelaos brother and for his own good, was chosen by them to be their leader How I wish this honour were given to someone else, my old friend! Ah! First Chorus Mortals vary in body as well as in mind but true virtue, which comes from a good upbringing and a good education, always stands out. Has the carriage lulled you to sleep? And this, my lady, this is no lie, believe me! Iphigeneia Wish them joy for me and take good care of my little brother, Orestes for me. Close suggestions Search Search We are doomed now! What a dreadful thought to have in your mind! The Chorus turns in the direction of the scream and responds! 751. iphigenia in aulis monologue mother listen to me 04.07.2022 04.07.2022 I shall do as you say. Leave! I clasp your knees without shame! First Chorus Oh, Lady, goddess of love, Aphrodite! I also saw the Boetian fleet, fifty in number, led by Leitus, a mortal, born of the Earth. Let hers be the last one to do so! And if I tried to run off toArgos, the whole lot of them will come over and destroy the place, raze the whole city to the ground, Cyclopean walls and all! It is a glory that will never wither in the minds of the Greeks. Achilles What? . You mean, the son of Sisyphus? No, it will not be necessary. I wonder who her groom is. 430. What do they want to do with you? Iphigenia in Aulis has been added to your Cart . Now make your answer reasonable also! Son of the Nereid, you are marrying my daughter. Tell us whats wrong! changes, storing new additions in a versioning system. Come, my darling daughter, come, Iphigeneia, come and stand near me. "Iphigenia" marks Steele and Lorca's fourth collaboration on a Greek tragedy. My hair! Enter a Perseus citation to go to another section or work. The only voice I have, father, my only skill, is in my tears and, here, father, Im giving them to you! 1460. Klytaimestra May they be happy there! And you, foreign ladies, say nothing about this. These ships, too, were adorned with emblems at their high sterns, this time of Cadmus, holding a golden serpent in his hands. Second Chorus Look there: our Lords daughter, Iphigeneia, our princess; and there, his wife and Tyndareus daughter, our Lady, Klytaimestra! line to jump to another position: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 United States License, Pleiades ancient places geospacial dataset for this text, http://data.perseus.org/citations/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0006.tlg018.perseus-eng1:1374-1401, http://data.perseus.org/texts/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0006.tlg018.perseus-eng1, http://data.perseus.org/texts/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0006.tlg018, http://data.perseus.org/catalog/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0006.tlg018.perseus-eng1. Achilles Yes. Achilles Slave to whom? Klytaimestra Yes! Then, without anyone forcing you, totally of your accord and dont claim it wasnt- you had sent a letter to your wife to bring Iphigenia here, in the pretence that shed be marrying Achilles. You are, indeed, a noble soul and you leave me speechless and unable to argue against your views. The opportunity was made for him to elope with her, since Menelaos was absent at the time. The altar of Zeus daughter. Pleas or no pleas the result will be the same with me because I have only one thing in mind, now: to save you both from this disaster! Klytaimestra Darling, no! Should I exchange the good for bad? On the stern of his ships was an emblem portraying the riverAlpheus, his neighbour, who, on that emblem was given four feet and made to look like a bull. No, its not me whos gone mad, brother but you. Not from any birds, not from the sea and not from any of the winds that rule over the waters between us andEpirus Total silence! An XML version of this text is available for download, 890, Old Man He had sent me off to bring you a letter, madam about the first message. To let this man succeed in this deed, to let him use my name as his bloody sword, would be to make me the worst of all the Greeks a worthless man, one more cowardly than Menelaos, as if I were not the son of Peleas but that of some evil demon. And there, along the white sands below, Nereus fifty daughters whirled and weaved their dance circles and made splendid the wedding of the Nereid. He came all the way fromTroy, dressed in all his colourful garb, and, typical of the barbarians love for splendour, his whole body was sparkling with gold jewels! You, Paris, you son of Priam! First, come, give your father a kiss. But then, suddenly a miracle happened, my lady! It was there, at that meadow, that these three women came before Paris to put an end to their dire contest about which of them was the most beautiful.
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