The Courier-Review.
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we see that he has deviated a great deal from the Greek, probably more than he realized he was doing.
If we are asked which is the greater and more complete of the two works, we must hesitate, for the standpoint from which they are to be viewed must be first chosen. As a drama to be played, the Iphigenia of Euripides is much the superior of that of Goethe, for several reasons, first among which is the faithfulness to life of the Greek. While the Greek story seems somewhat stilted in its style to us, the spirit of the drama, the real character of the personages is more in accordance with the common run of mortals, and is therefore the better to present before an audience. The Greek characters are real living beings, people such as we see around us every day, while the German characters are more ideal, better and truer men and women to be sure, but just that much farther from the reality. Goethe changes the rough and cruel Thoas of Euripides to the high minded, true hearted suitor of Iphigenia. He makes from the revengeful king a generous and noble barbarian, who is willing to give up Iphigenia and sacrifice his love, not because of his superstitious fear of the gods, but because his heart tells him to. Thoas gives the priestess permission to depart for her native land, when the departing deprives him of the woman he loves.
Goethe makes the counselor of Iphigenia, Arkas, with whom she can converse as with a friend and confidential adviser, out of one of the most uninteresting characters in the Greek play.
Then there is another point wherein Goethe sacrifices the real. The very love of Thoas for Iphigenia, which Goethe makes such an important and interesting element in his drama, is too romantic, when the time and situation are considered. It is scarcely probable that the king of the Taurians, a fierce and barbarous people, who have followed from time immemorial the custom of sacrificing on the altar of their goddess all strangers that came to their shores,—it is scarcely probable that this king should conceive for a strange Greek woman
such an unselfish love, especially when the tribal hatreds were as bitter as they were at that time. Neither does it seem entirely consistent that one weak woman, who is receiving the hospitality of a fierce race, should be able to influence the whole people to give up a time honored custom, one which their forefathers have followed for generations before them. And yet Goethe has his Iphigenia do this.
Then again the excuse which Goethe's Greeks give for carrying away the image of the goddess, that is, the mistaken interpretation of the command of Apollo, while very ingenious, is too fanciful, and not so well suited for an audience as is the idea of the fugitives carrying away both the image and the priestess.
Aside from what has been mentioned, the Greek is more of a real drama in its close, although not in accordance with modern realistic doctrines. The sudden appearance of the goddess Minerva to intervene and settle the dispute is more dramatic than the close of Goethe's play. It may be said that this feature alone is more improbable than any of Goethe's, but we must remember that it was perfectly familiar and plausable to the minds of the time, and in fact was the very strongest thing that Euripides could have brought in to close his play, for it gave the audience the satisfaction of seeing the cruel king rebuked and the favorites upheld.
A good tragedy must both elicit our sympathies and cause us to fear for one or more of the characters. Euripides' version does all this, but Goethe's only part. We sympathise it is true, but with all parties concerned, and the fear which we should feel for Iphigenia and the captives is greatly lessened by the noble character of Thoas, which almost assures us that he is too generous hearted to injure anyone very greatly.
But now that we have viewed the subject from one side, let us turn to the other. Let us take a look at the two works from a purely literary standpoint, and ascertain if possible the comparative worth of the two from the students side. It is here that Goethe has risen above the mark set by his model. It is here