Let me, instead, save Greece, if I can. 1279. Iphigenia at Aulis seems to have been constructed in a society in which it was ideal to put nation and family ahead of oneself. No, youve brought me to life so that the whole of Greece may rejoice! Whats in your mind, this time, my lord Agamemnon? Dont suppose for one minute that Ill be asking them to treat you well. And where will I be at the time? Chorus There they will arrive with their war-whetted spears and shields to wrest Helen from Priams city and bring her back toGreece. AGAMEMNON Old man, come hither and stand before my dwelling. Your daughter, my lady, has today seen both death and life! I have brought with me your daughter, Iphigeneia and her mother -your wife- Klytaimestra, as well as your young son, Orestes. Ive changed because of my love for my mothers son. After that, Paris, the man who, according to the legend, judged the three goddesses, Hera, Aphrodite and Athena, for their beauty, arrived atSparta. Enter Second Chorus of men and women, Attendants of Klytaimestra, Second Chorus Indicating behind the curtains (Stage Left) 590. I would have given it for the sake of my fellow soldiers. Click anywhere in the On thy knees I hang, A suppliant wreath, this body, which she bore Here, friends, take this baby to his father, Agamemnon. The young heifers that will be sacrificed and that will deliver their abundant dark blood to the goddess Artemis are ready. 500. Mother, no! Your own baby! You will be doing so to a man whos loyal and faithful to you. How could I possibly express my gratitude to you in a modest way? The whole of Greece is gathered here and they all want one thing: to go to the famous city of Troy and tear down her towers. What should I call your deeds to make them also sound lovely? First Chorus Helen was given as a gift toParis, by Aphrodite, one day when, near the cool springs, she won the beauty contest from her rivals, Hera and Palas Athena. You both know the size of the army gathered here. Arent you ashamed of yourself? How. Agamemnon, her father will sacrifice her to the goddess Artemis. Checking out the situation carefully. You havent given birth to me simply for your own sake! Agamemnon Youll be able to see the sacrifice. 110. Gods forbid that I should choose to lose a brother to win a Helen! Calchas. Youre the son of a god and I am a mere mortal! He writes a few words, then scratches them out and begins again. Weve been robbed! Master! First Chorus And it is a great thing to follow the footprints of virtue like a hunter follows the footprints of his prey. Whats going on? some of them ask. Theyre bound to serve someone well, sometime. The Greek warriors are waiting for you, anxious to start off for Troy! The strength of the minor characters in Agamemnon distinguishes this play from a number of Aeschylus' other works. Now make your answer reasonable also! What, youll be performing a mothers duties now? That would be bad for both of us. Paristook it and carried her off back to his own home, in Ida, a place where the cows graze in luxurious pastures. Iphigenia's father is Agamemnon and his brother is King Menelaus. 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! I acted like a stupid child before but now I thought more deeply about what its really like to kill your own children. Chiron, the wise teacher, was entrusted by a wiser parent! At one point he is satisfied with what hes written, seals it with his ring but then, a moment later, he scratches away the seal and re-reads the letter. Dance around the temple of the blessed goddess! Are these amazing words the words of a delirious woman? Attic tragedies were performed in Athens about the 5th century BC. Klytaimestra So, my darling will not be put to the sword? I want no one to lose tears over my grave. Achilles Whos that? Agamemnon Achilles is acting in name only and not in deed. So this is the armada I saw here and about which I had heard back home earlier. I wrote a letter to my wife, Klytaimestra. If Im right, do the sensible thing and dont kill out darling. Old Man My lady, you know who I am and just how loyal Ive been to you and your children. Klytaimestra Did they? Poor, poor girl! I just couldnt get through to them! I envy the man who knows no fame; and I dont envy the man whose life is heavy with the trappings of office. 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. I shall think of nothing else but you from now on. Menelaos Leave! Klytaimestra turns away angrily and enters the tent. Still, by then it is too late. Klytaimestra These are lovely words, Agamemnon but what of your deeds? Achilles What? She takes the baby Orestes from Iphigeneias hands. Protect us in our terrible misfortune. Your voice has horrified me! You mean, the son of Sisyphus? And Helen, Zeus daughter, will shed bitter tears, too, for betraying her husband. Cheiron, the centaur did, so that the child might be brought up not knowing the behaviour of evil men. 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! What? You saw the endless ships. Iphigenia in Aulis is an Attic, or Greek, tragedy composed by Euripides (circa 480-406 BCE). You, grandchild of Aeacus you, too Ledas daughter, stay! 