Tell me Agamemnon! I clasp your knees without shame! Im not talking like this because Im missing out on this wedding. iphigenia in aulis monologue mother listen to me Klytaimestra Stop your shouting. Agamemnon Make sure you dont break the seal of the scroll! King Agamemnon is talking to a old man and says that he envies the poor man's situation in life. Once you see the knife approaching your neck you might well call for my help. Klytaimestra But it is rightfully yours, Achilles! Me, father! I would have given it for the sake of my fellow soldiers. Menelaos See this? Agamemnon And when you come across some fork in the road, check it carefully. Would you like her to plead at your knees? I acted like a stupid child before but now I thought more deeply about what its really like to kill your own children. I have brought this bride here with strong hopes for a wonderful marriage. This is the very same sky that heard your words then and the words you chose to write afterwards, reversing your message to your wife, telling her this time, in words to the effect that Ill no longer be my daughters murderer! 360. The lustral water, the barley, everything is ready for the holy flame. Od. Whether I want to do so or not, I must obey Hellas. Women, help her. Well then, tell me: what will your prayer, your plea to the gods be? Yes, you, daughter of the long-necked swan! Promise me, mummy! Vile trickery, unworthy of his father, Atreas! I will never permit your husband to perform such treacherous deeds! I feel too humiliated to face you after the lies Ive uttered, after the dreadful way Ive been treated! How. Iphigeneia But there is no loss, mummy! Dawns light is already being taken over by the fire of the Suns brilliant chariot! Later, he becomes so angry that he picks up the wooden frame upon which the scroll rests and throws it violently to the ground. By my grand-father, my mothers father, Nereus, who was nurtured by the ocean waves! Agamemnon And still something is holding back the expedition. Ha, ha, ha! Agamemnon We are brothers when we are doing what is reasonable, not when we do what is madness. Agamemnon Look at you? Ah, heres your father, go to him, darling! Klytaimestra Will he try and come here and drag my darling away, just like that, against her will? You find my words strange but I find yours equally odd! Written between 408, after Orestes, and 406 BC, the year of Euripides' death, the play was first produced the following year in a trilogy . Agamemnon I envy you, old man! 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. Im very pleased that you, too, honour the goddess Modesty, Achilles! Iphigeneia at Aulis (Greek Tragedy in New Translations) Old Man In all other things, no, my lady. My lord! 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. Achilles By the goddess Modesty! First Chorus Words worthy of Tantalus, Zeus son. iphigenia in aulis monologue mother listen to meemerald sea vessel mcdermott. 900. They live at a place, darling, where I wish Paris, Priams son, never lived! Klytaimestra May they be happy there! Enter AGAMEMNON and ATTENDANT. IPHIGENIA IN AULIS - Monologue (Iphigenia) A monologue from the play by Euripides NOTE: This monologue is reprinted from The Plays of Euripides in English, vol. How I wish he never lived at that meadow where all the flowers bloomed: roses and hyacinths, all those flowers that the goddesses plucked. I am resolved to die; and this I want to do with honor, dismissing from me what is mean. Klytaimestra Is it your wish to kill our child? Do you not want to fight for her? A dreadful sickness! With him also was his close friend, Adrastus, their commander, ready to exact vengeance forHellas sake, against the woman who fled her husbands halls so as to marry a barbarian. 110. Chorus Then the Greeks shall tie a garland around your fair hair and stain your human throat with your own blood. He is writing a letter (on a scroll) an exercise which, it seems, is difficult for him. IPHIGENIA Had I, my father, the persuasive voice Of Orpheus, and his skill to charm the rocks 1000. You used to ask me, I wonder, my darling, will I get to see you married one day, married and settled happily in your husbands home, your life ever blossoming, making me proud of you? And Id touch your chin, my father, hang from your beard, father, like Im doing now and say, and what about you, father, will I get to see you, father, an old man, visiting me at my house, ready for me to repay you for your hard work in raising me?, No, you dont remember these words, father. And how did you respond to that? Its a common thing for a man to be shy when he meets his relatives for the first time and theyre talking about marriage! Come, folks come and take down from the carriage the wedding gifts Ive brought and carefully carry them into the tent. First Chorus What an awful thing it is for brothers whose views differ to come to insults! But then, suddenly a miracle happened, my lady! No, its not me whos gone mad, brother but you. Stay here with us, with all your children! Come, son of the goddess, lend us a hand, help us, or else we are doomed! Those worthy of praise find it a hateful thing when they are praised too profusely. What will you ask the gods to grant you as your knife cuts through your daughters throat? i. Trans. New troubles are now added upon those Im already suffering. Agamemnon My old friend, Thestius daughter, Leda, had three daughters: Phoebe, Klytaimestra (my wife) and Helen. Old Man Yes, my lady and so, I am more loyal to you than I am to your husband. Iphigenia in Aulis. 