Believe me, I wont be exaggerating. Second Chorus Look there: our Lords daughter, Iphigeneia, our princess; and there, his wife and Tyndareus daughter, our Lady, Klytaimestra! No, mother, let one of daddys servants accompany me to Artemis woods, the place where I shall be sacrificed. Leaders are but slaves to the common folk. Klytaimestra Well? 520. It was a lie. Chorus Then the Greeks shall tie a garland around your fair hair and stain your human throat with your own blood. Both you and I, whether we want to or not, must help Hellas stand free Hellas men cannot have their wives stolen from their beds. She turns and looks sadly around her, then up at the sun. Give you my right hand? Still, if I fail? The choruses "Que d'attraits" and "Non, jamais, jamais aux regards" are full of grace. Menelaos I was waiting to see if your daughter would leaveArgosto come to the army camp. Chorus Awesome is the power of giving birth! iphigenia in aulis monologue mother listen to meemerald sea vessel mcdermott. How dreadful! Iphigeneia Pelasgia! Be a leader! With blessings or with force? The looks your face took up at that suggestion! It makes the mother love her child most deeply and she will defend it with her life. Who on earth could force you to murder your own child? Can you not see these men in full armour? Should you not be expecting a poisonous welcome since youre departing like a snake? Remember, father? 1250. Agamemnon What you must do is not leave your other daughters alone, back at the house. Dear women of Argos, this death, my death, this sacrifice to Artemis, will speed the Greeks to Troy and bring honour to the Greeks. Gather the baskets for the sacrifices, place wreaths on your head. Klytaimestra With Zeus will or against it? I acted like a stupid child before but now I thought more deeply about what its really like to kill your own children. Checking out the situation carefully. How I wish this herdsman, this boy who was brought up to care for cows, had never lived! Theyre all just sitting idly around by the shore. Menelaos Brother, give me your right arm! That is, if my brain doesnt falter and make my tongue trip over its words! This is the first English edition with commentary of the play since 1891. Agamemnon And now its my turn to criticise you but, no, I wont do so in some arrogant, contemptuous way, with my eyes looking down on you but I shall do so in a conciliatory, brotherly way. The sun should rise slowly until full daylight is reached just before line 164. Iphigeneia Im not afraid to say this in front of everyone: Helen, Tyndareus daughter, has caused wars and the endless spilling of blood because of her body. Let me tell you why I am angry. 1560. This is very dangerous indeed, my lord! Orpheus, who could charm even the heartless rocks into following him! Theyd love to go precisely because they are mad. Clytemnestra But why? Out here, in front of the tent! Klytaimestra She stretches her right hand 830. The Watchman, whose . Please lend me your arms, so that I may get down from the seat of this carriage modestly. Now come out of Agamemnons tent. Iphigeneia Mother, he will sacrifice me for the sake of our country, for Hellas, against his will. Let someone go and prepare the sacrificial basket and may the blessed fire burn high with the purifying barley. Iphigenia's mother Clytemnestra is also determined to save her. Agamemnon A thought just occurred to me, a thought which might frighten you, Menelaos! options are on the right side and top of the page. Still, the girl came up close to him and said, Daddy, here I am, ready to do as you say. What a wonderful excuse! You find my words strange but I find yours equally odd! If only I could! Whats going on? some of them ask. 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.Written between 408, after Orestes, and 406 BC, the year of Euripides' death, the play was first produced the following year in a trilogy . I, the destroyer of Priams city and its people! My armed comrades will be there with me to save your life, to stop your execution. You may accept or manage cookie usage at any time. No, he gave you life so that you may understand pain, as well as pleasure. Chorus Alas! Iphigeneia Yes, mother, please let me run to him before you do. I was given as a gift to her father, Tyndareus. Klytaimestra Oh, Gods! George Bell and Sons. Now make your answer reasonable also! Help my girl. Daughter of Tyndareus! Youre overdoing your loyalty to your master! Fate gave me nothing to be proud of. How I cry for you! Klytaimestra What? Your fathers holy water is waiting for you! ("Agamemnon", "Hom. That would be bad for both of