Elegant portrayal of lost family found

Even at the end of his life, Euripides was great tragedian. I really enjoyed this one.
Like with Creon's son in Phoenican Women there's issue of killing your child because it is necessary in order for your army to suceed.

But unlike Phoenican Women, here it's not only one episode in play but central issue that is discussed through whole play. Discussed from many sides. I think that description of Agamemnon's inner strugle was extraordinary well-writte. And even though there is so many affected characters, Euripides described well all of them. There is lot of great argumenatation, great monoloques inviting into minds of characters, thrilling dialoques were issu is discussed and despite the fact than it's whole long play about one question (to sacrifice or to not sacrifice her) one is never bored and whole play seems really action-packed.

In his final (posthumously produced) play Euripides shows all skills he get during his productive live. For me it's one of the greatest masterpieces of greek tragedy.

Iphigenia will forever hold the title of the most tragic Greek character, and Euripides' new ending cannot change my mind. This would have been a five, it could have so easily been a five, if he hadn't turned it into an Agamemnon apologist play. He managed to write Iphigenia's innocence so well, her youthful naivety that makes her death that much sadder, but then he decides that Iphigenia sacrifices herself willingly, for the greater good, and turns Agamemnon into a good guy. It also makes absolutely no sense to me why Chalcas would think that Artemis, the patron goddess of maidens, would want the Greeks to sacrifice a maiden in her name. I do think it is like the goddess to save Iphigenia, however I do feel it minimizes the effect of the tragedy.

ახალი ლიტერატურული წლის ბერძნული ტრაგედიით დაწყებას არაფერი ჯობია. ისე კი იფიგენიას პერსონაჟი, ჩემთვის ერთ–ერთი ყველაზე საყვარელია ამ ეპოქიდან. ტექსტში ევრიპიდე სხვა კუთხით გვანახებს აგამემნონს, ოდისევსს, კლიტემნესტრას, მენელაოსს, ელენეს, აქილევსს. სიუჟეტის განვითარების მანძილზე ყოველ გმირზე თანდათან გეცვლება წარმოდგენა. ჩემთვის იფიგენიას ხასიათში მომხდარი ცვლილები იყო ყველაზე საინტერესო, რომელიც ერთი შეხედვით შეიძლება ვერც კი შეამჩნიო. ასევე ძალზე კარგი იყო დასასრულიც, არატრაგიკული მაგრამ ზუსტი, რადგან ვერ ვიგებთ თუ რას ეტყვის სამსხვერპლოდან მობრუნებულ ქმარს კლიტემნესტრა. მისი პასუხი აქ არ ჩანს, ხოლო წლების შემდეგ ეს პასუხი რაც აღმოჩნდა ყველამ კარგად ვიცით. მოკლედ ძალიან ჩემია ძველბერძნული ლიტერატურა და ძალიან ძალიან მიყვარს. დამამშვიდებელი ეფექტი აქვს და მიუხედავად სიძველისა, თითქოს ჯერ კიდევ ცინცხალი, უახლესი, უტკბესი ხილია.

Read this for familiarity with the story.

Between this and The Children of Herakles, I'm getting a little concerned about how many young girls are sacrificing themselves on the altars of ancient Greece. Really we need to call Child Protective Services on their fams.

In the latter play, the Heracleidae seek shelter in Athens, so their pursuer Eurystheus declares war on the state in order to get them back. The Athenians are willing to fight for the refugees, and the goddess Persephone agrees to help them win the war, but she wants a sacrifice in return. So Macaria, daughter of Herakles, volunteers to die in order to save her brothers (but not before apologizing for stepping outside, thus offending everyone for having to see and hear her. Girls and women are so obtrusive, amiright?) As part of her reasoning, she even says that, were she to survive:

who would marry me,
Or want this friendless girl as mother of
His sons? To end things now is much to be
Preferred to that shame

Her speech is praised, she is sacrificed, and Athens wins the war. Hurrah?

