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Sufyan Rahmani
Mr Capotoso
ENG-2D1
Thursday, February 27, 2025
ENG2D1
Iphigenia in Aulis is the Most Effective Noble Sacrifice
The play of Iphigenia in Aulis most effectively demonstrates the narrative pattern of the
Noble Sacrifice because Iphigenia willingly sacrificed herself for the greater good, faces
imminent doom, and has sacrificial beneficiaries.
To begin with, Iphigenia is the character who makes a clear sacrifice. At first she didn't
want to offer herself to the Greek god Artimemis and pleaded with her dad Agamemnon to stop
the slaughter. Later on in the play, she confidently changes her mind as Iphigenia declares, “I
want to die for Greece gloriously! All Greece turns her eyes to me and to me only” (Euripides
63). This quote shows the qualities of bravery and selflessness of the character, Ipengenia who
makes a sacrifice. She embodies bravery as she willingly sacrificed herself to let the Greek army
sail to Troy. In addition, she ended her life by slashing her throat which requires a huge amount
of courage and spirit to commit too. Besides, It also shows that she is a selfless trait, as she
believes dying for her nation gloriously is significantly more important than her own life.
Additionally, there is an impending doom in the play Iphigenia in Aulis. In the text, the
Greek army needed the winds in their favour to sail to Troy. If the sacrifice is not made the
soldiers will kill all of those who interfered with it. This means that Agamemnon faces the harsh
reality of the possible death of both himself and his family if he doesn't make the sacrifice of this
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daughter, Iphenigna. This is shown as he frantically states, “The Greek army is maddened with
desire to sail for Troy, and if I do not appease the goddess Artemis, the soldiers will kill us all’
(Euripides 62). This again shows the desperation of the Greek soldiers that are going to the
extent to kill their own leader Agamemnon, to sail to Troy. Most importantly this shows that the
impending doom is his and his family’s safety. Last but not least, if the king of Greece were to
refuse the sacrifice, it could lead to a civil war between those who opposed and went against it.
Thus, creating internal conflict within Greece and lowering their chances for victory against
Troy.
Lastly, Iphigenia’s sacrifice benefits the entirety of Greece's army, as it allows them to
sail to Troy and reclaim their honour. They are impatient to go to war with Troy for taking Helen,
but without Iphigenia, they are unable to attack them. Iphigenia’s noble sacrifice prevents Greece
from the harsh reality of being not able to set foot in Troy. Agamemnon conforms to this since he
says, “All Greece forces upon me this sacrifice of you. We are weak against this force. Oh
daughter, Greece turns to you and to me for help” (Euripides 62) This quote shows all of Greeces
glory only depended on Iphigenia's decision. Without her, the army would be unable to move
forward, proving that her death was the key to Greece’s victory during the Trojan War.
By reviewing Iphigenia in Aulis, it most clearly showcases the story structure of a noble
sacrifice as it contains a character who makes the sacrifice, the impending doom, and a sacrificial
beneficiary.
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Works Cited
Euripedes. Iphigenia in Aulis. Abridged version.
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