us. 1290. Iphigenia's father is Agamemnon and his brother is King Menelaus. He kept pace with the rail and with the wheels of the chariot. Im giving you my tears! Record the pronunciation of this word in your own voice and play it to listen to how you have pronounced it. Klytaimestra These are lovely words, Agamemnon but what of your deeds? Click anywhere in the Do you think that I, son of Atreas the fearless, will be afraid to raise my eyes and look at you in the eye? Chorus Go, young girl! And I also hear what theyve done to me! iphigenia in aulis monologue mother listen to me. On thy knees I hang, A suppliant wreath, this body, which she bore 340. Dire to me because it brought about my death. Cover the baby with one of your cloaks. I shall go to the priest. 272. Old Man Yes, dear lady! What a sweet joy! Old Man Menelaos! You, too, my lord are a mortal and, whether you like it or not, this is how the gods want it: mortals must taste the good along with the bad. Here I am. I take your kind welcome and gracious words as signs of a good omen. The whole Greek army, Klytaimestra, thats who! The play . i. Trans. You became a nobody. Ill obey your every command. Is this true or is it yet another one of these tales conjured up by the poets and then spread idly about the world through the ages? Thats what theyll be saying; and all this because of you, Helen! Iphigeneia Youve been so long here in the harbours ofAulis! 100. Old Man And you know, too that I was part of your dowry when you married King Agamemnon. Iphigeneia begins towards the tent but is stopped by her father. My Pelasgia! Its a common thing for a man to be shy when he meets his relatives for the first time and theyre talking about marriage! Iphigeneia But but look at you, father! First Chorus Their captain was Eurytus. Tell me what it is you want, now. We cant go on fighting against Necessity! Let the Greeks win, mother, not the barbarians. Be thankful to her because it is she who was looking after you and brought about all this for you, because, the truth is, neither you nor all of your power had anything to do with it. This masterful play is masterfully adapted for the screen and brought to life by a wonderful cast. Here we are, eagerly obedient to your wish! Iphigenia has arrived in Aulis, and soon the army will be demanding her death. I want my love for others to be moderate and my desires to be pure. Hell grab her by her blond hair, if he has to and. Youre both in such a state of distress and confusion! Dont be so afraid of the masses! Conditions and Exceptions apply. Forget it, madam! The Greek warriors are waiting for you, anxious to start off for Troy! 210, First Chorus The two horses in the centre, those that took the weight of the yoke, were dappled with spots of white; the two on the outside carried the traces and they had to negotiate the turns on the track. Klytaimestra bursts into tears. Pensively, anxiously. What a dreadful thing to say! Now let go of my letter! What shall I say to my wife, then? Agamemnon Asopus, the river god, had a daughter,Aegina. Klytaimestra Our other daughters are looked after well and they are safe in their quarters. Ah, but this impudence of yours will miss its mark! 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. They might be from the wagon that is bringing the girl here, to the Greek ships. Chorus What an awful, pitiful fate you must endure, child! What should I call them? Related Characters: The Old Man (speaker), Agamemnon , Clytemnestra Related Themes: Is it marriage? NI 1886. Miserable, Agamemnon says he has no choice. Shhhh listen to me! Chorus Let Agamemnon place a crown upon the head of Greece and let him be crowned in turn! Hide browse bar It all starts at the wedding of Peleus and Thetis (Achilles' parents) Thetis is divine, so they invite all the gods and goddesses, except Strife. Still, its not proper for me to be talking with a woman. They first worked. Im very pleased that you, too, honour the goddess Modesty, Achilles! Awful! What sort of a welcome do you think youll receive on you return? 751. At the tip of their sterns stood the golden statues of Nereids, the emblem of Achilles army. Iphigenia in Aulis is an Attic, or Greek, tragedy composed by Euripides (circa 480-406 BCE). [1375] Agamemnon I know well about pity I know well who deserves it and who does not and I -I love my children! Chorus And they will surround the cityPergamum, all about its stone towers with murderous war-men wholl smash the heads of the Trojans, cut through their necks and tear their city down to its foundations. Old Man The priest, my lady. Old Man And, my lord, if I say all these things youve just told me, will your daughter and your wife believe me? He married Thetis, Nereus daughter. 