iphigenia in aulis monologue mother listen to me

Some of you stand by at the front of the horses to quieten them. Towards this now, mother turn your thoughts, and with me weigh how well I speak; to me the whole of mighty. Your words are good, worthy of our country. 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. AGAMEMNON Old man, come hither and stand before my dwelling. You have chosen logic and good intentions to that of continuing a war against Fate and against Necessity. They will sail over to our home, to Argos and kill our children and the two of us as well! I was not going to slaughter my own daughter, old man! Here comes Agamemnon! Agamemnon And dont waste any time hanging about some watering hole in the woods and dont fall victim to the magic of sleep! Think nothing of it! Iphigeneia Stop! Let our friends here see how happy you make me. Those two had hair the colour of fire and were spotted from below the ankles of their great hooves. Horses can panic if theres no one to soothe them. Klytaimestra goes into the tent. And how can I be certain that this isnt just an idle little story to cheer me up, to ease my dreadful grief for you? I shall be accompanying our girl with the wedding song. Come, my darling daughter, come, Iphigeneia, come and stand near me. Related Characters: The Old Man (speaker), Agamemnon , Clytemnestra Related Themes: On thy knees I hang, A suppliant wreath, this body, which she bore All of you! As Iphigeneia approaches her, Agamemnon enters. Chorus Go, young girl! Shhhh listen to me! At the tip of their sterns stood the golden statues of Nereids, the emblem of Achilles army. Most treacherously wronged by your closest friends. Pause. Now, you must take with you our newborn son from here and go back home. Another, Pallas, was proud of her war spear and the third, Hera, proud of the fact that she shared her bed with Lord Zeus. I dont understand, father. I will not have you crying! 700. 520. She runs her hand over his chin, over his right hand. Old Man Yes, tell me so that what I say to your wife agrees with what youve written in there. Only your knees. But, my brother, we can do nothing now but go on with the bloody murder of my darling daughter. 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. 402. Reg. I acted like a stupid child before but now I thought more deeply about what its really like to kill your own children. Summary. Finally, he picks up the scroll and gets up and moves away from the table. Of beauty kindling flames of love, High on my splendid car I move, Betrothed to Thetis' son a bride: Ah hapless bride, to all the train. 990. Come, darling Iphigeneia, come down from the carriage now. Dire to me because it brought about my death. Words escape me! Klytaimestra My question is nothing but reasonable. 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 . Menelaos Why is that? 1500. 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. Good bye. Helen, the sister of the Heaven-dwelling twins, the Dioscuri. Menelaos First, look at me in the eye and then Ill tell you! I would have given it for the sake of my fellow soldiers. Iphigeneia Oh, Im so happy youve brought me here to see you. 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. Which one will it be? Now, that was the first of my complaints against your character. Klytaimestra Thats not what the laws of the custom say. Agamemnon I know well about pity I know well who deserves it and who does not and I -I love my children! Once you see the knife approaching your neck you might well call for my help. Dent & Sons, 1920. Your father, my lord, Atreas, didnt bring you into this world so that you may taste only its pleasures, my lord. He married her and they had a son, Aeacus who became King of the island Oenone. Achilles But, dont worry, Ill certainly make it hard for him! Old Man That? 20. His baby sounds will make no sense but theyll be full of meaning. Enter Second Messenger running excitedly. Shes about to be slaughtered by the hand of her own father! By the goddess Hera, protector ofArgosand of marriage, I shall not do so! Well, you pretended you didnt want the job but you did. Of all of my children, you, Iphigeneia, have always loved your father the most! Go away old man! 860. PDF Cite Share. Agamemnon I, with all the Greeks as witnesses shall give Iphigeneia away. Buy used: $6.99. But why girl? Why do I not call her a woman? Will she not be made Hades bride soon? Orestes is begging you, too! Klytaimestra How can there be a death and not a grave? I would have given it to serve the greater good of our soldiers. Achilles! Iphigeneia Servants, quickly, open the doors of the tent so that I may hide! Klytaimestra So, who raised the young Achilles, Thetis or his father? 480-406 BC) and being performed in the Outdoor Theater at the Getty Villa from September 7 to 30. 