But go! I was not going to slaughter my own daughter, old man! Klytaimestra Im not surprised you dont recognise me. If I try to stop them they will kill us all. Whether they treat me well or appallingly makes no difference to them. 378. First Chorus Women protect it well by avoiding immoderate love and men by bringing civil order in their city, thus making it great. Klytaimestra Ive come out here looking for my husband. I shall serve Greece! Give you my right hand? Klytaimestra You, alone? London: J.M. Chorus Listen to her, Agamemnon! Klytaimestra Is it your wish to kill our child? So, we have all gathered here and here we are still, tied down by the weather! 1590, He spoke and he said, Chiefs of the Greek army, can you see this offering? I swear by my mother, the goddess Thetis, that I shall fight the Greeks to save you! After that, Paris, the man who, according to the legend, judged the three goddesses, Hera, Aphrodite and Athena, for their beauty, arrived atSparta. Agamemnon Are you, darling? Because, even though it would be improper for a little girl to plead at a mans knees, she will put aside her sense of modesty and do it, if you wish. For a moment a great deal of shouting by men is heard behind the curtains. Forget it, madam! November 1, 2021 . The Old Man is angry and tries to take the letter back from him. First Chorus Mortals vary in body as well as in mind but true virtue, which comes from a good upbringing and a good education, always stands out. But I see a letter in your hand. I was the first to play on your knees, the first one of your children to enjoy your love and the first one to give you a childs love. Clytemnestra and Iphigenia try to 670. Enter a Perseus citation to go to another section or work. But I have no such skill. Should I exchange the good for bad? Ah, yes! Give me a big hug! I can see that youre angry at your husband but I think youre wrong about that. / Malvaux > Non class > iphigenia in aulis monologue mother listen to me / 15.02.22 iphigenia in aulis monologue mother listen to me . Achilles Who? Which of your children will dare even look at you? Where has the strength of the face of Modesty or of Virtue gone? Achilles I do, my lady and I can see its a horrible thing for you to endure. Old Man Yes, dear lady! My hair! Come, my darling daughter, come, Iphigeneia, come and stand near me. 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. Chorus There goes the destroyer of Troy and her people! And so, the Greeks ordered you to let them board their ships and go back home and to stop wasting their efforts here. Look there! Not before I tell all the Greeks what it says! Menelaos First, look at me in the eye and then Ill tell you! And then I also realised that were brothers and my heart went out for the poor girl who would be sacrificed for the sake of my own marriage. Agamemnon Yes, dear because our separation will be a long one. 'Iphigenia' is the great achievement of Michael Cacoyannis. Christoph Willibald Gluck: Overture to "Iphigenia in Aulis" (orch. 1400. Iphigenia in Aulis is an Ancient Greek play written by Euripides. Agamemnon Pleasure! How could I ever speak the truth now? Ah, but the common folk have it easy. Iphigeneia Come, now, mother, dont make me lose heart! Because the workings of your mind always have been, are now and always will be, deceitful. Dont waste any time! Spare my young life, father. The Plot of Iphigeneia at Aulis. "Iphigenia" marks Steele and Lorca's fourth collaboration on a Greek tragedy. 1230. 43. I know, Im behaving as if I were some god towards you though Im a mere mortal. 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. Klytaimestra And kept his promise by bringing her here, to you, all the way from Argos! They will speak badly of you if you do not help her. Indeed no! The Aenians brought twelve ships, captained by their king, Gouneus; and beside them were moored the lords ofEliswhom everyone called Epeians. Horses can panic if theres no one to soothe them. Shelley Dean Milman. 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! What destruction! [1375] rancho mission viejo rienda; mamma restaurant london. Iphigeneia Yes, mother, please let me run to him before you do. 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 I take your kind welcome and gracious words as signs of a good omen. Please dont be offended now! The gods do strange things, madam, things that baffle us mortals but they save those they love. May it be with you always, for helping the unfortunate! He lifted his cloak up and dug his face deep into it, trying to hide the tears that flooded his eyes. How I wish he never lived near the gurgling white waters of those springs, the springs where nymphs gathered. Menelaos Listen to me, Agamemnon! Have no fear, the pain will soften with custom and with the passage of time. 290. Your current position in the text is marked in blue. Menelaos Odysseus will give us no trouble. Ill obey your every command. Chorus Where has the strength of your face gone? And Ill list them all, if you dont start getting angry or begin to deny them. Agamemnon Of course you do so long as you dont try to ruin them! Agamemnon And if she has already left the safety of her home and if you chance to meet her retinue on the road, send them back again take the reins from their hands and hasten the horses towards the shrines of the Cyclopes. Hold on! All right, youve stopped me Im waiting. 