Iphigénie
Racine's mythological tragedy on sacrifice and duty.
Jean Racine’s *Iphigénie* is a five-act tragedy in alexandrine verse. It premiered on August 18, 1674, at the Orangerie in Versailles, staged as part of the fifth of Louis XIV’s royal *Divertissements de Versailles* to mark the conquest of Franche-Comté. That December, the play enjoyed a triumphant revival at the Hôtel de Bourgogne, the Paris home of the royal acting troupe. With this work, Racine turned back to mythological subject matter after a string of historical dramas (*Britannicus*, *Bérénice*, *Bajazet*, *Mithridate*).
The action takes place on the shores of Aulis, where the Greek fleet is stalled, awaiting favorable winds to sail against Troy. The gods demand the sacrifice of Iphigénie, daughter of King Agamemnon. As in Euripides’ *Iphigenia in Aulis*, the most morally upright character is not the wavering Agamemnon but Iphigénie herself, who accepts the divine will out of duty to her father and country. Euripides ended his play with the goddess Artemis substituting a deer for Iphigénie and sweeping her away to Tauris. Racine, drawing on Pausanias, devised a different resolution: another princess, Ériphile, is revealed to be the true “Iphigénie” whom the gods seek, so the heroine is spared. Though a great success at its premiere, *Iphigénie* is seldom staged today.
**Characters** Agamemnon, Achille, Ulysse, Clytemnestre (wife of Agamemnon), Iphigénie (daughter of Agamemnon), Ériphile (daughter of Helen and Theseus), Arcas (servant to Agamemnon), Eurybate, Aegine (lady-in-waiting to Clytemnestre), Doris (confidante of Ériphile).
**Synopsis** The play is set in Aulis, inside Agamemnon’s royal tent.
**Act I.** At dawn in the Greek camp, Agamemnon gives his servant Arcas a message to stop the arrival of his wife Clytemnestre and daughter Iphigénie. He had summoned them under the pretense of Iphigénie’s marriage to Achille, but the true reason is her sacrifice: the oracle declared that only her death will release the becalmed winds for the Greek fleet. Doubting his own deceit, Agamemnon now claims Achille has withdrawn from the marriage. Achille, unaware of the plot, insists on marrying Iphigénie and sailing for Troy, despite a prophecy of his own death there. In Achille’s absence, Ulysse convinces Agamemnon that the sacrifice is necessary to avenge Helen’s honor and secure Greece’s glory.
Quick Facts
- Writer
- Jean Racine
- Characters
- Agamemnon / Achille / Ulysse / Clytemnestre / Iphigénie / Ériphile
- Setting
- The royal tent at Aulis
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
The play is set in Aulis, in the royal tent of Agamemnon. The Greeks prepare their departure for an attack on Troy, but the gods quell the winds and demand the sacrifice of Iphigénie, daughter of Agamemnon. As in Euripides' version, the morally strongest character is Iphigénie, driven by duty to father and country to accept the will of the gods. Racine, based on writings of Pausanias, devised an alternative ending: another princess, Ériphile, is revealed to be the true 'Iphigénie' whose life is sought by the gods, and the tragic heroine is spared.
The plot follows Agamemnon's duplicitous scheme to summon Iphigénie under pretense of marriage to Achille, while actually intending her sacrifice. Conflicts arise among Agamemnon, Clytemnestre, Achille, and Iphigénie, with Ériphile driven by jealousy. In the final act, at the altar, no goddess appears on stage; instead, Calchas announces that the gods have accepted Ériphile as the true victim, and she stabs herself in despair. The winds then return, allowing the Greek fleet to sail for Troy.
Reader's Guide
Iphigénie represents Racine's return to mythological subject matter after a series of historical plays. Although a great success when first produced, it is rarely performed today. The play adapts the ancient legend of Iphigenia, drawing on Euripides' Iphigenia in Aulis and the writings of Pausanias for its resolution. Its significance lies in its exploration of duty, sacrifice, and divine will, as well as its place within the court entertainments of Louis XIV. The alternative ending, sparing Iphigénie through the revelation of Ériphile's identity, distinguishes Racine's version from earlier treatments. The work was part of the royal Divertissements de Versailles, celebrating the conquest of Franche-Comté.
Did You Know?
- The play was first performed on August 18, 1674, in the Orangerie in Versailles.
- Racine based his alternative ending on the writings of Pausanias.
- The character Ériphile is revealed to be the daughter of Helen and Theseus.
- The play was revived in December 1674 at the Hôtel de Bourgogne in Paris.
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