Iphigenia in Tauris: A Play in Five Acts Book

Iphigenie auf Tauris
By Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (composed in 1779)

"Iphigenia auf Tauris" is a play in a distant orbit around the Iliad.


The reader of the" Iliad" will remember that Iphigenia was sacrificed by her father Agamemnon to appease Diana, the goddess, to obtain favorable winds to carry the Grecian Warships to the shores of Troy.

In Goethe's play Diana safes Iphigenia's life at the last moment, in secretly substituting her, hidden in a cloud, for the body of a young deer.

Diana takes Iphigenia to her temple at Tauris, to be her servant priestess.
Iphigenia has no memory of anything before.

The play is set some years after the end of the Trojan War.

Iphigenia is serving at Diana's temple against her will for many years.
She is lonesome and still hopes for some magical event, to return one day to Greece and be united with her family.

King Thoas of Tauris has lost his son and wife and is courting Iphigenia.

But with great diplomacy she succeeds to delay any decision, making Diana the goddess responsible for her destiny.

When Thoas insists with his pursuit, she discloses her ancestors, from Tantalus to Agamemnon, her father and herself, and the eternal curse of the Gods related to it, Thoas is now turning his head aside in horror and dismay.

But now King Thoas discloses a new challenge for Iphigenia:

"Two strangers, whom within the caverns of the shore we found concealed, and whose arrival here bodes to my realm no good, are in my power.

With them, your goddess may once more resume her ancient, pious, long suspended rites!
I send them here, perform your duty; I will accomplish mine."

Iphigenia, now alone prays in terror: "O Goddess! Keep my hands from blood!

The captives are brought to Iphigenia to serve as a human sacrifice to the Goddess.

After some dialogues each reveals his true identity, Iphigenia and Orestes fall into each other's arms in crying and laughing and hugging.

King Thoas is pressing for the sacrifice to be accomplished without delay.

Iphigenia affronts the king in an upright, manly way, as long as she is the goddess priestess any man, even a king can not command her.

Thoas is angry: "Obey your office, priestess, not the king."

Iphigenia: "Cease, nor thus seek to cloak the savage which triumphs over a woman's feebleness. Though a woman, I am born as free as man."

In a witty dialogue, Iphigenia and King Thoas confront each other trying to remain level and fair, respecting each other's viewpoint.

By now the king suspects some particular interest Iphigenia would have for these two strangers.
And he wants to know who they are.

Iphigenia: "O are you truthful as men say you are, now prove it with your countenance and aid; honour the truth in me! Attend O King!"

And Iphigenia now tells the king of her newfound brother Orestes and Pylades his companion, on the sacred mission they had been sent to Tauris, to rob the image of Diana from her temple and bring it back to Delphi. Apollo promised to deliver Orestes from his curse if he succeeded.
"I have delivered the remnants of the house of Tantalus into your hands; now destroy us if you can!"

Thoas: "These traitors, have contrived a cunning web, cast it around you, who secluded long, gives willing credence to your own desires."

Iphigenia: "But are they true, is this man indeed my dear brother Orestes, release us both and over us stretch out your protecting arm, which long has sheltered me."
Yes, you will keep your promise; you swore that was a save return provided me, I should be free to go. The hour has come."

Thoas: "As fire opposes water, and seeks with hissing rage to overcome its foe, so my anger strives against your words."

Iphigenia:" Let mercy, joy and praise and gratitude gently rise to heaven.
Stretch out your hand to me in a sign of peace!

Thoas:" How often has this voice assuaged my soul!
Large your demand in so short a time."

In a last dramatic dialogue between Iphigenia, Orestes, and King Thoas, Iphigenia succeeds to avoid the deadly outcome, convincing Orestes to abandon the theft of Diana's image and the King to give them freedom and return to Greece in peace.

This play was produced for the first time in 1779 and had problems right away.

It is rich in human soul searching content but very poor in action.

And the spectator needs to be in possession of a vast prerequisite knowledge of classic literature.

The Iliad may be well known, but Euripides original tragedy of "Iphigenia in Tauris" and the legend of Tantalus and his cursed race much less.

Reading this book is pure pleasure, for the play itself but also for the lengthy explicative postscript and various critical essays.

Goethe's language and style have become the bible of classic German literature.

I highly recommend it to all reader friends of classic literature.