Menelaos Useless when you need them and a curse when you dont. Lets think through this together, my lady. Ha! First Chorus This god, this god with the golden hair, lifts his bow and shoots two arrows of passion, one to bring us lifes greatest joy, the other to send us into a whirlwind of confusion. Agamemnon Call on me when you want me to do something reasonable, not when you want to ruin me. Klytaimestra You, alone? But go! What demon has taken possession of his mind? Let our friends here see how happy you make me. Chorus You, evil Helen! My Mycenae! Let me tell you of your faults, Agamemnon! Just answer my question! Im giving you my tears! The future of our Greek women rests upon my actions. They picked up their spears, strapped on their armour, and rushed over here, inAulis, with ships, troops, and a huge number of horses and chariots. You began and ended your speech with fine sentiments. Come, then, Lord Agamemnon, make a start on the celebrations. First Chorus This is the naval force I saw with my own eyes and about which I had heard earlier. Old Man That womans there. Have no fear, the pain will soften with custom and with the passage of time. Paris! Dent & Sons, 1920. In revenge for Agamemmnon killing one of her sacred stags, the goddess Artemis demands the sacrifice of his eldest daughter . This is desperate behaviour, my lord and it leaves no doubt to anyone who sees you, my lord, that youve gone mad! Klytaimestra Did they? My friend, neither kill nor be killed because of me. Iphigeneia I am ashamed because my marriage has turned out to be such a dismal failure. Achilles Who? Why are we wasting our time around here? 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. Iphigeneia Yes, mother, please let me run to him before you do. Enter AGAMEMNON and ATTENDANT. Please, in the name of Pelops and of Atreas, who is your father, I beg you! Is it a good wife youre after? Click anywhere in the I see a throng of men approaching. 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. He and no one else! 1180. 58. 340. You will be doing so to a man whos loyal and faithful to you. The news spread quickly and so the whole army already knows that your daughter has arrived. And you, you will carry the honour of my deed wherever you go! He alone did it, he, alone, with his very own hand! Wagner) / Akira Mori, conductor - Drake Symphony Orchestra / Recorded at Drake University, (date) Show more Show more Gluck. A member of the chorus rushes into the tent. 720. No, thats not a good idea, Klytaimestra Ill hold you tight, by your clothes, Iphigeneia No, mother. Old Man In all other things, no, my lady. No, there are hundreds of women who want my wedding bed! The first one to call you father, the first one you called daughter. Menelaos Act according to your position, or youll be very sorry, old man! Achilles Weighty words, old man! 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! Come, my darling daughter, come, Iphigeneia, come and stand near me. Remember, father? It is what a mother must do! What a terrible shame! London: J.M. A sensible man usually speaks to others with respect. The young heifers that will be sacrificed and that will deliver their abundant dark blood to the goddess Artemis are ready. What would be the best action for him to take? But then, suddenly a miracle happened, my lady! iphigenia in aulis monologue mother listen to me. I have a greater right to speak than he does! Theyre all just sitting idly around by the shore. Menelaos Yes, but an unstable mind is an evil thing, something which befuddles the minds of ones friends. Shelley Dean Milman. From now on I will live there in that other world. And you, dear wife, daughter of Leda, I ask forgiveness from you, too, for all my tears. Please dont do it! Thank you, my sweet daughter! Menelaos Not if he dies first. Figure 2.3: Iphigenia being dragged toward the altar for sacrifice, 91 430-420 BCE. We are a free people, whereas they are slaves. I was beaten by all the noise. Here, friends, take this baby to his father, Agamemnon. And Ill list them all, if you dont start getting angry or begin to deny them. 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. 290. Free to mock her! 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 And kept his promise by bringing her here, to you, all the way from Argos! Klytaimestra goes into the tent. I know everything! Shes about to be slaughtered by the hand of her own father! Chorus That is, if what they say about you being Ledas daughter is true. 1290. Believe me, I wont be exaggerating. Our daughters marriage is my concern! 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! Achilles What? Clytemnestra and Iphigenia try to It was a lie. MENELAOS (Agamemnons brother, King ofSparta), IPHIGENIA (Daughter of Agamemnon and Klytaimestra), ACHILLES (Chief of the Myrmidons, an army), SECOND CHORUS (Men and women ofArgos, attendants to Klytaimestra and Iphigeneia). Achilles What do you mean, madam? Are these amazing words the words of a delirious woman? Klytaimestra And is that where hell take our daughter? Klytaimestra But tell me, good servant, where did you hear all this? But tell me what I must do. 620. Has the carriage lulled you to sleep? 