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. Achilles Ah! What an awful Fate the gods have delivered to you! 440. Agamemnon It will take place at the most propitious time: When the moon completes its cycle again. Eloquence, brother, begets hatred! She was falsely called your future wife. He lifted his cloak up and dug his face deep into it, trying to hide the tears that flooded his eyes. Chorus Go, young girl! The whole place glitters with the bronze armour of the warriors. Klytaimestra Will he try and come here and drag my darling away, just like that, against her will? There is no need! No, its not me whos gone mad, brother but you. Klytaimestra The whole of the Greek army? You have betrayed your own brother! 1600. An unrelenting curse. Iphigeneia Dont let them wear black either! The choruses "Que d'attraits" and "Non, jamais, jamais aux regards" are full of grace. Iphigenia decides to sacrifice her life for the glory of Greece. Yes, you, daughter of the long-necked swan! Klytaimestra But Achilles, think again! A wise man must keep in his house a good and faithful woman, or else he should never marry! My life, mummy, my life has been saved! Such good wives are rare, Agamemnon! If you cannot persuade him then come back to me. Then Achilles, Peleas son, took the golden basket and the holy water in his hands and ran around the goddess altar, chanting 1570. Clytemnestra and Iphigenia try to Klytaimestra How can there be a death and not a grave? This work is licensed under a How full of torment is life for us ephemeral creatures! Iphigeneia rushes and embraces Agamemnon. Hear my first attack on you: Youve married me by brutal force and by murder. Listen! 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. NI 1886. Klytaimestra Achilles, son of the Nereid! The decision is yours and it is a brave one, I admit that. Dont become an evil man! His servants use the other. Conditions and Exceptions apply. 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. Here comes Agamemnon! She runs her hand over his chin, over his right hand. Help us, Achilles! Klytaimestra Who then was the heir to the House of Aeacus? Helen, the sister of the Heaven-dwelling twins, the Dioscuri. Iphigeneia I am a fortunate girl, mother. If the oracle has given me some say into your daughters fate then I pass that say over to you. Accomplish your tasks, old man! The barbarians will no longer abduct them and carry them off from our wealthy shores, once Helens abduction by Paris has been avenged. Sadly, softly so that she wont hear him. Spare me! Here I am. Come on, Orestes, even babies know when theres trouble around! Pause. Chorus Agamemnon, son of Atreas, begin now your journey to Troy and may it be a happy one! Then, you arrived here, inAulis, with the whole of the Greek army and immediately you lost every virtue you had. Agamemnon Neither. Youll fight them all? The very last thing you do. Both of us, darling! Details. No one was ever born to a life free of misery. 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. I need to tell you things that our daughter should not hear. Go! Chorus And the weeping and wailing of Priams daughters and of his wife will be bitter and piercing. King Agamemnon is talking to a old man and says that he envies the poor man's situation in life. She has accepted this offering gladly and has granted us a safe journey for our expedition against Troy. Happy to be at your sisters wedding. 1613. Hell be the man wholl take his army of spear-loving Myrmidons and turn Priams city into rubble. You win, I cry. She decides to ruin the party by tossing in a golden apple that says "To the . 1400. For such a young girl you are so intelligent! 420, The soldiers talk and they ask questions. Agamemnon No need to tell me to answer you honestly. Tell me! Hell grab her by her blond hair, if he has to and. Abominable creature! Ah, yes! I shall go to the priest. Difficult. Iphigeneia at Aulis. Klytaimestra What would you like me to do? For a moment a great deal of shouting by men is heard behind the curtains. My mother! 490. He sounds frightened. The play has been translated and adapted for various media, from other plays to paintings, operas, novels, and films. These ships, too, were adorned with emblems at their high sterns, this time of Cadmus, holding a golden serpent in his hands. Menelaos True. Save your child! Those two had hair the colour of fire and were spotted from below the ankles of their great hooves. 640. Menelaos Let go! What a dreadful thought to have in your mind! Achilles I told them that if thats what they thought, then they should not kill my intended wife. Her expedition to Troy and its destruction depends upon me. Whether I do it or I dont, the consequences for me will be the same. No, I will not shed any tears now. Chorus Ah! No, Id rather see the death of a thousand women than that of a single man! I could not. All the women are frightened and turn towards it. Soon youll wake up a happy young man, my son. The whole Greek army, Klytaimestra, thats who! For a slave you have just too much to say! Klytaimestra What is it? Its not proper for young girls to be in the public eye for too long. Achilles Yes. So, tell me, my brother: What is all this violent fury? 