1400. Agamemnon What you must do is not leave your other daughters alone, back at the house. One of the myths in the Cypria inspired the tragedy Iphigenia in Aulis, written by Euripides (ca. My Pelasgia! Who gave you the right to spy upon my affairs? 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. The play provides some backstory to the more well-known classical tales of the Trojan War. For a while, Iphigenia in Splott (a district of Cardiff about 20 minutes' walk from the the theatre) seems like a pretty normal contemporary monologue. Do you hear them, Helen? Chorus Where has the strength of your face gone? Daughter of Tyndareus! Its covered with a cloak. Who can help me here? You were terrified of losing face and authority! Youd greet anyone and everyone, hoping with this behaviour to gain their approval and thus become their leader. A prophet? Youve murdered Tantalus, my first husband and with even more brutal violence, youve torn my baby from my breast and dashed it hard against the ground! 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. This masterful play is masterfully adapted for the screen and brought to life by a wonderful cast. Go away old man! What shall I do now? you asked me. For use by any theatrical, educational or cinematic organisation, however, including a non-commercial one, permission must be sought. 660. Klytaimestra Oh, no, child! She will be begging me, my sweet young girl! So, we have all gathered here and here we are still, tied down by the weather! Old Man anxiously takes Klytaimestras hand and kisses it. Menelaos No, they can do nothing if you secretly send her back toArgos. Klytaimestra She stretches her right hand 830. Here we are, eagerly obedient to your wish! Old Man Menelaos! Agamemnon Nods, then looks around him. No, mother! There is a small oil lamp on the table as well as various writing implements. Agamemnon saw his child on her way to her slaughter and immediately groaned with horrible pain. Click anywhere in the Agamemnon This is scandalous! Old Man Dear Fortune, help my brain to save those I love. Mother, no! Dont become an evil man! Oh, what a joy it is to see you, Iphigeneia! ancient Greek wedding ritual, Iphigenia comes to Aulis accompanied by her mother and brother. Husband, I know the prospective grooms name but I know little about his family or his country. I would have given it to serve the greater good of our soldiers. Klytaimestra Unfortunate, Achilles, yes, that is true! Chiron, the wise teacher, was entrusted by a wiser parent! Aided and abetted by the gods! CLYTEMNESTRA Now hear me, for my thoughts will I unfold In no obscure and coloured mode of speech. Iphigeneia Of course. Where shall I begin? 440. She goes to her death, so her father won't have to carry the guilt of. Agamemnon dares to commit a most dreadful deed! I cannot stop crying! Up there is my final argument. The Plot of Iphigeneia at Aulis. Iphigenia (1977) - Plot - IMDb Well, you pretended you didnt want the job but you did. Give me your hand, my dear child. Klytaimestra May joy be with you for ever, Achilles. Tell me the reason you will give no let me speak on your behalf, because I know what you will say. I dont want anyone to think despicable things about me. 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. Iphigeneia No, mother. . Then seiz'd and sever'd me from those I lov'd, And wrench'd with iron grasp the beauteous bands. Which one will not wonder if it will be the next one you take to the slaughter? Old Man That womans there. What a lusty fervour the whole ofGreecehas stirred up for this expedition! Oh, your poor cheeks, your poor beautiful, golden hair, your youthful breasts! The whole thing is a game played by the heavens! Rather, I have an amazing story to tell you about your daughter. Klytaimestra Our other daughters are looked after well and they are safe in their quarters. Klytaimestra Listen then and listen to me well! 164. Klytaimestra Dear Achilles! No, dont bury your face inside your cloak! 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. Dent & Sons, 1920. 560. Old Man Old age! It would be shameful if Agamemnon saw me touching whats not rightfully mine! 