Ive changed, youll say! Youve done all you could to help your big sister, havent you? That way, not only will I not lose a friend but the army will also not be angry with me when it sees that Ive used my brains rather than my brawn. No, youve brought me to life so that the whole of Greece may rejoice! What a dreadful thought to have in your mind! Directing his question to the chorus. And, they should also swear that they would attack and destroy the land of the wrongdoer by the force of arms, whether his land is Greek or foreign. Oh, this is a terrible thing youre doing! Cacoyannis achieved the impossible. Come and hear my news! Not before I tell all the Greeks what it says! That! 1050. 480-406 BC) and being performed in the Outdoor Theater at the Getty Villa from September 7 to 30. I shall serve Greece! Those two had hair the colour of fire and were spotted from below the ankles of their great hooves. But let me try and persuade you and let her stay inside the tent. During those days you shook the hand of everyone you came across and, whether they wanted it or not, your doors were always wide open and ready to receive everyone. On thy knees I hang, A suppliant wreath, this body, which she bore How could I possibly express my gratitude to you in a modest way? Dying for a marriage about which her lunatic suitors swore Tyndareus oaths. Think about your daughter for once, Agamemnon and make a fair proposal to your army: Ask them all if they really want to go to Troy and if they do, well then, let them draw lots that will include their own children also! Finally, my old friend, he came upon the answer. I know about your plans. Later, he becomes so angry that he picks up the wooden frame upon which the scroll rests and throws it violently to the ground. changes, storing new additions in a versioning system. Save your child! Anger and impatience which I must control. 350. The lustral water, the barley, everything is ready for the holy flame. What ruin, what catastrophe youve brought upon me by running off with Helen! My baby boy, Orestes, will also be there and he, too, will cry. Fate gave me nothing to be proud of. I know, Im behaving as if I were some god towards you though Im a mere mortal. Agamemnon Thank goodness youre out here, Ledas daughter. 785, Chorus Do you hear them, Helen? Promise me, mummy! Here she is but Ill do the talking for both of us. Go, now! Daughter of Tyndareus! How I cry for you! No, mother, let one of daddys servants accompany me to Artemis woods, the place where I shall be sacrificed. Another, Pallas, was proud of her war spear and the third, Hera, proud of the fact that she shared her bed with Lord Zeus. Give you my right hand? Should I exchange the good for bad? Miserable, Agamemnon says he has no choice. Old Man Dear Fortune, help my brain to save those I love. Ah! He and no one else! 1180. Your own baby! Word Count: 1230. Iphigeneia Damn all these spears of Menelaos! Achilles Her father had promised her to me! Obedient child. Iphigeneia No, mother. We use cookies for essential site functions and for social media integration. I will be led to a godless slaughter by a godless father! Chorus With what joy the Muses pounded the earth with their gold-sandaled feet as they climbed the mountain side to get to the wedding! Menelaos I was waiting to see if your daughter would leaveArgosto come to the army camp. 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. Old Man Your very reprimand shows the extent of my virtue! What does your Iphigeneia have to do with my Helen? Pause. You are, indeed, a noble soul and you leave me speechless and unable to argue against your views. I shall look elsewhere for friends and help. And how did you respond to that? First, come, give your father a kiss. No mother, no father. Achilles I told them that if thats what they thought, then they should not kill my intended wife. 860. What a wonderful excuse! Commentary. With his own sword, madam he will make bloody the young girls white neck bloody it with her own blood! My hair! I bore you this son a son and three daughters and now you tear one of them from my hands so violently! Remember, father? Enter Second Messenger running excitedly. Chorus Listen to her, Agamemnon! Achilles By the goddess Modesty! Eloquence, brother, begets hatred! Iphigenia at Aulis was first performed in 405 B.C.E., the year after Euripides' death. The girl deserves better still, may the gods be with us! Figure 2.1: A possible sacrifice (Iphigenia or Polyxena). He married Thetis, Nereus daughter. What? She had vanished, my lady! Klytaimestra And the feast for us women? 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 Tell me, Agamemnon: Tell me what will you say to someone who asks you why youve killed your daughter? You will kill the one whos loved by all so as to save the one whos hated by all! I dont want anyone to think despicable things about me. 1270. What shocking news of disaster is this? Current location in this text. 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. Im not talking like this because Im missing out on this wedding. Christoph Willibald Gluck: Overture to "Iphigenia in Aulis" (orch. Achilles Words, logic, can fight off fear. Achilles Yes. Menelaos Yes, but an unstable mind is an evil thing, something which befuddles the minds of ones friends. Thats what theyll be saying; and all this because of you, Helen! 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? Not a sound to be heard anywhere, old man! So, tell me, my brother: What is all this violent fury? He announced that if we did make that offering to the goddess, we would be able to sail away and we would succeed in sacking the Phrygian capital,Troy; otherwise we would fail. London: J.M. Iphigenia at Aulis seems to have been constructed in a society in which it was ideal to put nation and family ahead of oneself. Come on, Orestes, even babies know when theres trouble around! No, its not my ambition thats bothering you, my brother! Click anywhere in the Ill obey your every command. Iphigenia in Aulis is the last extant work of the playwright Euripides. She takes the baby Orestes from Iphigeneias hands. 