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. Calchas. Only your knees. Chorus Awesome is the power of giving birth! Its going past those seven stars, the Pleiades, my lord straight through the very centre of the heavens. Agamemnon Damn them, indeed as I am damned, Iphigeneia, I and many others! How could I, a mortal, go against that? Achilles Yes. We are doomed now! Klytaimestra How can there be a death and not a grave? The gods are no fools and they know when oaths are falsely pledged or forced upon people. First Chorus Moored next to them was an equal number of Argive ships, headed by two chiefs, Euryalus, the son of Mecisteus, who was raised by his grandfather, Talaus and Sthenelus, Capaneus son. Sadly, softly so that she wont hear him. If I could use such a voice and have everyone charmed, have them convinced to agree with me and follow me, then I would use that voice. Iphigeneia Separation? Achilles What? Now come out of Agamemnons tent. Go! Still, its not proper for me to be talking with a woman. Save your child! Calchas gave you the answer and you jumped with joy when he told you that the Greeks would be able to sail forTroyonly after you had sacrificed your daughter to Artemis. Chorus You, evil Helen! The returned soldier has been a central figure in the first wave of Canadian plays to deal with the War in Afghanistan. Iphigenia hoped for but now lacks, and which the chorus explicitly offers as a measure of Iphigenia's cruel fate: she should not be a sacrificial animal but a bride for kings (1085 ff.). 250. He is the very reason you are here! And I shall here where the groom is, I shall. Mahathma Gandhi Super Specialty Hospital > Blog Classic > Uncategorized > iphigenia in aulis monologue mother listen to me. I will not have you crying! As Iphigeneia approaches her, Agamemnon enters. Second Chorus Look there: our Lords daughter, Iphigeneia, our princess; and there, his wife and Tyndareus daughter, our Lady, Klytaimestra! How could I? Klytaimestra turns away angrily and enters the tent. There is a small oil lamp on the table as well as various writing implements. Chorus Youre a brave girl, Iphigeneia. Achilles! Let that stand for me in place of the children and the marriage I could have had. Klytaimestra And you will abandon your mother like this? This surely is nothing more than drivel spat out of the mouth of a mad old man! Achilles They were the worst of them all! Come, tell me, share your story with me. Old Man So, my lord, why on earth are you wandering about out here, then? Iphigeneia Youll come right back after youre done withTroy, wont you? Related Characters: The Old Man (speaker), Agamemnon , Clytemnestra Related Themes: Rest assured, we are alone. Come, take me to the altar of the goddess. Details. Not unless I obey the priests demand, not unless I sacrifice you. It was there, at that meadow that Pallas Athena and Aphrodite, whose heart was full of cunning, came with Hera and Hermes, Zeus messenger. What do they want to do with you? Raise a hymn now to the goddess Artemis, Zeus daughter, for the sad honour she has asked me to endure and let the women of Argos, the daughters of Danaus, hold a silence of reverence. Give me your hand, my dear child. If only this town, if only Aulis, had refused to let all these Troy-destined ships enter her harbour! Dance, girls, dance around Artemis altar! 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! She has accepted this offering gladly and has granted us a safe journey for our expedition against Troy. Are you here to add to the mountain of dread I have to endure already? Stay! Paris! Agamemnon Thank you, friend. Old Man And, my lord, if I say all these things youve just told me, will your daughter and your wife believe me? Wont you cry with me, Orestes? Klytaimestra Have you made the pre-natal offerings to the goddess yet? They first worked. Chorus Gods laws are ruled by lawlessness and mortals dont unite to stand against the wrath of Heaven. His baby sounds will make no sense but theyll be full of meaning. Klytaimestra Did they? Looking over the baby. 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. How should I start? Some members of the chorus rush about her, placing garlands on her hair and sprinkling water upon her head. Where is the army going? But my brother, using all sorts of arguments, finally persuaded me to commit this dreadful deed! Orpheus, who could charm even the heartless rocks into following him! Iphigeneia at Aulis. Klytaimestra But it is rightfully yours, Achilles! What a hateful, bitter sight is Helen! They were sitting together on stools, joyfully immersed in a game of draughts, a game full of complex moves. I Im not so sure. 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. Here, friends, take this baby to his father, Agamemnon. Obedient child. Oh, this is a terrible thing youre doing! Then seiz'd and sever'd me from those I lov'd, And wrench'd with iron grasp the beauteous bands. Iphigeneia But but look at you, father! What a terrible shame! Klytaimestra Go ahead then, speak. The trilogy won first prize at the City Dionysia at Athens. 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. Effie (Sophie Melville) is a hard-nosed . Iphigeneia Youre going off on a long journey daddy and youre living me behind! She will be saved if you will it. And then am I mad if I had changed my mind about something which I later realised I was wrong? Hear my first attack on you: Youve married me by brutal force and by murder. 610. Begging you by his silence. 919. 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. 