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. On thy knees I hang, A suppliant wreath, this body, which she bore Now call her out here so she can follow me to the altar. My life, mummy, my life has been saved! Youd greet anyone and everyone, hoping with this behaviour to gain their approval and thus become their leader. . Are you still sleeping my baby? Iphigeneias scream of grief is suddenly heard from within the tent. Agamemnon Pleasure! The Plot of Iphigeneia at Aulis. What shocking news of disaster is this? Here I am. My mother! This work is licensed under a We are doomed now! Give me your hand, my dear child. Them and their pine sterns and their shiny bronze prows! Horrible Fate, what a dreadful yoke youve locked me into! And how is it that you, a woman, is here, where the whole army of the Greek men and their shields is gathered? 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. 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. Consistently, They want me to. Dance, girls, dance around Artemis altar! Agamemnon Yes, so you see what sort of a man your future son-in-law is! Come, son of the goddess, lend us a hand, help us, or else we are doomed! First Chorus And I saw Gerenian Nestor who came from Pylos. Chorus Enjoy now the sacrifice of blood and then help the Greek army launch its expedition to the land of the Phrygians, Troy the treacherous! Agamemnon He lives in Phthia, by the river Apidanus. Theyve all rushed over there to see her. Chorus There goes the girl wholl soon stain the altar of the murderous goddess with the gushing blood of her beautiful throat! 1080. Chorus And there it was that Dardanos poured the heavenly nectar into the deep golden cups of the gods. Achilles Alone? Ive changed my mind, brother. 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. Chorus Let Agamemnon place a crown upon the head of Greece and let him be crowned in turn! Agamemnon Nods, then looks around him. Agamemnon I would, but some god has made both you andGreeceinsane! My death will bring about all this liberation and my good name will live into eternity. Arent you ashamed of yourself? Thats Achilles, my darling. 500. Or fastest delivery March 8 - 10. Hes coming this way now. The returned soldier has been a central figure in the first wave of Canadian plays to deal with the War in Afghanistan. What does my life have to do with the marriage of Paris and Helen father? 1531. Then the priest lets out a huge roar and the whole army roared with him as they saw the most unbelievable sight, a sight that must have been sent by Heaven, a sight that made them question their very eyes. Well! It was your name, Achilles that has brought us to this misfortune, so protect it now. Iphigeneia Are you sending me to live with another family, daddy? They first worked. 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. My sacrifice will bring about a victory for the Greeks and secure their safety. Madam, let this sword of mine bear witness to what Im about to say! Im giving you my tears! Exit Agamemnon. Klytaimestra Was he picked by the army to do this or is this his own private doing? King Agamemnon is talking to a old man and says that he envies the poor man's situation in life. I just heard your voice from inside and came out to greet you. Come, folks come and take down from the carriage the wedding gifts Ive brought and carefully carry them into the tent. First Chorus The left flank of the Greek armada ended with the twelve trim and fast ships, led byAjaxwhose birthplace isSalamis. The play provides some backstory to the more well-known classical tales of the Trojan War. Ive tried all manner of subtle tricks to get my closest friends to agree with me and there, too, Ive failed. Do you think that I, son of Atreas the fearless, will be afraid to raise my eyes and look at you in the eye? Agamemnon Sisyphus son, Odysseus, knows our whole story. Youve come to your death you and me also! Help us! No, Id rather see the death of a thousand women than that of a single man! Klytaimestra Go ahead then, speak. Awful! Klytaimestra Unfortunate, Achilles, yes, that is true! Agamemnon So you broke its seal and read its contents? I know what you want to do to me Go on! Oh, this is a terrible thing youre doing! Accept the pure blood from this girls lovely neck! Then Calchas, the priest, took out a sharp sword out of its sheath and placed it in a basket made of gold. Chorus Your words are worthy of you, Achilles and of your mother who is a splendid goddess. I was beaten by all the noise. Achilles No, Iphigeneia! You were still the man she loved. I have tried desperately to send Klytaimestra away from here but Ive failed. You might still change your mind. Happy noises of incoming royal procession, including horses and chariot are heard within, Stage Left. The goddess son. 1200. Here, father, here is the body of a suppliant! Where inGreecedoes he live? But I will talk: the strong ought to help the weak where they can, even if they have little to do with their plight. No, dont bury your face inside your cloak! 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? Which one will not wonder if it will be the next one you take to the slaughter? Messenger No, my lady! line to jump to another position: The Annenberg CPB/Project provided support for entering this text. Clytemnestra But why? 510. No, mother! Soldiers who have been gathered together, away from the chores of their homes and are idle have malice and gossip ready at their tongue. The Watchman, whose . Old Man Because Menelaos took it away from me, my lady. Chiron, the wise teacher, was entrusted by a wiser parent! Overview. 