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. The trilogy won first prize at the City Dionysia at Athens. Klytaimestra Listen then and listen to me well! 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. Calchas. His wifes doing, so, let him kill his wifes daughter. A prophet? Klytaimestra Our other daughters are looked after well and they are safe in their quarters. My curiosity. Dont waste time kissing my hand. Next to him was Nireas, first among the Greeks in beauty. You, Paris, you son of Priam! Let me hug him tightly against my breast before you do! Iphigeneia Stop! The barbarians will no longer abduct them and carry them off from our wealthy shores, once Helens abduction by Paris has been avenged. A good man, my brother, must not change his manner just because his life is going well. Iphigeneia at Aulis. I must go. 700. Why all this violence? Chorus Even though you were not raised among the sounds of the shepherds flute, even though you were raised, instead, by your mothers side, raised to be adorned one day as a bride to one of Iachus descendants, you, my young girl, will be dragged down like a spotted deer, or like a young heifer is dragged down from some rocky mountains cave, dragged down there to the goddess altar. Old Man The army is heading to Troy, my lady. No! What pain should I mention first or second, or last? Accept it and let our spears sack the tall towers of Troy!. Agamemnon An eloquent covering of a shameful act! And how is it that you, a woman, is here, where the whole army of the Greek men and their shields is gathered? A coward. First Chorus Theyre off to bring back Helen, Menelaos wife, whom Paris, the Trojan cowherd, abducted from her home inSparta, a city built by the reed-covered banks of the river, Eurotas. It will be a long time before I return from Troy, a long time before I greet you again. Iphigenia in Aulis is an Ancient Greek play written by Euripides. Have no fear, the pain will soften with custom and with the passage of time. 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. If any barbarian dared to bring his ships against these hed never see his home again. The play was produced in a trilogy that also included The Bacchae and was presented by Euripides' son or nephew. 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. Then you seal the letter. I want to marry you, to take you to my home and to protect you. Come, then, Lord Agamemnon, make a start on the celebrations. Klytaimestra Achilles, son of the Nereid! Achilles Ill be watching out for you. Soldiers who have been gathered together, away from the chores of their homes and are idle have malice and gossip ready at their tongue. You had come with me to Argos and stayed with me as my servant. Helen, the sister of the Heaven-dwelling twins, the Dioscuri. Up there is my final argument. 550. Youre the one, after all, who, even though the gods have helped you rid yourself of a bad wife, there you are, still intent on getting her back! Weve been robbed! Agamemnon and I have separate properties. Look! 1250. Come, son of the goddess, lend us a hand, help us, or else we are doomed! Clytemnestra It is the goddess' son you see, child, for whom you came here. Klytaimestra So, my sweet darling must face this horrible fate because of the need to bring Helen back? Holy Spirit of mine! Youve persuaded me with wise words. Why are you leaving? Shell be his wife. CLYTEMNESTRA: Now hear me, for my thoughts will I unfold In no obscure and coloured mode of speech. Tell me what plan I should adopt! I have left Pharsalia and Peleas, my father, to come here. Chorus And the weeping and wailing of Priams daughters and of his wife will be bitter and piercing. Open Document. Iphigeneia Oh, Im so happy youve brought me here to see you. Look here, father! 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. 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! I I felt a sharp pain cutting into my heart, my lady and I looked down onto the earth. Someone has exposed my plans! So, calm yourself now, Klytaimestra. 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. Why are we wasting our time around here? Spare me! Then you scratch away the seal and then you throw its pine frame onto the ground and then you begin to cry profusely! Klytaimestra Go ahead then, speak. Dont look at me for that, I cant give you one! Im lost! Your own father has slaughtered you with his own hand! Whether I do it or I dont, the consequences for me will be the same. i. Trans. Such is "Iphigenia" (1977), by Greek director Mikhali (Michael) Cacoyannis, based on Euripedes' tragedy, "Iphigenia in Aulis." "Iphigenia" relates the story of an incident that took place just prior to the Trojan War. A black Fate for all three of us! Achilles Alone? Klytaimestra But youre saying that I can not mourn your death, my darling! He alone did it, he, alone, with his very own hand! Vile trickery, unworthy of his father, Atreas! 