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! The Prologue of Iphigenia at Aulis - JSTOR Let me tell you of your faults, Agamemnon! We use cookies for essential site functions and for social media integration. Iphigenia in Aulis by Euripides: Analysis & Themes | Study.com See that there are no wheel marks on the road. Iphigenia at Aulis seems to have been constructed in a society in which it was ideal to put nation and family ahead of oneself. London: J.M. Iphigeneia is crying. It will be a long time before I return from Troy, a long time before I greet you again. A nanny is holding the baby Orestes in her arms. Ive changed, youll say! 450. 128. 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. 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. Chorus Friends, let us sing our prayer to Artemis! The goddess son. First Chorus Diomedes, too, was there amusing himself, throwing a discus. Returned soldiers emerge as protagonists in Pierre-Michel Tremblay's Au Champ de Mars, Hannah Moscovitch's This Is War, and George F. Walker's Dead Metaphor while Evan Webber and Frank Cox-O'Connell Little Iliad deals with a soldier about to be dispatched to Afghanistan. Iphigeneia Wish them joy for me and take good care of my little brother, Orestes for me. Amazon.com: Iphigenia in Aulis: 9798405231303: Euripides, Buckley Enter Achilles with fellow soldiers in full armour. First Chorus The left flank of the Greek armada ended with the twelve trim and fast ships, led byAjaxwhose birthplace isSalamis. Or else, we might as well call Mount Sipylus, the Asian city where his barbarous ancestors came from a great city and wipe out of our mind the name of Phthia! Youll go to a place where youll forget about your father. Clytemnestra But why? Klytaimestra Peers into the distance anxiously for a moment but is finally relieved. Go, now! Iphigeneia Dont leave home, daddy. I wrote a letter to my wife, Klytaimestra. Intelligence, brother, can turn any man into a head of State. Iphigeneia Father! Reg. Its going past those seven stars, the Pleiades, my lord straight through the very centre of the heavens. I Im not so sure. Those two had hair the colour of fire and were spotted from below the ankles of their great hooves. 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. ATTENDANT I come; what new schemes now, king Agamemnon? Thank you, my sweet daughter! Iphigenia in Aulis Plot Summary | Course Hero Fate gave me nothing to be proud of. Hell be the man wholl take his army of spear-loving Myrmidons and turn Priams city into rubble. I would have given it if the Greeks couldnt get to Troy without my doing so. Iphigenia in Aulis: A Monologue Everyone called Idean because of the Trojan city Idean. 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. 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. Come, disband the army and leaveAulismy brother and stop your tears and mine! Chorus They tell me that Cassandra, Apollos priestess is there. You have betrayed your own brother! Iphigeneia Pelasgia! We took Iphigeneia to the forest of Zeus daughter, Artemis. Next to him was Myriones, son of Ares, a marvel to all men and Odysseus, Laertes son, who came from the hills of his island,Ithaca. 610. No, Id rather see the death of a thousand women than that of a single man! The young heifers that will be sacrificed and that will deliver their abundant dark blood to the goddess Artemis are ready. 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. You might still change your mind. 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 Exit Achilles. Not mine, thats for sure. / Malvaux > Non class > iphigenia in aulis monologue mother listen to me / 15.02.22 iphigenia in aulis monologue mother listen to me . And, do I not also have the right to make my own prayer to the gods about you? Ha! Am I not allowed to manage the affairs of my own home, in my own way, now? Brothers fight because of lust and because of greed in their inheritance. The first one to call you father, the first one you called daughter. Have no fear, the pain will soften with custom and with the passage of time. Leave now, Achilles. What horror! . A garland for my head a garland for my hair some holy water from the sacred basins! Pronunciation of iphigenia in aulis with 1 audio pronunciations. Klytaimestra And leave my darling behind? First Chorus I sped through Artemis woods, a place rich with sacrifices, my youthful shyness blushing my cheeks, anxious to see the armys might, the tents of the Greeks and their countless horses. I will not have you crying! Come, then, Lord Agamemnon, make a start on the celebrations. Stay here. What demon has taken possession of his mind? Im not too proud to do so. 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! 389. Iphigenia in Aulis or Iphigenia at Aulis (Ancient Greek: , romanized: phigneia en Auldi; variously translated, including the Latin Iphigenia in Aulide) is the last of the extant works by the playwright Euripides. Achilles First, let us try and bring her father back to his senses.