389. Shell be his wife. 1090. What do you think I and the rest of your family will feel towards you? 1130. I know hes around here somewhere. How could I possibly express my gratitude to you in a modest way? Iphigenia calling into the tent. 1010. Agamemnon saw his child on her way to her slaughter and immediately groaned with horrible pain. Chorus Gods laws are ruled by lawlessness and mortals dont unite to stand against the wrath of Heaven. Poor, poor child! What should I call your deeds to make them also sound lovely? 1211. Poor, poor girl! Theyre bound to serve someone well, sometime. The true leader of a city and of an army is not merely brave but intelligent. I bore you this son a son and three daughters and now you tear one of them from my hands so violently! Achilles He was elected, all right, but he didnt say no! Do you not care about me any more? On thy knees I hang, A suppliant wreath, this body, which she bore Its been such a long time! To stop me from coming here or to urge me to do so? He is barely visible. He has used my name without my permission! Ask me, what is it? First Chorus Their captain was Eurytus. How I wish this herdsman, this boy who was brought up to care for cows, had never lived! Achilles First, plead with him. Details. You began and ended your speech with fine sentiments. 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. The news spread quickly and so the whole army already knows that your daughter has arrived. I I felt a sharp pain cutting into my heart, my lady and I looked down onto the earth. Called me slave to a wedding bed! 1250. Cacoyannis achieved the impossible. All these troubles he has caused! First Chorus The right wing of this naval force was taken up by the fifty swift ships of the war-loving Myrmidons from Phthia. You, grandchild of Aeacus you, too Ledas daughter, stay! 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. Chorus They tell me that Cassandra, Apollos priestess is there. I have my army, the famous Myrmidons, wasting their time hanging about the quiet waters ofEpirus, getting angrier and more impatient by the minute. $3.99 delivery March 10 - 14. 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! He walks slowly about the stage for a moment, anxiously searching the starry sky. Achilles Her father had promised her to me! I told her to bring our daughter here so that she may marry Achilles. Klytaimestra May the gods give your heart strength! The whole place glitters with the bronze armour of the warriors. It seems that the generals do as they please with me. Chorus Let Agamemnons spear see victory! Well, old man, Ive reconsidered all those dreadful decisions Ive made back then and wrote another letter in which I am correcting them. Weve been robbed! 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! 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. Oh, my sweet daughter! Iphigeneia No, mother! Menelaos Yes, but an unstable mind is an evil thing, something which befuddles the minds of ones friends. Promise me, mummy! Klytaimestra You? Helen, wife of Menelaus, king of Sparta, had eloped to Troy with Paris, son of King Priam. Klytaimestra Theyve tricked my daughter to her death by promising her to you in marriage. Klytaimestra Elected to commit a murder! Achilles, stay! 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. I see a throng of men approaching. 80. The young heifers that will be sacrificed and that will deliver their abundant dark blood to the goddess Artemis are ready. Achilles By the goddess Modesty! IPHIGENIA IN AULIS Essay Summary A monologue from the play by Euripides NOTE: This monologue is reprinted from The Plays of Euripides in English, vol. Where shall I begin? Well, Helen, unfortunately, old man, chose Menelaos! 543. Please dont do it! First Chorus And fast-footed Achilles, too, whose feet fly faster than the wind. 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. Agamemnon Yes, I see it and, before you start youd better hand it back to me! She has flown away to the Heavens! It will be a long time before I return from Troy, a long time before I greet you again. First Chorus We have come to watch the army of the divine Greeks and their thousand ships. Chorus Awesome is the power of giving birth! I shall think of nothing else but you from now on. How much suffering, how much pain has Helen, Tyndareus daughter, brought upon us, upon the children of Danaus! . You became a nobody. Dont waste time kissing my hand. Old Man Dear Fortune, help my brain to save those I love. 1279. 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. Who is this exquisite looking woman I see here? The play . Stay! Where is the leader of the Greek army? 9.1", "denarius"). Begging you by his silence. Miserable, Agamemnon says he has no choice. My Mycenae! But listen to me, Iphigeneia. There is no point. 1110. 