3,5 ⭐

There is a lot to say about this play, but I have a lot of stuff going on right now, so all I have time for is this:

Screw Agamemnon.

Iphigenia, I am sorry your father was such a coward.

Simply a breathtaking story.

not bad pero las intervenciones del coro se me hacen soporíferas, insoportable total

Colin Farrell seems to have it all. He's a successful cardiologist, he gets to have necrophilic sex with Nicole Kidman every night, and his beautiful daughter has just started menstruating. Unfortunately, he's about to discover that he's walked into a Greek tragedy.

(If this doesn't make sense, go watch The Killing of a Sacred Deer. It still won't make sense, but you'll be confused in a more enjoyable way).

2.5? This play is... super weird.

This play premiered in Athens in 405BC and is about an incident that took place at Aulis before the the armies of Hellas could set sail for the Trojan War.

This isn't a tragedy as we would normally think of them, as in Shakespeare's tragedies where bodies litter the stage by the final scene but it is a tragedy nonetheless despite the apparent 'happy' ending. I've heard it argued that this is a tragedy in the way Aristotle defined them, where someone has to make a choice, a difficult & horrible choice where they are doomed whatever they decide to do. Previously only having seen the movie version (Iphigenia, 1977) of this play which ends somewhat ambiguously I would've probably disagreed, but now having read the text I agree wholeheartedly.

The main players Agamemnon, Menelaus, Clytemnestra, Achilles and Iphigenia herself all have to grapple with an unthinkable situation which one cannot think will end well. There are many conversations about leadership, family, duty, religion and morality along the way but this is essentially Agamemnon's tragedy (if we follow Aristotle's definition) rather than Iphigenia's (as suggested by the title) because as a Greek king and father he has the final say. Having said that, it goes without saying all 21st century sensibilities should be checked at the door before picking up the text.

Be warned, the ancient Greek playwrights much preferred to tell rather than show so all of the action takes place off stage and is carried forth mainly by messengers. However I found the subject matter and dramatic writing enough to keep my interest despite this.

Lastly, I personally wouldn't recommend this particular translation. It's not bad but I'm sure there are better ones out there.

4.5 ⭐️
This is maybe Euripides’s best true tragedies. Through and through this play feels tragic yet also the events feel necessary and not melodramatic. The back drop of the start of Trojan war is always fantastic. Agamemnon, Menelaus, Achilles, Odysseus, and especially Agamemnon’s daughter Iphigenia are all just fantastic in this. Just read it.

3.5/5

Achilles kinda ate, Clytemnestra ATE, Iphigenia is my new fav, i don’t love the amended ending tho

The more Ancient Greek literature I read the sadder that everything gets oh my god why couldn’t they be happy this is so tragic.

3.7

Not as good as Trojen Women or Medea but its still good. Plus it kinda felt a tad different from Euripides' usual take on events but I could still feel his dramatic and criticising tone lol