Iphigeneia No, mother. Menelaos No! Iphigenia I am ashamed to face Achilles. I have brought with me your daughter, Iphigeneia and her mother -your wife- Klytaimestra, as well as your young son, Orestes. 420, The soldiers talk and they ask questions. We use cookies for social media and essential site functions. Current location in this text. 1010. Where did you catch him? But I have no such skill. Stay here with us, with all your children! Your fathers holy water is waiting for you! Have no fear, the pain will soften with custom and with the passage of time. "I envy you old man. 190. And thats why the whole ofGreecerose up in arms with great fervour. Shelley Dean Milman. What should I call them? iphigenia in aulis monologue mother listen to me 04.07.2022 04.07.2022 Stay here. We use cookies for essential site functions and for social media integration. A sensible man usually speaks to others with respect. 280. Iphigenia has arrived in Aulis, and soon the army will be demanding her death. Klytaimestra Im not surprised you dont recognise me. 411, Menelaos Enjoy the glory of your sceptre then! 1410. What a disgraceful behaviour! It is a bitter thing for a father to take, a father who has worked hard but who must send his daughters away away to another household. Agamemnon Look, the sacrificial ceremony is ready. The Greek warriors are waiting for you, anxious to start off for Troy! Please dont be offended now! London. Agamemnon Asopus, the river god, had a daughter,Aegina. What sort of a welcome do you think youll receive on you return? 730. 1500. Save your child! 490. I have left Pharsalia and Peleas, my father, to come here. Tyndareus, her father was in a dreadful dilemma: should he allow her daughter to marry or not? Iphigenia's father is Agamemnon and his brother is King Menelaus. The name of Tyndareus stands high among the Greeks and one shouldnt demean it. Whether I do it or I dont, the consequences for me will be the same. This last one, Helen, had received the most famous, the greatest sons of the whole ofHellasas her suitors ferocious threats of murder were uttered by those who had missed out on her. I, too feel the same pain so I wont be angry with you. Shelley Dean Milman. Still, the girl came up close to him and said, Daddy, here I am, ready to do as you say. Ah, but this impudence of yours will miss its mark! Enter AGAMEMNON and ATTENDANT. He lifted his cloak up and dug his face deep into it, trying to hide the tears that flooded his eyes. I wrap its limbs around your knees and beg you: Please father, do not cut off my life short. The young heifers that will be sacrificed and that will deliver their abundant dark blood to the goddess Artemis are ready. What a price to pay for the sake of saving a slut! Shelley Dean Milman. Here comes Agamemnon! 180. 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! Klytaimestra Listen then and listen to me well! Oh, goddess who lets her brilliant light roll along through the gloomy darkness of the night! Listen! Agamemnon Where, darling? Youve come to your death you and me also! I I am shocked, my lady! Achilles Whos that? Dent & Sons, 1920. Its true, my lady that there are times when it is more pleasant to avoid excessive wisdom and there are times when wisdom is helpful but I, madam, I was raised in the house of Chiron, a centaur who respected the simple ways, the honest ways. 1290. 1270. 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? Hear my first attack on you: Youve married me by brutal force and by murder. Klytaimestra bursts into tears. 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. This way, I hope, my pain will be lessened a little. Why are we wasting our time around here? Klytaimestra And the feast for us women? Iphigeneia Wish them joy for me and take good care of my little brother, Orestes for me. In it I spoke of Achilles high rank, his bravery, his honour and told her that the man refused to sail with us unless one of our daughters became his wife and went to live at his house, in Phthia. Palermo, Mus. Daughter of Tyndareus! Oh, what a joy it is to see you, Iphigeneia! The sun should rise slowly until full daylight is reached just before line 164. Im shaking with fear. It is our custom to bury sacrificial offerings. Enter Klytaimestra. I do but you dont! 1380. Please dont get angry with me. Only your knees. 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. Whatever do you mean? Figure 2.2: Black-figure lekythos showing Iphigenia 89 led to the altar, c. 470 BCE. 1121. 