583. He sends all sorts of winds to sailors: winds to make them happy to lift their sails and plunge into the sea, winds to make them sad because they must furl their sails; and winds that make other sailors crazy because theyre forced to move too slowly. He, too, loves glory. The true leader of a city and of an army is not merely brave but intelligent. Very difficult. Another, Pallas, was proud of her war spear and the third, Hera, proud of the fact that she shared her bed with Lord Zeus. Come, my lord, lets go back inside! Where is the leader of the Greek army? And this, my lady, this is no lie, believe me! 490. Her unexpected arrival has added to my ruin. Enter from Stage Left Klytaimestra and Iphigeneia, accompanied by an entourage of men and women, some of whom are carrying gifts into Agamemnons tent. Let no Greek touch my body with his hand. Next to these were the Athenian ships -sixty of them, and these were captained by Theseus son. Or else let Menelaos kill Hermione, his own daughter. Ive rushed here before them so that you can be ready to receive them. And how did you respond to that? Euripides (484 BCE - 406 BCE) Translated by Theodore Alois Buckley (1825 - 1856). You havent given birth to me simply for your own sake! 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. Hell be the man wholl take his army of spear-loving Myrmidons and turn Priams city into rubble. I envy the man who knows no fame; and I dont envy the man whose life is heavy with the trappings of office. Exit Agamemnon. There are times when the gods shun you, reject you, thwart your every effort and there are times, too, when the whining and the moaning of your men crush you! By the gods, Agamemnon! Directing his question to the chorus. I can see you there now: a nobleman becoming a brother-in-law to a nobleman, to the divine Achilles, the son of Thetis the Nereid. And then, if his prophesies are found to be false, he vanishes! 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. I am resolved to die; and this I want to do with honor, dismissing from me what is mean. Summary. If Im lying to you, madam, then let death come upon me. Klytaimestra These are lovely words, Agamemnon but what of your deeds? 1090. Lets not have the common tongues wag against us. 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. i. Trans. What will you ask the gods to grant you as your knife cuts through your daughters throat? Still, if I fail? 1531. But let me try and persuade you and let her stay inside the tent. 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. Dont waste time kissing my hand. Please, father! Believe me, madam: Agamemnon will not slaughter her! 1600. Please dont do it! Figure 2.1: A possible sacrifice (Iphigenia or Polyxena). Why run away? changes, storing new additions in a versioning system. Your fathers holy water is waiting for you! 1150. Tell me what it is you want, now. Son of the Nereid, you are marrying my daughter. Ive also missed you! PDF Cite Share. 440. 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. Come, then, father, turn to me and give me a final kiss. Klytaimestra But what about the marriage? Im very pleased that you, too, honour the goddess Modesty, Achilles! Dear women of Argos, this death, my death, this sacrifice to Artemis, will speed the Greeks to Troy and bring honour to the Greeks. Old Man You should not have opened this letter! See this letter, this contemptible letter with the contemptible message inside it? No, dont bury your face inside your cloak! But listen to me, Iphigeneia. This light is the sweetest thing that can fill the eyes! I had put a wedding wreath on her head and brought her here to be your wife. My home! 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. Otherwise why should we bother being just? Old Man Dear Fortune, help my brain to save those I love. 640. 1560. . And the gods will see to that, whether you like it or not. i. Trans. All of us? What should I call them? I dont understand, father. Ive missed you so much. 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? Chorus And there it was that Dardanos poured the heavenly nectar into the deep golden cups of the gods. Its an unbearable, harsh dread. Stuffed full with men and spears. Death is a dreadful thing! Just before Iphigenia in Aulis begins . The barbarians will no longer abduct them and carry them off from our wealthy shores, once Helens abduction by Paris has been avenged. Iphigeneia Then I shall be stupid and make you laugh! George Bell and Sons. Agamemnon This is scandalous! 660. Youre drowning me in misery. Believe me, I wont be exaggerating. Your father has gone, my darling and abandoned you to Hades! If your pleas work and they save the girls life, then my intervention will not be necessary. Now go! Come, son of the goddess, lend us a hand, help us, or else we are doomed! Agamemnon And you shouldnt be hanging around here, among all the soldiers! (A father's conduct here I blame), A joyless victim bred; When o'er the strand of Aulis, in the pride. A goddess, mother, the goddess Artemis has called for my body. Chorus What an awful, pitiful fate you must endure, child! 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! Look here, father! He said that it must be done if the expedition is ever to make it to, Klytaimestra Expedition? Oh! 1031. I have a greater right to speak than he does! A safe return? Please, in the name of Pelops and of Atreas, who is your father, I beg you! Agamemnon Yes but first I must make a sacrifice here, inAulis. $3.99 delivery March 10 - 14. Ive changed because of my love for my mothers son. Chorus And their call to the Nereid was loud and clear: 1061. How much more time do we need to waste on this expedition toTroy? He goes to the tent and shouts through its door.