Essay on Iphigenia in Aulis

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Christian Coleman
Iphigenia In Aulis
“…As to your share and mine in the oracle
Concerning your daughter’s destiny, I
Want no part in it: my share I give to you.
And so I’ve turned my threatening words Into their opposites!...” (498-502)
In this passage, Menelaus has appeared to change his mind about Iphigenia’s ‘destiny’. It now seems that he doesn’t want his niece to be sacrificed
“On account of (his) marriage” (494).
But why? Didn’t he just ridicule Agamemnon for constantly changing his mind about everything? Moments before, Menelaus admonished his brother as a selfish weakling, (which is ironic because the Trojan War in general was started because of Menelaus’ selfishness). The passage completely contradicts his previous opinions: “…but when at last You won power, then you turned these habits Of your heart inside out… Oh, it is vile for a man, if he be noble,… To put on new manners for old and change
His countenance. Far more when he’s in fortune,
…must he hold
Firmly to old friends…” (340-42/336-41)
Now the question arises, is Menelaus actually having a change of heart, or is he merely trying to make himself seem like a moral, understanding brother? In my opinion, he’s backpedaling, now trying to make it seem like he not only has sympathy for Agamemnon, but that he also doesn’t want Iphigenia sacrificed for the love of a woman. It’s interesting though because this “change of heart” has come immediately after the arrival of Iphigenia and Clytemnestra. Menelaus, being Agamemnon’s brother, knows him better than anyone, which leads me to believe that he knows what Agamemnon is going to do, and that is murder his daughter. “…As to the rest— It will go well as the fates will it.
O God, how can I find words or begin To speak in the face of this, my disaster? Fallen into the pit, fate chains me there” (441-45)
Wasn’t that his plan in the first place, when he intercepted the second letter? He knew that Agamemnon would see the arrival of Iphigenia as ‘fate’, therefore when she did finally arrive, he was able to pretend like he was having a change of heart, fully knowing that no matter what he said, nothing could change Iphigenia’s destiny. It is because of this that Menelaus could sugarcoat his “new” opinion to make it seem like he no longer wants Iphigenia sacrificed. But why would he go to the trouble of making amends with Agamemnon? To prevent a brotherly hatred? Can Agamemnon see through the selfishness that plagues his brother’s thoughts, or is his pride preventing him from seeing things clearly? The more I look at it, the more obvious it is that both Menelaus and Agamemnon are equally at fault: Menelaus for his manipulative ways, and Agamemnon for his ego. However, in part, It seems as if Agamemnon’s ego has sprung up form
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