1090. I can talk no more. Come, give me your right hand and lets make this the beginning of a blessed marriage! Iphigeneia at Aulis Quotes THE OLD MAN: Atreus did not sire you, Agamemnon, into a world of pure happiness. You groan but you say nothing. Which one will it be? 20. 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! 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! But in an emotional solo scene, she has a vision of the sacrifice. See, father? No, Id rather see the death of a thousand women than that of a single man! Youll fight them all? Chorus Listen to her, Agamemnon! Agamemnon saw his child on her way to her slaughter and immediately groaned with horrible pain. 1440. Agamemnon Look, the sacrificial ceremony is ready. My baby boy, Orestes, will also be there and he, too, will cry. My words were brief, blunt and clear. Only fools would pray to go down there. 'Iphigenia' is the great achievement of Michael Cacoyannis. No, thats not a good idea, Klytaimestra Ill hold you tight, by your clothes, Iphigeneia No, mother. First Chorus This is the naval force I saw with my own eyes and about which I had heard earlier. He said that it must be done if the expedition is ever to make it to, Klytaimestra Expedition? Old man is being too slow for Agamemnon. If you cannot persuade him then come back to me. There is no point. Agamemnon Alone, darling. Are you still sleeping my baby? First Chorus Come, children of Chalkis, let us go and give the Argive Queen our gentle and firm hand to help her step down safely from her carriage and let us look welcoming towards Agamemnons glorious daughter lest she be afraid of having arrived here at this place and at this time; and let us also make sure that the Argive women feel no distress or concern for being strangers in a strange place. She gives up the most precious gift she can: her life. Why where do they say the Phrygians live, father? Agamemnon Wife, we should consider ourselves very much blessed. The goddess would much rather have this animal offered to her than the girl so that her altar would not be defiled by shedding the blood of a human. Give me your hand, my dear child. Famously, they partnered on Seamus Heaney's "The Burial at Thebes" at the Guthrie in fall 2011. Have you thought of any of this, or do you just go wandering about the army camp proudly waving about the sceptre of a General? Can I not mourn my daughters loss? 660. Look! And then theres also this: what right do I have to love my life so much? First Chorus Words that will not shame your ancestors. 940. 378. As for the other sort, the bad ones, they are everywhere! 1100. Look at him for the last time. When our esteemed prophet, Calchas, conducts his next sacrifice, when he will mingle his barley and his holy water upon the altar, he will pay bitterly for it! We are a free people, whereas they are slaves. Not unless I obey the priests demand, not unless I sacrifice you. This is something I wont tolerate. Achilles You must grab her and not let go of her. Dying for a marriage about which her lunatic suitors swore Tyndareus oaths. I hate such relationships; they bring bitter pain to all. Achilles No, Iphigeneia! She takes the baby Orestes from Iphigeneias hands. If the oracle has given me some say into your daughters fate then I pass that say over to you. Then the priest lets out a huge roar and the whole army roared with him as they saw the most unbelievable sight, a sight that must have been sent by Heaven, a sight that made them question their very eyes. Here, take it now and carry it over toArgos. Ah! Whats with this flushed face of yours? Both of us, darling! Klytaimestra And leave my darling behind? Old Man Dying for my master will be a glorious thing. Agamemnon What? What does the army want? To stop me from coming here or to urge me to do so? Other men may have different views but let me give you my own. And you, you will carry the honour of my deed wherever you go! ATTENDANT I come; what new schemes now, king Agamemnon? But I see a letter in your hand. Old Man My lady, you know who I am and just how loyal Ive been to you and your children. Now, that was the first of my complaints against your character. What marriage are you talking about, madam? This way, I hope, my pain will be lessened a little. Thats Achilles, my darling. In early youth, when first my soul, in love, Held father, mother, brethren fondly twin'd, A group of tender germs, in union sweet, We sprang in beauty from the parent stem, And heavenward grew. 1010. Iphigeneia