860. Otherwise why should we bother being just? Agamemnon Yes but first I must make a sacrifice here, inAulis. Tell him not to kill his daughter. I beg you, father! Iphigenia at Aulis was first performed in 405 B.C.E., the year after Euripides' death. It is, in fact, at that time when his friends should be able to rely on him because it is at that time, the time when things are going well with him, that he can help them the most. The whole of Greece. All right, youve stopped me Im waiting. 70. Such good wives are rare, Agamemnon! Chorus Ah! Klytaimestra But what about the marriage? Both of us, darling! George Bell and Sons. I ask only for a modest share of Aphrodites love; let it be not excessive! And where will I be at the time? Chorus Your words are worthy of you, Achilles and of your mother who is a splendid goddess. Klytaimestra Really? As is common, there is a dowry, here brought by her mother from the household of Agamemnon (lines 612-13). 900. Klytaimestra You? 303. King Agamemnon is talking to a old man and says that he envies the poor man's situation in life. I cannot defy the goddess demands, my darling. 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. Then thats the end, my sweetheart! Well, old man, Menelaos was outraged by this! That is, if my brain doesnt falter and make my tongue trip over its words! Iphigeneia I am a fortunate girl, mother. It is a glory that will never wither in the minds of the Greeks. You have been wronged, madam. 1540. Klytaimestra I am Klytaimestra, Ledas daughter and Agamemnons wife. If you cannot persuade him then come back to me. But tell me what I must do. I shall do as you say. This is the first English edition with commentary of the play since 1891. By your chin, Achilles, by your right hand and by your mother, stand by us! Free to mock her! You just cant imagine Calchas joy, madam! Agamemnon He lives in Phthia, by the river Apidanus. Chorus What an awful, pitiful fate you must endure, child! 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. I shall be accompanying our girl with the wedding song. We your children and I- will give you the return that an evil man deserves. How could I possibly express my gratitude to you in a modest way? 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! Oh, your poor cheeks, your poor beautiful, golden hair, your youthful breasts! Look at him for the last time. Are we not all wasting our time here, by the banks ofEpirus? Here are the two of us, ones a baby, the other a grown up girl, a brother and a sister, both your children, begging you, by your beard, pleading with you. Iphigeneia hugs her mother. How could I ever speak the truth now? He kept pace with the rail and with the wheels of the chariot. 1080. Agamemnon Yes, I shall say nothing in my defence. The single men have left their houses empty and uncared for and the married ones have left their wives and children behind. Iphigeneia Pelasgia! You, girls! Klytaimestra Oh, no, child! Enter Menelaos and the OldMan. Gather the baskets for the sacrifices, place wreaths on your head. Klytaimestra She stretches her right hand 830. Look here, father! No, it will not be necessary. Menelaos Let go! Horrible Fate, what a dreadful yoke youve locked me into! Ive changed, youll say! Later, he becomes so angry that he picks up the wooden frame upon which the scroll rests and throws it violently to the ground. 65. A goddess, mother, the goddess Artemis has called for my body. If the sons of Atreas practice honesty then I shall obey them but if they dont, rest assured, madam that Ill defy them. Copyright 2000-2023 A. S. Kline, All Rights Reserved. My mother! This is desperate behaviour, my lord and it leaves no doubt to anyone who sees you, my lord, that youve gone mad! 1340. My lady your daughter her father he is about to kill her! Agamemnon No, the wedding was held in the sacred valleys of Pelion, where Cheiron lives. After that, Paris, the man who, according to the legend, judged the three goddesses, Hera, Aphrodite and Athena, for their beauty, arrived atSparta. Achilles First, let us try and bring her father back to his senses. What should I call your deeds to make them also sound lovely? Ive changed because of my love for my mothers son. Menelaos is carrying a staff and has nearly finished reading Agamemnons letter which he has torn from the Old Mans hands. She leads her mother into the tent and returns to centre stage. 260. In order to appease her and sail on to Troy, Agamemnon was forced to sacrifice his daughter, Iphigenia; the Chorus describes in detail her pitiful cries for mercy as her father's men cut her throat. Achilles No, my lady, dont call your daughter out to see me. This is the letter which you saw me writing in the dark, opening it and shutting it, labouring over it. You locked yourself up indoors and became totally unapproachable to everyone. This is a happy day for Iphigeneia! On thy knees I hang, A suppliant wreath, this body, which she bore Do you not want to fight for her? We are doomed now! Its not Menelaos whos in control here, Iphigeneia. 