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Iphigenia, daughter of Agamemnon, is sacrificed to the goddess Artemis, to persuade her to grant the Greek ships a favouring wind on their way to conquer Troy. Agamemnon has become an ambitious politician, wavering in his motives, and a moral, if not a physical coward. Menelaus is also doubtful character. Achilles, to be sure, has something of a hero about him, but it is heroism of a very human youth, not of an adult Homeric warrior. As to Iphigenia, her character has been transformed from an unwilling victim into a true saint. She does not appear in Homer but tradition depict Iphigenia as a gagged, unwilling victim, appealing with her eyes, even at the moment of her death, for pity. In this play, she gives her life (much as Joan of Arc did) in accordance with what she regards as the 'divine will' and the needs of her country.

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Author: Euripides