Make your worries go away, daddy. My hair! 1350. Agamemnon Are you, darling? Agamemnon dares to commit a most dreadful deed! line to jump to another position: The Annenberg CPB/Project provided support for entering this text. What was the point of bringing us up here for a marriage that. How could I, a mortal, go against that? Your own father has slaughtered you with his own hand! IPHIGENIA A T A ULIS presents many problems to the literary and textual critic. All of us we all heard the awful thud of the striking sword but when we looked up, we could not see the girl anywhere! The play has been translated and adapted for various media, from other plays to paintings, operas, novels, and films. Arent you ashamed of yourself? I have tried desperately to send Klytaimestra away from here but Ive failed. Hes gone out a while ago and Iphigeneia, in the meantime, has heard how her father is planning to kill her. We your children and I- will give you the return that an evil man deserves. He is writing a letter (on a scroll) an exercise which, it seems, is difficult for him. He is the son of the goddess Thetis, and his tutor was Cheiron, the most honourable of all the centaurs. Do you hear them, Helen? Klytaimestra But who on earth would dare touch you, Achilles? 250. But tell me what I must do. How much more time do we need to waste on this expedition toTroy? 1318. No, youve brought me to life so that the whole of Greece may rejoice! Please, in the name of Pelops and of Atreas, who is your father, I beg you! No, its not me whos gone mad, brother but you. Achilles Yes, it would have been some gods blessing had I married you, daughter of Agamemnon! Menelaus appears to be the caring brother. And I beg you also for my mothers sake, the woman who laboured to bring me to life, the woman who is being tortured even now. 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. Lift your head up for me, darling, smile for me. Tears of pity came into my eyes just now, when I saw your own tears roll from yours. On my part, I wish you all happiness and may you return to the land of your fathers victorious. Dont waste time kissing my hand. We also let the horses loose to drink and to graze at a meadow nearby. Klytaimestra Ill certainly try that if thats the last thing I do! And so, the Greeks ordered you to let them board their ships and go back home and to stop wasting their efforts here. Why has their marriage brought about my death, father? I was a very good house keeper for you. How could I possibly express my gratitude to you in a modest way? Iphigenia in Aulis (a.k.a. I shall serve Greece! He is barely visible. They hate me the most! Klytaimestra Listen then and listen to me well! 1080. 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. Old Man Yes, tell me so that what I say to your wife agrees with what youve written in there. Menelaos Why is that? And the gods will see to that, whether you like it or not. I have left Pharsalia and Peleas, my father, to come here. Iphigeneia Wish them joy for me and take good care of my little brother, Orestes for me. Menelaos Who gave me the right? Where inGreecedoes he live? How I wish he never lived near the gurgling white waters of those springs, the springs where nymphs gathered. The future of our Greek women rests upon my actions. What does my life have to do with the marriage of Paris and Helen father? London. 1260. Klytaimestra Thats where they say the centaurs live. One of the most performed Greek tragedies, the play explores the breakdown of social norms in times of war and how war breeds inhuman habits in the most human of men. A god or a mortal? Spare my young life, father. Menelaos Leave! A coward. Old Man You should not have opened this letter! I offer my body to my country and to the rest of Greece, willingly. My sacrifice will bring about a victory for the Greeks and secure their safety. However, when Agamemnon breaks down in tears, Menelaus relents. A safe return? Are you here to add to the mountain of dread I have to endure already? with the additional restriction that you offer Perseus any modifications you make. Agamemnon Yes, my darling. Agamemnon to trick Iphigenia into coming to Aulis. Agamemnon You are much happier than me for knowing less than I do. 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 . Come! Do you not want to fight for her? There is a small oil lamp on the table as well as various writing implements. Ah, heres your father, go to him, darling! Klytaimestra Why? Old Man That womans there. See what troubles the gods have thrown at me, the poor wretch?

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