250. The suitors should all swear a solemn oath, by giving their right hand and by making sacred sacrifices, that each and every one of them would defend the man who won Helens hand in marriage, no matter who that would be and to come to his aid in case someone stole her from their home and thus deprived that man of his legal conjugal bed. Tell me what it is you want, now. Klytaimestra Yes! Old Man That? Someone must be playing games with both of us for some reason! That is, if my brain doesnt falter and make my tongue trip over its words! Ah! You know the dread that Agamemnon has brought upon us. I am too ashamed to tell you this pitiful story of mine. How dare you! 810, Achilles, they say. . Agamemnon Holy Fate and Fortune! After that, Paris, the man who, according to the legend, judged the three goddesses, Hera, Aphrodite and Athena, for their beauty, arrived atSparta. Iphigeneia Wish them joy for me and take good care of my little brother, Orestes for me. This is something I wont tolerate. Im leaving for another world! Do you not care about me any more? Orpheus, who could charm even the heartless rocks into following him! Hell grab her by her blond hair, if he has to and. The whole of Greece. Achilles Slave to whom? First Chorus This is the naval force I saw with my own eyes and about which I had heard earlier. Klytaimestra! Agamemnon Odysseus has a shifty mind and hes a rabble-rouser. Chorus There goes the girl with garlands on her hair and holy water upon her head! Help us for that reason and help us, too, because if my daughter is killed on the altar that would be a bad omen for your future marital prospects, an omen you should try and avoid. Some of you stand by at the front of the horses to quieten them. Called me slave to a wedding bed! Youre the son of a god and I am a mere mortal! She has flown away to the Heavens! Im giving you my tears! First Chorus Our husbands told us they are all gathered here, under the helm of Agamemnon and his fair haired brother, Menelaos, noblemen both, preparing to launch an expedition againstTroy. So this is the armada I saw here and about which I had heard back home earlier. Menelaos Not if he dies first. Only fools would pray to go down there. 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. 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! You are the cause of it! 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? 0 rating. The returned soldier has been a central figure in the first wave of Canadian plays to deal with the War in Afghanistan. But I see a letter in your hand. Klytaimestra Thats not what the laws of the custom say. I also saw the Boetian fleet, fifty in number, led by Leitus, a mortal, born of the Earth. And then theres yet this: We are asking this good friend of ours here to fight with the whole Greek army and be killed for what? Your current position in the text is marked in blue. 260. Let someone go and prepare the sacrificial basket and may the blessed fire burn high with the purifying barley. See that there are no wheel marks on the road. 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. Klytaimestra But why? But I will talk: the strong ought to help the weak where they can, even if they have little to do with their plight. Chiron, they cried out, Chiron who knows well the meaning of Apollos words, foretells that youll give Thessaly a son, a boy wholl be its brightest light. Klytaimestra Oh, Gods! Just before Iphigenia in Aulis begins . By my grand-father, my mothers father, Nereus, who was nurtured by the ocean waves! 620. Agamemnon Nods, then looks around him. An unrelenting curse. The looks your face took up at that suggestion! If Im right, do the sensible thing and dont kill out darling. She leans before him and embraces his knees. But listen to me, Iphigeneia. One of his servants go and tell him that Achilles, Peleas son is here, waiting for him, at the entrance of his tent! Step gently down, onto the earth. King Agamemnon is talking to a old man and says that he envies the poor man's situation in life. An introduction to a classic play. Old Man He tricked you about the marriage with Achilles, my lady, so that youd be willing to come here. Give thanks to the goddess Hope! They say that Zeus had transformed himself into a bird and then slept with your mother. My life, mummy, my life has been saved! If the gods are just, then they should reward just men like you. I will not have you crying! Chorus There goes the girl wholl soon stain the altar of the murderous goddess with the gushing blood of her beautiful throat! Has my husband gone insane? Klytaimestra No, what hes done to you will cost him a great deal of trouble! Klytaimestra I know well that you are an old servant of my house. Agamemnon Yes, so you see what sort of a man your future son-in-law is! Agamemnon We are brothers when we are doing what is reasonable, not when we do what is madness. After a while, Calchas, our prophet, came up to us and suggested much to our dismay- that we should sacrifice my own daughter, Iphigenia, to the goddess Artemis, whose shrine is in these parts! Please dont do it! Klytaimestra Will anyone come to take her away? I wrap its limbs around your knees and beg you: Please father, do not cut off my life short. 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. Menelaos Useless when you need them and a curse when you dont. Old Man That womans there. Iphigeneia The same song, mother, the same words tell both our fates, dear mother and I Ive lost the days sweet light, the sweet light of the suns rays! 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. 1400. Be careful not to disgrace your ancestors house. He kept pace with the rail and with the wheels of the chariot. Listen to me! 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. This masterful play is masterfully adapted for the screen and brought to life by a wonderful cast. 1150. Why has their marriage brought about my death, father? Are these amazing words the words of a delirious woman? Well, you pretended you didnt want the job but you did. The first one to call you father, the first one you called daughter. Chorus He said your daughter is still alive, my lady!
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