890, Old Man He had sent me off to bring you a letter, madam about the first message. Gone are the harsh words, suddenly! 1300. That will be very easy to accomplish. She is a loving mother, and when her husband orders to kill their daughter, she bears a deep grudge against hi, and vows to take vengeance . I have no one else to turn to, no other friend, no other altar to pray upon. His servants use the other. That would be bad for both of us. Dent & Sons, 1920. Yet it is right that she should come with her sweet daughter to give her away as a bride. I have my army, the famous Myrmidons, wasting their time hanging about the quiet waters ofEpirus, getting angrier and more impatient by the minute. Ultimately, Euripides uses Iphigenia at Aulis to argue that the ancient Greek impulse to revere one's lineage or parentage while effectively ignoring the duty one has to one's living, breathing family is one which creates sadness, discord, anger, and even the impulse for revenge. Step gently down, onto the earth. So, tell me, my brother: What is all this violent fury? Klytaimestra No, what hes done to you will cost him a great deal of trouble! Here, father, here is the body of a suppliant! Come, look up there! 1350. First Chorus We have left behind our land, Chalkis, a land washed by the salty waters of glorious Arethousa and weve travelled through the narrow straights of Euripus to come here, toAulis, to this sandy peninsula. 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 . Wagner) / Akira Mori, conductor - Drake Symphony Orchestra / Recorded at Drake University, (date) Show more Show more Gluck. Ah! Here is the body that your wife has given birth to. Agamemnon The heir was Peleas. 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! It is a madness I cannot control. 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! Iphigeneia Well then, get rid of this ugly frown from the face that I love so much! How could I? 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 What, Achilles? 1031. Agamemnon I, with all the Greeks as witnesses shall give Iphigeneia away. But go! Agamemnon dares to commit a most dreadful deed! Ah! First Chorus Atreas son, Menelaos, brought with him fromMycenae, the city built by the Cyclopes, one hundred ships and all the sailors to man them. Achilles By the goddess Modesty! My armed comrades will be there with me to save your life, to stop your execution. What is all this loud brawling in front of my tent? This got me so angry that the very next moment I ordered Talthybius to use his powerful voice and call the army to disband. 1100. Her expedition to Troy and its destruction depends upon me. Iphigenia in Aulis. I dont have to do anything he says and I didnt. The gods deserted you and they wouldnt give you a favourable wind for our sails. $3.99 delivery March 10 - 14. Agamemnon I would, but some god has made both you andGreeceinsane! Out here, in front of the tent! 27. Holy Spirit of mine! Chorus There goes the girl with garlands on her hair and holy water upon her head! Agamemnon An eloquent covering of a shameful act! 1460. Now the strength rests with Irreverence and Virtue is now scorned by the mortals. Before the play begins: The background of Iphigeneia at Aulis is the Trojan War. You know very well how humble you were during the days you wanted to be the leader of the Trojan expedition. Agamemnon The entire Greek army, Menelaos! It is the wish of the Heavens. Where are we going to set it up? She will be saved if you will it. 520. Let her keep her dignity intact. But they cant, my darling daughter. Details. Old Man My lady, you know who I am and just how loyal Ive been to you and your children. Iphigenia O mother that bore me! Are you here to add to the mountain of dread I have to endure already? 620. Image from Vermeule and Chapman (1971) Plate 71. Agamemnon So you broke its seal and read its contents? Klytaimestra What shall I tell your little sisters? Agamemnon Sisyphus son, Odysseus, knows our whole story. Chorus And there it was that Dardanos poured the heavenly nectar into the deep golden cups of the gods. A god or a mortal? Shelley Dean Milman. Agamemnon It will take place at the most propitious time: When the moon completes its cycle again. Old Man Yes, my lady and so, I am more loyal to you than I am to your husband. Figure 2.1: A possible sacrifice (Iphigenia or Polyxena). I dont understand, father. Rather, its the fact that you need a good woman one to fill your arms with and, in order to get her, youve lost your wits and your manners! Let me hug him tightly against my breast before you do! Agamemnon What you must do is not leave your other daughters alone, back at the house. 