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. Then, the moment you became one, all this nice behaviour changed and you had turned your back on all your friends. Chorus And so, the blessed couple were wed by the gods: The nobly born oldest daughter of Nereas and Peleas. Your fathers holy water is waiting for you! A city built by the Cyclopes! The Greeks were then enabled to set sail. Achilles I told them that if thats what they thought, then they should not kill my intended wife. Think nothing of it! I shall be accompanying our girl with the wedding song. 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. Then you seal the letter. 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! The opportunity was made for him to elope with her, since Menelaos was absent at the time. Achilles By the goddess Modesty! Why run away? Its young Orestes, a baby still. Can you see what the goddess has placed upon her altar? And the gods will see to that, whether you like it or not. Let my pity be a protective blanket over you; it is the pity of a young man but it is a sincere pity, nevertheless and one brought about by the fact that I have been the one named as your daughters husband. They want me to. I wrote a letter to my wife, Klytaimestra. Of all of my children, you, Iphigeneia, have always loved your father the most! He walks slowly about the stage for a moment, anxiously searching the starry sky. I feel too humiliated to face you after the lies Ive uttered, after the dreadful way Ive been treated! Then seiz'd and sever'd me from those I lov'd, And wrench'd with iron grasp the beauteous bands. You will say that youve killed our daughter so that Menelaos, your brother, can get back his Helen! Chorus What an awful, pitiful fate you must endure, child! First Chorus The left flank of the Greek armada ended with the twelve trim and fast ships, led byAjaxwhose birthplace isSalamis. Those worthy of praise find it a hateful thing when they are praised too profusely. 180. Shhhh listen to me! How full of torment is life for us ephemeral creatures! Go! There will be no grave. Its good that the children will be spared. Mother, I see a group of men coming towards us! You know the dread that Agamemnon has brought upon us. Summary of Iphigenia in Aulis Prologue The play opens with a prologue which starts with a dubitable, suspiciously non-Euripidean discussion between Agamemnon and a loyal Servant of his, in which the commander of the Greeks under Troy expresses second thoughts over the content of a previously sent letter to his wife Clytemnestra. 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. The Theme of Heroism Achilles is often regarded as a great and mighty hero in Greek. Chorus There goes the girl wholl soon stain the altar of the murderous goddess with the gushing blood of her beautiful throat! i. Trans. Other men may have different views but let me give you my own. Please dont be offended now! Only fools would pray to go down there. Agamemnon Thank you, friend. Thats what theyll be saying; and all this because of you, Helen! The gods deserted you and they wouldnt give you a favourable wind for our sails. Agamemnon Yes, I see it and, before you start youd better hand it back to me! Still, if I fail? Look there! Old Man You have dared to do a most frightening thing, my lord, Agamemnon! 1600. So angry were my twin brothers, the Dioscuri, that they came charging down from Zeus side on their glistening horses to fight you but you went begging to my old father, Tyndareus and he, not only saved you but made me your wife! The returned soldier has been a central figure in the first wave of Canadian plays to deal with the War in Afghanistan. See that there are no wheel marks on the road. Last Updated on July 14, 2022, by eNotes Editorial. Achilles No, my lady, dont call your daughter out to see me. He is afraid of his own soldiers. Ask me, what is it? Enter from Stage Left Klytaimestra and Iphigeneia, accompanied by an entourage of men and women, some of whom are carrying gifts into Agamemnons tent. So, calm yourself now, Klytaimestra. Klytaimestra But why didnt you deliver that message to me, if it was in your hand? Agamemnon Are you, darling? 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. ("Agamemnon", "Hom. Did they not side with you? Iphigeneia Will I go on my own or with mother? Euripides (484 BCE - 406 BCE) Translated by Theodore Alois Buckley (1825 - 1856). I ask only for a modest share of Aphrodites love; let it be not excessive! You will be away from me for a very long time. She is the daughter of Agamemnon and Clytemnestra . And how is it that you, a woman, is here, where the whole army of the Greek men and their shields is gathered? Let that stand for me in place of the children and the marriage I could have had. I dont have to do anything he says and I didnt. Iphigeneia Do not hate daddy my daddy, your husband. Intelligence, brother, can turn any man into a head of State. You have declared the girl to be the bride of a goddess son, yet you bring her here to be a sacrificial offering for the benefit of the Greeks! / Malvaux > Non class > iphigenia in aulis monologue mother listen to me / 15.02.22 iphigenia in aulis monologue mother listen to me . 330. Agamemnon Yes. Iphigeneia Servants, quickly, open the doors of the tent so that I may hide! It is my name that he will be using as his sword to slaughter Iphigeneia and this awful man will disgrace my body if I let your daughter, who was about to marry me and who has suffered this insufferable fete die because of me. 1171, I would be there, alone, Agamemnon, wailing, crying bitter tears, yelling, Darling Iphigeneia!