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. Klytaimestra who was married to whom? Old Man Yes, my lady. The girl is with the gods! Oh, my girl! She had vanished, my lady! Accept the pure blood from this girls lovely neck! What can I possibly say now? Chorus And there it was that Dardanos poured the heavenly nectar into the deep golden cups of the gods. Achilles Alone? Klytaimestra Answer me honestly, my husband! I accepted my fortune and youll admit that I have always been a good wife to you. No, he gave you life so that you may understand pain, as well as pleasure. 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? You, Paris, you son of Priam! 65. It was your name, Achilles that has brought us to this misfortune, so protect it now. Klytaimestra You? Why run away? On thy knees I hang, A suppliant wreath, this body, which she bore He, madam, hes the cause of all your torment, madam. Under no circumstances should any of this work be used as part of a collage, which includes the work of other writers or translators. The play was produced in a trilogy that also included The Bacchae and was presented by Euripides' son or nephew. My home! Out here, in front of the tent! Ah, Menelaos! The gods do strange things, madam, things that baffle us mortals but they save those they love. 1100. Ah, but the common folk have it easy. The trilogy won first prize at the City Dionysia at Athens. Now come out of Agamemnons tent. 751. Klytaimestra But it is rightfully yours, Achilles! 128. Last Updated on July 14, 2022, by eNotes Editorial. If only this town, if only Aulis, had refused to let all these Troy-destined ships enter her harbour! 1000. Agamemnon My old friend, Thestius daughter, Leda, had three daughters: Phoebe, Klytaimestra (my wife) and Helen. Is being a General the only thing in your head? Tell me, Agamemnon: Tell me what will you say to someone who asks you why youve killed your daughter? No! Iphigeneia No, mother! Intelligence, brother, can turn any man into a head of State. Old Man Dear Fortune, help my brain to save those I love. What was the point of bringing us up here for a marriage that. How can I endure your death? Old Man Menelaos! 1470. Our daughters marriage is my concern! He is afraid of his own soldiers. Helen, wife of Menelaus, king of Sparta, had eloped to Troy with Paris, son of King Priam. Klytaimestra I hear you, I hear you! Agamemmnon's fleet is stranded by bad weather in the bay of Aulis and his troops are growing mutinous. Old Man But, surely, my lord, surely it is there, in the trappings of office and power, that we find pleasure! 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. Enough! I shall do as you say. Your father has gone, my darling and abandoned you to Hades! And the gods will see to that, whether you like it or not. materials crossword clue 9 letters. Agamemnon shall never lay a finger on your daughter not even to touch her robes! Iphigeneia Do not hate daddy my daddy, your husband. I clasp your knees without shame! Agamemnon Nods, then looks around him. They fuse into one. Think again, Iphigeneia! To Dardanos house, in Troy, to bring back Menelaos wife, Helen. Iphigeneia Come, now, mother, dont make me lose heart! Figure 2.2: Black-figure lekythos showing Iphigenia 89 led to the altar, c. 470 BCE. Shhhh listen to me! The sparkling water of your ancestral streams is waiting for you! Achilles By the goddess Modesty! I cannot stop crying! Come and hear my news! Think nothing of it! Look at him for the last time. If I must then I shall wash away her oracle with my blood, with my sacrifice upon her altar. Its a common thing for a man to be shy when he meets his relatives for the first time and theyre talking about marriage! That will be very easy to accomplish. Ive changed my mind, brother. I shall do as you say. Iphigeneia Are you sending me to live with another family, daddy? He is interrupted by Klytaimestras entrance. How much more time do we need to waste on this expedition toTroy? Gone! We use cookies for social media and essential site functions. 700. A teller of truth one time and a teller of lies one thousand times if hes lucky! Clytemnestra It is the goddess' son you see, child, for whom you came here. Please refer to our Privacy Policy. In revenge for Agamemmnon killing one of her sacred stags, the goddess Artemis demands the sacrifice of his eldest daughter . November 1, 2021 . I saw you trying to write it by the light of that lamp there. And so, soldiers, take heart and head for your ships because today we must leave behind the deep harbours of Aulis and cross our way through the vast Aegean sea!, And when the animal was thoroughly burned in the flames of the god of fire, Hephaistus, and when the holy rites were completed, Calchas prayed for our safe return. employee value proposition model; 10 minute virtual bike ride; application for head of school; dawnelle 120'' wide velvet symmetrical modular sectional with ottoman Iphigeneia Youre going off on a long journey daddy and youre living me behind! Enter Achilles with fellow soldiers in full armour. Tell us whats wrong! The true leader of a city and of an army is not merely brave but intelligent. Its blood spattered about, saturating the goddess altar! Whatever do you mean? 