Moving on to the play at hand, in which King Agamemnon is about to sacrifice his daughter, Iphigenia. See, Agamemnon wants to invade Troy in order to recoup his sister-in-law, Helen, but the winds aren't blowing so his ships can't set sail. Turns out the goddess Artemis is angry with him for killing one of her sacred deer and wants a sacrifice in return, or else no wind. Naturally, instead of canceling the stupid war (especially since he's pretty sure that Helen was not abducted by the Trojans, but ran off with her lover), or taking responsibility for his actions (how about you sacrifice yourself, sir? You're the one who killed that damn deer), he throws his own daughter under the bus.

When Iphigenia learns her fate, she decides to go to the altar willingly (Euripides prefers these girls not make a scene). Except while our other sacrificial maiden Macaria of the Heracleidae is implicated in the aforementioned war (after all, her family is the cause), Iphigenia has fuck all to do with the Trojan war! Nothing to do with Helen, nothing to do with Trojans, and nothing to do with Artemis. And when Achilles makes a half-hearted attempt to save her, she says:

n  We are asking this good friend of ours here to fight with the whole Greek army and be killed –for what? For a mere woman? [...] No, I’d rather see the death of a thousand women than that of a single man!n

The irony is as deep as it is nonsensical. Where is the number for CPS?

"İphigenia Aulis’te / Iphigenia in Aulis" oyunu Truva Savaşı’na başlamadan önce Tanrı’lar tarafından istenildi diye Agammemnon’un kızı İphigenia’yı kurban etmesini konu alıyor. Oyunun sonu "deus ex machina" özelliği taşısa da ben sonunun kurban edilmesiyle bittiğini düşünüyorum. Euripides’in diğer oyunlarına nazaran özellikle konusuyla oldukça geride bir oyun; fakat olay örgüsü sürükleyici ve Truva Savaşı’nın bilinmeyen bir tarafını anlattığı için ilgi çekici. Vatan sevgisi temasının öne çıktığı oyunda İphigenia’nın kaderini vatanı için bu denli kolay kabul etmesini ben çok inandırıcı bulmadım. Yine de günümüze gelen nadir Euripides eserlerinden biri olması sebebiyle mutlaka okunması gerektiğini düşünüyorum. Tam notum 3.5 / 5.

18.07.2017
Zorlu-İstanbul, Türkiye

Alp Turgut

http://www.filmdoktoru.com/kitap-labo...

“ო, ჩემი ქალის ნაზო ღაწვნო, ქერა კულულნო… რას გიქადიან ელენე და ფრიგიელები… უტყვია სიტყვა. ლამის გავწვიმდე შენს სხეულზე ცრემლთა ავდარში.”

ძაააან ძააააან ძააააააან ძაააააააააააანნნ!!!!!!

At the beginning of the Trojan War, Paris has run away with Helen, and an army waits upon the shore to journey to retrieve her. But the winds are not in their favor, and they cannot sail. Agamemnon is told by the prophets that to ensure a change in the wind he must sacrifice a virgin, his own daughter Iphigenia, to the gods. He wrestles with the decision, quarrels with his brother Menelaus, and lies to his wife Klytemnestra. The armies threaten treason. Achilles vows to protect the maiden. Agamemnon curses the fate that will tear his daughter from their family. Ultimately, the decision lies with Iphigenia herself.

This translation/adaptation of Euripides' story really captured my attention! It reflects all the intense emotions of the Greek play and explores some deep themes. Honor and respect are lost and gained. Family ties and loyalty are tested. I really enjoyed the rich language of this adaptation.

The illustrations are beautiful! I love the ink style of the art, and the bold lines. Every character's face has fierce emotions, and you can see the tension in their body language. It really enhances the story!


Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a free and honest review. All the opinions stated here are my own true thoughts, and are not influenced by anyone.

My first Euripides and it was beautiful :)

Agamemnon is just a silly, undecided teenage girlypop

My sister also tries to kill me at times.