1020. London: J.M. I would have given it for the sake of my fellow soldiers. 90. Klytaimestra Oh, Gods! I always have! Them and their pine sterns and their shiny bronze prows! 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. In front of the tent is a small table at which sits Agamemnon. Old Man And, my lord, if I say all these things youve just told me, will your daughter and your wife believe me? He embraces and then steps back to look at her sadly. How full of torment is life for us ephemeral creatures! Chorus Alas! Those with dignity are respected, those without are shamed, though defending ones dignity is not always possible. Ha! Lets think through this together, my lady. "Iphigenia at Aulis" (Gr: "Iphigeneia en Aulidi") is the last extant tragedy by the ancient Greek playwright Euripides. From now on I will live there in that other world. Perseus provides credit for all accepted As Iphigeneia approaches her, Agamemnon enters. He writes a few words, then scratches them out and begins again. Very difficult. Let no Greek touch my body with his hand. Stay! Pause. You were only too glad to take up that offer! Rather, I have an amazing story to tell you about your daughter. These ships, too, were adorned with emblems at their high sterns, this time of Cadmus, holding a golden serpent in his hands. Agamemnon! It was written sometime between 408 and 406 BCE (the date of his death) and was first produced in the year following his death, where it won first place at the Athenian City Dionysia contest. 1160. It is unjust that your children should die while mine still enjoy the sunlight. Just before Iphigenia in Aulis begins . line to jump to another position: The Annenberg CPB/Project provided support for entering this text. Your father, my lord, Atreas, didnt bring you into this world so that you may taste only its pleasures, my lord. What does your Iphigeneia have to do with my Helen? Finally, my old friend, he came upon the answer. CLYTEMNESTRA: Now hear me, for my thoughts will I unfold In no obscure and coloured mode of speech. Iphigeneia Yes, mother. Agamemnon Calchas will reveal his oracles to the men. Go! Your current position in the text is marked in blue. And this, my lady, this is no lie, believe me! Dont suppose for one minute that Ill be asking them to treat you well. Achilles Words, logic, can fight off fear. Klytaimestra What was the second message? Iphigeneia Oh, Im so happy youve brought me here to see you. Chorus Joyous notes were sung to the glory of Peleas, son of Aeacus and Thetis, there, upon Mount Pelion, the woody realm of the Centaurs. And help me, too. Achilles They want to stone me to death, Klytaimestra! Klytaimestra Unfortunate, Achilles, yes, that is true! "Iphigenia" marks Steele and Lorca's fourth collaboration on a Greek tragedy. Checking out the situation carefully. Youre drowning me in misery. Agamemnon I know well about pity I know well who deserves it and who does not and I -I love my children! I will be led to a godless slaughter by a godless father! Go inside now! Achilles You must grab her and not let go of her. They live at a place, darling, where I wish Paris, Priams son, never lived! 389. Iphigeneia Yes, mother, please let me run to him before you do. Exit Agamemnon. Chorus You, evil Helen! Agamemnon Here, Menelaos. 1050. Whats in your mind, this time, my lord Agamemnon? I shall look elsewhere for friends and help. It was there, at that meadow that Pallas Athena and Aphrodite, whose heart was full of cunning, came with Hera and Hermes, Zeus messenger. Orpheus, who could charm even the heartless rocks into following him! I also saw the Boetian fleet, fifty in number, led by Leitus, a mortal, born of the Earth. Menelaos Listen to me, Agamemnon! A good man, my brother, must not change his manner just because his life is going well. I need to tell you things that our daughter should not hear. Death is a dreadful thing! My Pelasgia! Its a natural thing for men with decent hearts to do the decent thing. 