1140. That child was Paris. How can you prove that you and I have the same father? Let no Greek touch my body with his hand. Klytaimestra I know well that you are an old servant of my house. Klytaimestra Dear Achilles! 1031. No, its not my ambition thats bothering you, my brother! Promise me that you wont cut even a strand of your hair in mourning nor wear black! Gone are the harsh words, suddenly! Vile trickery, unworthy of his father, Atreas! Here comes the king himself, my lady. Iphigeneia I am a fortunate girl, mother. 1270. She reminds him of how they used to plan her future and tells him how much she wants to live. The plain truth. 919. What horror! Iphigenia At Aulis By Euripides Written 410 B.C.E Dramatis Personae Agamemnon Attendant, an old man Chorus of Women of Chalcis Menelaus Clytaemnestra Iphigenia Achilles Scene The sea-coast at Aulis. Achilles Me, too! I shall do as you say. This might turn out to be a blessing for us -. 910. Daddy, do you want to kill me? Chorus What an awful, pitiful fate you must endure, child! Look there! That would be bad for both of us. He gains control of the scroll. He is the son of the goddess Thetis, and his tutor was Cheiron, the most honourable of all the centaurs. Stay here. Youre drowning me in misery. It makes the mother love her child most deeply and she will defend it with her life. Agamemnon Little girls should not be bothered with such things. Oh! Be careful of one thing, Menelaos: Be careful when youre walking among the men not to let Klytaimestra find out anything about the sacrifice; at least not until after Ive sent my daughter to Hades. Dawns light is already being taken over by the fire of the Suns brilliant chariot! London: J.M. Chorus Alas! But let me try and persuade you and let her stay inside the tent. Iphigenia In Aulis - Read online for free. A goddess, mother, the goddess Artemis has called for my body. He is interrupted by Klytaimestras entrance. What shall I say to my wife, then? 471. Klytaimestra Well? And Ill list them all, if you dont start getting angry or begin to deny them. The lustral water, the barley, everything is ready for the holy flame. Look at him for the last time. Our daughters marriage is my concern! 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. Ive changed because of my love for my mothers son. Listen to their words: 790, Who will it be, I wonder, who will bring tears to my eyes, drag me by my beautiful hair and pluck me from my ruined land?. Chorus And the weeping and wailing of Priams daughters and of his wife will be bitter and piercing. 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! Give her your arms and bring her down safely. You havent given birth to me simply for your own sake! Iphigeneia I am ashamed because my marriage has turned out to be such a dismal failure. Mother, wholl come with me when theyll come and drag me by my hair? To Dardanos house, in Troy, to bring back Menelaos wife, Helen. The girl deserves better still, may the gods be with us! They will say that even though you werent wedded to her, you were still the poor virgins promised husband. Now let go of my letter! Chorus Agamemnon, son of Atreas, begin now your journey to Troy and may it be a happy one! Later, he becomes so angry that he picks up the wooden frame upon which the scroll rests and throws it violently to the ground. 1020. Klytaimestra Darling, no! 720. And Helen, Zeus daughter, will shed bitter tears, too, for betraying her husband. If your pleas work and they save the girls life, then my intervention will not be necessary. You have been wronged, madam. 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. Achilles I told them that if thats what they thought, then they should not kill my intended wife. Finally, my old friend, he came upon the answer. Old Man The priest, my lady. Klytaimestra Did they? Iphigeneia Youll come right back after youre done withTroy, wont you? London: J.M. Old Man He tricked you about the marriage with Achilles, my lady, so that youd be willing to come here. First Chorus And there I saw the two Ajaxes sitting together: Oeleus son and the son of Telemon, the crown ofSalamisand Protisilaos and Palamides, whose father is Poseidons son. 1350. The whole world loves to talk about the famous and to see them in their flesh. Me, Leda's daughter, hapless dame, First blooming offspring of her bed. Messenger Agamemnon, leader of all the Greeks! Hell grab her by her blond hair, if he has to and. Achilles You must grab her and not let go of her. His servants use the other. He has used it to lure and snare his daughter and to convince Klytaimestra to bring her here, to me, to be presented as my wife! ancient Greek wedding ritual, Iphigenia comes to Aulis accompanied by her mother and brother. Chorus Come back to us once youve taken from that city her fairest spoils! Enter Menelaos and the OldMan. The whole city ofAulisis quiet and the guard on the walls has yet to change. 1260. Whether I want to do so or not, I must obey Hellas. 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.

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