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. Achilles I did but theyre shouting at me, too! Oh, this is a terrible thing youre doing! CLYTEMNESTRA: Now hear me, for my thoughts will I unfold In no obscure and coloured mode of speech. I was not going to slaughter my own daughter, old man! Why? Agamemnon A king, darling, a General is always worried. 1440. Only fools would pray to go down there. By the goddess Hera, protector ofArgosand of marriage, I shall not do so! Just answer my question! I dont want anyone to think despicable things about me. As she imagines Agamemnon killing Iphigenia, Clytemnestra. Give you my right hand? No, mother! Its a meadow full of bright and beautiful flowers. Youll be back inArgos, taking care of our other daughters. Then Agamemnon came to me and ordered me to come here and tell you what Fate the gods have granted to your daughter. Go away old man! Someone has exposed my plans! He married Thetis, Nereus daughter. The sacrifice of Iphigenia would be covered by Euripides in 'Iphigenia at Aulis' and in this version Agamemnon has second thoughts. Iphigenia's mother Clytemnestra is also determined to save her. 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. What will you ask the gods to grant you as your knife cuts through your daughters throat? Her unexpected arrival has added to my ruin. Klytaimestra You have the impudence to ask me that? You will kill the one whos loved by all so as to save the one whos hated by all! 80. Wagner) / Akira Mori, conductor - Drake Symphony Orchestra / Recorded at Drake University, (date) Show more Show more Gluck. 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. Chorus Let Agamemnon place a crown upon the head of Greece and let him be crowned in turn! Lets not have the common tongues wag against us. Old Man Because Menelaos took it away from me, my lady. 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. Achilles The whole army is calling out for. This sword will have blood on it even before I leave for Troy! There will be no grave. But, alas, the road was long, my lord and so the women are now having a rest by the refreshing waters of a spring. Iphigeneia at Aulis Quotes THE OLD MAN: Atreus did not sire you, Agamemnon, into a world of pure happiness. Iphigenia in Aulis is the last extant work of the playwright Euripides. You, Agamemnon, are doing what countless others have also done in public life: While theyre in power they put up enormous efforts to keep it but then, when the public makes a stupid decision sometimes understandably so because the leader is too weak to lead the State- these public figures fall all in a heap and they disgrace themselves! Old Man The priest, my lady. Stop waiting for those indecisive sons of Atreas to tell you what to do. Old Man Yes, my lady and so, I am more loyal to you than I am to your husband. 919. So, calm yourself now, Klytaimestra. See what troubles the gods have thrown at me, the poor wretch? And then theres also this: what right do I have to love my life so much? Believe me, I wont be exaggerating. Shelley Dean Milman. 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. options are on the right side and top of the page. Iphigenia In Aulis - Read online for free. They hate me the most! Klytaimestra Good idea. Messenger No, my lady! I shall serve Greece! She swings him, sadly, gently back and forth and leans over him as she speaks to him. Chorus And so the Greek ships will sail. 570. And I also hear what theyve done to me! Youre drowning me in misery. 250. Obedient child. 350. Full of joy and yet tears flow from your eyes 650. 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! Iphigeneia Dont leave home, daddy. Daughter of Tyndareus! 280. 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. To the lowly and weak mortals, the fortunate always appear like gods. 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. Next to him was Nireas, first among the Greeks in beauty. 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. So, we have all gathered here and here we are still, tied down by the weather! 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. Klytaimestra You? Whos calling through that half-opened door? Agamemnon Little girls should not be bothered with such things. What would be the best action for him to take? How dare you! Perseus provides credit for all accepted Chorus Let Agamemnons spear see victory! Iphigenia in Aulis. Awful! Now call her out here so she can follow me to the altar. Please, in the name of Pelops and of Atreas, who is your father, I beg you!
Jake Wesley Rogers Net Worth,
Was Rachel Bay Jones On King Of Queens,
Kezi News Anchor Fired,
How Did Martin Milner Die,
Articles I