Euripides, Iphigenia in Tauris; Finding a lost sister

So, today we took the car for a warrant of fitness, (yearly car inspection to keep it road legal) and they found we need new tires. One wheel failed outright and another only just passed. But, because they are both left-hand side tires, we are probably going to have to change all four. This, of course, is going to be a bit of a shock on the finances, especially with Phil out of work, but fortunately we have enough laid aside. That and our headlights need polishing again. They seem to have this problem every year.

The Story
Iphigenia in Tauris starts with Iphigenia going about he duties as a priestess of Artemis and reveals that the temple offers human sacrifice to Artemis, of any foreigners that arrive. We also see Iphigenia pining to return to Hellene lands, and to her family. Though, also in her lamenting, she informs us that she was going to be used by her father as a child sacrifice but was stolen away by Artemis to Tauris where she has since spent her time as priestess.
Orestes with his friend and companion, Pylades, arrive at the island and leave their boat offshore as they survey the land. Orestes has come as an Oracle told him that if he stole the statue of Artemis, that had come from heaven, and returned it to Athenes, he would be free of the furies haunting and the fits of insanity that went with them.
Orestes and Pylades hide from sight, in a sea cave, until night fall but our found by some herdsmen that take the cattle down to the beach to wash them. Orestes then, temporarily, loses his mind and starts attacking the cattle with his sword. The two are captured and bought to Iphigenia for purification, before they are sacrificed to Artemis.
On talking with the two, Iphigenia finds out they are both from Athenes (though they will not give her their names) and conspires to let one of them go free to take a message from her to her brother. Orestes agrees and say Pylades must go free, so Iphigenia gives him the letter, he asks for her freedom if he is shipwrecked and only escapes with his life. She decides instead to tell him the message, so he can carry it no matter what. She reals off a message for Orestes, not knowing that it is him in front of her. Pylades, on hearing the message, says it will be easy to carry out as that is who he is with. At first Iphigenia does not quite believe him but, with the dissertation of a little family history she comes round and they quickly start planning the steeling of the idol and their escape. She decided to tell the king that the statue has been made unclean by the men who have committed Matricide, and that she needs to purify them and the statue in the sea in a secluded place. The king agrees and the three make their escape with this ruse. The king goes to set men and boats after them but is interrupted by Athena who convinces him to let them go.

Reflections
This play shows how the Greeks saw the people groups around them as less civilised and uncultured. This is evident in the sacrifice of men and woman to the deity Artemis, which is both something abhorrent to the Greeks and, even though they did have a god, Artemis, it is not how they would have worshiped her or understood it as a type of worship she would have accepted. It is interesting that Euripides stops to make the point that Iphigenia does not do the actual blood letting in the temple, but rather, prepares the men for sacrifice. It is as if it was too much to expect the audience to still like Iphigenia as a character if she had perpetrated the killings.
It is interesting to see Pylades back at Orestes side as we do not see him when Orestes runs from the furies. They both seem, as well as announce, each other as brothers: if not of blood, at least of spirit. We see this play out when Pylades is reluctant to leave Orestes to be sacrificed and him go free, protesting that he should suffer the same fate.

Comparisons
It is interesting to see that even after the trial in Aeschylus' Eumenides, the furies are still chasing and bothering Orestes. Athena explains it a little at the end of the play, saying that, not all the furies were satisfied by the trial and so had continued to hound him.
This is now the second play of Euripides we have seen that is not a tragedy, but rather, we see our hero victorious; the other being Alcestis. Both works have a more uplifting ending, though they are no less full of drama.

Have you read Iphigenia in Tauris? If so what did you think of it?

Want to read Iphigenia in Tauris but haven't? Hopefully this inspires you to take the time to do so.
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