Iphigenia in Aulis

What are some of the different reasons the characters in the play claim for their war against Troy, and how do these different reasons shape our interpretation of the play?

Discuss Achilles’ motivations for his actions in the play and what these motivations reveal about his character. Do you think Achilles is a sympathetic character?

What are some ways in which the characters of the play are inconsistent in their values or behavior? How does this inconsistency or contradiction of character shape our interpretation of the play?

Compare and contrasts the ways in which the different characters of the play (e.g., Agamemnon, Achilles, Iphigenia) pursue glory and honor.

What is the significance of the fact that is Artemis—one of the Greek gods—who demands the sacrifice of Iphigenia? What does this detail say about the role of the gods in the play?

Discuss the way different characters in the play view Iphigenia’s sham “marriage” to Achilles. Why is it significant or symbolically meaningful that this was how Iphigenia was lured to Aulis?

Why do you think that Iphigenia decides that it would be noble or glorious to be sacrificed so that the Greeks can sail to Troy?

Where does Euripides’ Iphigenia in Aulis fit within the larger myth of the Trojan War? Discuss some ways in which the play engages with its larger mythical context.