Iphigenia at Aulis
- supposedly angered Artemis by killing one of her stags --> now he must sacrifice Iphigenia to sail to Troy
- sent word to Clytemnestra that Iphigenia is to be married to Achilles
- later regrets this --> writes another letter telling Clytemnestra the wedding is off
Menelaus intercepts the letter
- no one forced him to agree to it --> free will
Agamemnon replies
- changes his mind again quickly
Iphigenia and Clytemnestra arrive
- she senses he is upset about something
- 2 parallel conversations --> Iphigenia is speaking of her wedding, Agamemnon of her death
Clytemnestra and Achilles
- they find out about the sacrifice --> messenger hears rumors
- Clytemnestra is devestated
- Achilles feels duty to protect Iphigenia --> almost as if they had been engaged
Clytemnestra tries to change Agamemnon's mind
- lists all the wrongs Agamemnon did her:
* killed first husband, Tantalus
* killed her infant child
* he and her father forced her to marry him
- says they should sacrifice Hermione (Helen's daughter)
- never expresses concern about Iphigenia -->always in terms of how it will affect her
Iphigenia appeals to his sense of fatherhood
- she is his most devoted child
- he had always wished a good life for her
- also: she has nothing to do with Paris/Helen/Menelaus
- brother Orestes would beg for her life if he were old enough
Agamemnon's reasons
- cannot let his armies down
- claims the Greeks will kill her anyway if he defies Artemis
- doesn't blame Menelaus --> feels obligated to the Greeks
Chorus hints at Agamemnon's death
Iphigenia eventually accepts her fate
- she herself feels duty to Greece
- she will be famous after her death
- she will save thousands of Greeks
- it is the will of the gods
- asks Clytemnestra not to hate Agamemnon --> Clytemnestra never promises anything
Picture of sacrifice scene
- Agamemnon cries when he sees her
- Iphigenia tells Agamemnon she gladly accepts her fate
- Achilles prays to Artemis
- priest swings his sword
- Iphigenia is not there --> bloody stag in her place
- brought her to Tauris --> barbaric land ruled by Thoas
- head priestess --> sacrifices strangers who wander to Tauris
*ironic because she was saved from sacrifice
Iphigenia's dream
- earthquake --> she sees her family's house in ruins
- one pillar left --> it has auburn hair and a human voice
- she sprinkles lustral drops
- interpretation: Orestes is dead (sons are the pillars of families); she is performing funeral rites
Orestes and Pylades
- Furies told him to go to Artemis' temple at Tauris and take the statue of her back to Athens
- Pylades is along to help him
- they plot how to get into the temple
- found by herdsmen --> brought in to be sacrificed
Iphigenia and Orestes in the temple
- Iphigenia learns they are from Argos --> asks for news about the war, her family
- Orestes tells her --> Iphigenia condemns Clytemnestra, praises Orestes
- Iphigenia realizes Orestes is alive --> dream was false
Iphigenia's proposal
- Orestes says to let Pylades go and he will die instead --> Iphigenia agrees
- Iphigenia tells Pylades what is in the letter in case he loses it
- Iphigenia and Orestes realize the truth --> they rejoice
Plan to escape
- she agrees to help and wants to go with them
- she tells Thoas that Orestes and Pylades touched the holy statue and soiled it --> they are murderers of kin
- she must wash them and the statue in the ocean before she can perform the sacred rites --> they will escape through the water
- asks chorus to keep her secret
Almost caught
- Thoas commands them to be brought back --> punishes chorus for helping
- Athena tells Thoas to call off the chase --> Orestes is following orders of the gods
* Orestes has paid his debt
* they will set up a temple at Argos with Iphigenia as priestess
- revered position in Greek tragedy --> maiden who sacrifices herself
- this role not played by women in real life
Tauris
- blames Agamemnon (contrast to Aulis)
- she is the heroine --> unusual for a woman to be the sole heroic device
- she succeeded with the help of other women --> another unusual theme
Contact the author, Jen Snook
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