Deception to facilitate sacrifice; Iphigenia in Aulis, Euripides

Sorry this post is late. It almost got missed in the prechrismas rush. 

Why might you read Iphigenia in Aulis?

Iphigenia in Aulis gives us insight into what happened to the army before they arrive in Troy. As such it shows some of those same characters in a different light. We see Agamemnon as a father, as well as a deceiver. We see Archilles as a saviour for Iphigenia. 

For my Self-Education, it gives these ideas and more. It treats again with the theme of sacrifice and of family. In doing so it helps to round my understanding of Greek life and thought. Again it is Euripides adding to the canon of stories that have gone before him. He adds greater depth to the stories while using well-known characters.

The Story of Iphigenia in Aulis

Agamemnon has the army bound for Troy pulled up in the bay at Aulis because of unfavourable winds. Agamemnon has sent his wife a letter asking for his daughter Iphigenia to come. She is to come and marry Achilles. This, however, is a ruse. They are planning to sacrifice her to Artemis. This is because the oracle has told them that this will give them fair winds and victory at Troy. Agamemnon is having a bout of conscience. He is writing and then sending a slave with a letter to his wife to tell her not to send their daughter. 

But the letter and slave and intercepted by Menelaus and he opens the letter and is angry with Agamemnon. He confronts him and the two of them state their cases. Before they finish a messenger arrives telling them Iphigenia has arrived at camp. Her, mother, Clytemnestra has come also. Agamemnon laments his situation, at his lamentation Menelaus changes his tune. He starts saying that they should not sacrifice her. That it is not right for him to ask Agamemnon for this to recapture an unfaithful wife. They discuss if she can be saved. Agamemnon points out that the whole assembly knows about the need for the sacrifice. If he sends her away now they are likely to kill the two brothers. Agamemnon does his best to organise it so the Iphigenia and her mother do not hear about the sacrifice. He hopes they can continue to expect a marriage then retreats into his tent. 

Iphigenia and her mother enter in a chariot. Clytemnestra organises the slaves to get them from the chariot and look after the horses. While this is happening Agamemnon comes back out of the tent. They both great Agamemnon and Iphigenia wraps her father in a hug. During this conversation, Agamemnon starts crying over Iphigenia. He will not tell her why. He also tries to persuade Clytemnestra to go back to Argos but she insists on taking part in the wedding.

Achilles enters and he and Clytemnestra get talking. It quickly comes out that he had heard nothing about Iphigenia being brought to the camp to marry him. He is quite angry. The slave that earlier tried to deliver the message for the women to turn back, pulls them aside. After checking that it is private he tells them Agamemnon's plan. Both are agast and Clytemnestra pleads for Achilles to protect them. If he doesn't it would ruin his name considering his name had been used in the plot. He agrees but asks her to first try and reason with Agamemnon and he leaves. Agamemnon returns and finds the women crying and suspicious. Once he stops pretending Clytemnestra begs him to find his compassion and decency. How could he come home to his family even after a successful campaign and expect them to be Ok with it? Iphigenia pleads her case as well but Agamemnon, while not unmoved, is resolute. 

Achilles arrives with a small group of troops to protect Iphigenia. Protect her from the hoards of men who have been stirred up for her sacrifice. Iphigenia turns around and accepts her fate. She bids Achilles to neither spill blood or die for her sake but that she will be the sacrifice for all Greece. She goes freely with Agamemnon's guards. 

A messenger comes to give the news to Clytemnestra, her daughter is not dead but stolen away by some god. He tells the story of how bravely Iphigenia went to her death. How when it came to taking her life there was a substitution, and they only found a dead deer and she was nowhere to be found. Clytemnestra disbelieves it. She thinks someone is just trying to make her not angry at Agamemnon. But he comes back and tells her the same story.

The Greeks set out that day for Troy and Clytemnestra takes Orestes back to Argos. 

Reflections on Iphigenia in Aulis

Agamemnon's deception implies that he does not think his daughter will come. Even if he presents the truth or even orders her to come. Is it because without him there to physically compel it he does not have authority? Or is it that he knows what he asks is deplorable? The second seems more likely, with his second thoughts at the beginning of the play. It even seems to be a theme throughout the play. 

I'm the kind of person who cringes at things. Achilles meeting Clytemnestra is just that cringe-worthy. As she goes on about marriage he has no knowledge of. They do come to an understanding and as expected Clytemnestra is embarrassed. But the embarrassment fades to anger when they find out the truth what Agamemnon has planned. Her clinging to Achilles shows the utter desperation. He owes her nothing. A minute ago she made an utter fool of herself in front of him and yet he is the only place for her to turn.

The disappearance and substitution of Iphigenia is a great solution. This nicely gets out of the problem faced by Agamemnon. Though first, we see his and his daughters resolve to follow what the oracle has said. It is a nice touch to let her escape but again it is a little bit of playing to the audience. In this case, there is even a follow-up play written to help legitimise the ending. 

What others have to say about Iphigenia in Aulis

"Agamemnon’s ambivalence about sacrificing his own daughter, make it a curious and satisfying play which repays close analysis and discussion" says interesting literature.

Litcharts has this to say, "He(Agamemnon) is one of the most powerful men in Greece yet he’s in a moment of serious struggle and uncertainty."

Comparisons with other texts

The Iliad, which covers the war on Troy, does not include anything prior to the landing a Troy. So it is interesting to see this part of the story. Rather than being about the gathering of forces the army is already assembled and is stuck in a bay due to bad winds. It is not really the story we would expect to proceed the Iliad.

Iphigenia in Tauris is the story follows on from this play. With a young Orestes and Pylades finding Iphigenia at the temple of Artemis in Tauris. Its is a lovely reunion but must be a fair bit latter as Orestes is old enough to be travelling. The fact that he is travelling with Pylades suggests it is also while he is in exile. Both plays centre around Iphigenia's disappearance at the altar. Although in Tauris we only see it referenced rather than it happening in the course of the event in Aulis.

Like Hacabe's daughter in Hacabe, we see Iphigenia going to the sacrifice of her own free will. She does so as a person who is free and for the greater good of her people. Both young women are forced into the situation by an oracle. While Iphigenia is sacrificed to a god. Hacabe's daughter, by contrast, is sacrificed to the grave of Achilles. 

Conclusion

Iphigenia in Aulis is about the sacrifice of Agamemnon's daughter for the sake of being able to sail. It covers Agamemnon's deception to get the girl to come to him, as well as his second thoughts. We have covered Agamemnon's reasons for the deception. As well as the awkward interaction between Iphigenia's mother and Archilles. Finally, we looked at how this story is continued in Iphigenia in Tauris. Also, we covered how it fits before the siege of Troy.

Have you read Iphigenia in Aulis? If so what did you think of it? 
 
Want to read Iphigenia in Aulis but haven't? Please leave me a comment and let me know why you want to read it.

Hopefully, this post inspires you to take the time to look into it on your own journey of Self Education.

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