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! Klytaimestra What would you like me to do? Wont you cry with me, Orestes? Come, then, Lord Agamemnon, make a start on the celebrations. Let us pray for a good fortune! Promise me, mummy! Dying for a marriage about which her lunatic suitors swore Tyndareus oaths. Tell me, Agamemnon: Tell me what will you say to someone who asks you why youve killed your daughter? Theyre all just sitting idly around by the shore. Thats what Im afraid of! What was the point of bringing us up here for a marriage that. I can talk no more. See this letter, this contemptible letter with the contemptible message inside it? What a dreadful thought to have in your mind! Are you still sleeping my baby? Ive rushed here before them so that you can be ready to receive them. Agamemnon I praise you, Menelaos for these unexpected words, proper words, words truly worthy of you. The whole place glitters with the bronze armour of the warriors. One of the myths in the Cypria inspired the tragedy Iphigenia in Aulis, written by Euripides (ca. PDF Cite Share. He married her and they had a son, Aeacus who became King of the island Oenone. You are indeed a brave, noble person, Iphigeneia and for that reason I want you to be my wife. And, do I not also have the right to make my own prayer to the gods about you? I envy the man who knows no fame; and I dont envy the man whose life is heavy with the trappings of office. 86 Boston MFA 6.67. 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. Where is the leader of the Greek army? 220, First Chorus I came to take a look at the great number of ships, a sight most pleasant and most able to satisfy my girlish eyes. Over the centuries other hands have contributed to the text we now have but even so for the most part it shows Euripides at his finest. The Greek army is getting ready to sail. No one was ever born to a life free of misery. It makes the mother love her child most deeply and she will defend it with her life. Would you like her to plead at your knees? Then Agamemnon came to me and ordered me to come here and tell you what Fate the gods have granted to your daughter. Some madness has overtaken their hearts and they want to sail immediately over to Troy to the land of those barbarians and to put an end to this raping and stealing of our women, to tearing them away from their marital beds. Iphigeneia Artemis altar will be my grave. Still, if I fail? With blessings or with force? Achilles They were the worst of them all! 640. Klytaimestra What shall I do for you in Argos? Paris! How. They cry when they wish and speak their mind freely, something which a leader cannot do: its undignified, its an insult to the splendour of his position and his whole life is controlled by it. Lets not have the common tongues wag against us. There, alongside of them, ran Achilles, Peleas son, in his full armour. First Chorus There you were, Paris: a man brought up to be a cowherd, looking after the grazing, white cows of Ida with their heavy udders, playing Asian tunes in your reedy pipes, airs much like those Trojan songs from Mount Olympus when, suddenly, you had to judge between three goddesses; and it was this judging that has sent you to Helens ivory palace in Hellas. Open Document. But Iphigenia, having determined to die nobly on behalf of the Greeks, was snatched away by the Goddess, and a stag substituted in her place. Calchas will find out for me what it is the goddess will be satisfied with though, I know, it will be something which will bring me misery and a great deal of hard suffering for the rest of Greece. Youve raised me to be the shining light of Greece. Let that stand for me in place of the children and the marriage I could have had. She has accepted this offering gladly and has granted us a safe journey for our expedition against Troy. Those worthy of praise find it a hateful thing when they are praised too profusely. And it was with this lie, about the girls mock-marriage, that I tried to persuade my wife to bring her here. Achilles I did but theyre shouting at me, too! 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. Iphigeneia Damn all these spears of Menelaos! Its a meadow full of bright and beautiful flowers. And I shall here where the groom is, I shall. The fleet of the war-loving Taphians, with its foaming oars, was commanded by their king, Phyleus son, Meges who had left the Echinae, islands that are far too unwelcoming for sailors. Klytaimestra Falls down and clasps Achilles knees. ancient Greek wedding ritual, Iphigenia comes to Aulis accompanied by her mother and brother. Enter Second Messenger running excitedly. options are on the right side and top of the page. He is the son of the goddess Thetis, and his tutor was Cheiron, the most honourable of all the centaurs. They first worked. He said that it must be done if the expedition is ever to make it to, Klytaimestra Expedition? And how is it that you, a woman, is here, where the whole army of the Greek men and their shields is gathered? Menelaos Yes, but an unstable mind is an evil thing, something which befuddles the minds of ones friends. Believe me, I wont be exaggerating. Im angry because King Agamemnon has insulted me so gravely.

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