What was the sacrifice of Iphigenia?
Achilles, initially ignorant of the deception, became incensed when Agamemnon’s trickery came to light and attempted to prevent Iphigenia’s death. Ultimately, however, Iphigenia volunteered to be sacrificed so that her father’s ships might sail for Troy.
Who describes the sacrifice of Iphigenia?
When the Greek fleet is becalmed at Aulis, thus preventing movement of the expeditionary force against Troy, Agamemnon is told that he must sacrifice Iphigenia to appease the goddess Artemis, who has caused the unfavourable weather. Agamemnon lures his daughter to Aulis by pretending that she will marry Achilles.
Does Iphigenia get sacrificed?
Iphigenia, knowing she is doomed, decides to be sacrificed willingly, reasoning that as a mere mortal, she cannot go against the will of a goddess. She also believes that her death will be heroic, as it is for the good of all Greeks. Iphigenia exits, and the sacrifice takes place offstage.
Who is Iphigenia and why is Iphigenia sacrificed?
The seer Calchas was among the group and he told Agamemnon that he had angered the goddess Artemis and the wind would not allow them to make their voyage until Agamemnon sacrificed his daughter, Iphigenia, to the goddess.
What happens at the end of Iphigenia?
Leading the chorus in a hymn to Artemis, she goes to her death, with her mother Clytemnestra so distraught as to presage her murder of her husband and Orestes’s matricide years later. The play as it exists in the manuscripts ends with a messenger reporting that Iphigenia has been replaced on the altar by a deer.
Does Achilles save Iphigenia?
The mother and daughter happily went to the port of Aulis, only to find out the horrible truth. Achilles, unaware that his name was used in a lie, tried to prevent the sacrifice, but Iphigenia utterly decided to sacrifice herself in honour and of her own volition.
Is Iphigenia a tragic hero?
The title character, Iphigenia, is a young girl who demonstrates none of the qualities of a “tragic hero,” except that she’s heroic in the sense that she willingly chooses to sacrifice her life for her father’s honor and the good of the people of Greece.
What is the significance of the chorus description of Iphigenia’s sacrifice?
Meanwhile, the sacrifice of Iphigenia is a cloud over the marriage of Clytemnestra and Agamemnon and ultimately leads to his murder. The description of Iphigenia’s murder undermines the audience’s sympathy for Agamemnon. The killing offends our sense of proportion.
Why was Iphigenia sacrificed in the Trojan War?
The play revolves around Agamemnon, the leader of the Greek forces in the Trojan War, and his decision to sacrifice his own daughter, Iphigenia, in order to allow his troops to set sail and preserve their honour by doing battle against Troy. The Greek fleet, ready to sail for Troy, is becalmed at Aulis.
Why did Artemis demand the sacrifice of Iphigenia?
The goddess Artemis has raised strong winds which has prevented the Greek ships from leaving the port of Aulis and the sacrifice of Iphigenia is demanded to assuage her wrath for the killing of the hare by Agamemnon in an earlier hunting expedition that had encroached upon one of her sacred areas.
What is the summary of Iphigenia in Aulis?
Iphigenia in Aulis Summary. Euripides. Summary. At Aulis, on the west coast of Euboea, part of Greece, the Greek host assembles for the invasion of Ilium. The war was declared to rescue Helen, wife of King Menelaus, after her abduction by Paris, a prince of Troy. Lack of wind, however, prevents the sailing of the great fleet.
Who are the parents of the Greek goddess Iphigenia?
Iphigenia was the daughter of Agamemnon and Clytemnestra in Greek mythology. While the Greek army was preparing to set sail for Troy during the Trojan War, Agamemnon caused the anger of the goddess Artemis, because he killed a sacred deer. Who were the parents of Iphigenia? The parents of Iphigenia were Agamemnon and Clytemnestra.