Greek Tragedy XXVII: Euripides’s Iphigenia in Tauris, or She’s Only Mostly Dead

Posted byTriumvir ClioPosted inGreek Tragedy, The Greeks

I told you that Euripides just keeps getting darker and darker the farther we get into his career.  Well, I lied.  Iphigenia in Tauris is a surprisingly light play, at least compared to the rest of the tragedies of Euripides.

Discussion Prompts:
  1. Is Iphigenia really alive? Why or why not?
  2. Why does Athena appear at the end? Why not another god? And who is she there to protect? Why?
  3. How would you stage this play today? Especially the ending, how would you handle Athena’s instructions to Orestes and Iphigenia?
  4. How long after the Trojan War do you think this play takes place? Why?
  5. Who would you want to play? Why?
  6. What other stories does this play make you think of? Why?

Published by Triumvir Clio

I have a BA in History and Classical Civilization from Loyola University Chicago and an MPH from Western Michigan University. I've been a geometry teacher, a religion teacher, a writing tutor. I'm a writer, a knitter, a dancer, a singer, an actor. And, yes, for fun I like to reread everything that was assigned while getting my classics degree.

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