The play opens with the prelude to the sacrifice of Iphigenia – Artemis’ demand so as to allow the winds to blow that would take the Greek ships to Troy. Iphigenia is brought to Aulis on the pretext of marrying Achilles, the renowned hero and king.
On arrival, she and her mother, Clytemnestra, discover the lie. Clytemnestra bemoans her daughter’s fate and beseeches Achilles to protect her. Achilles accepts, but Iphigenia, showing deep patriotism and altruism, decides to allow herself to be killed for her country and people. At the final moment, while the priest lifts the knife, Artemis herself rescues the maiden and in her place, provides a deer for the sacrifice. We are then transported to Troy, years into the war between Greeks and Trojans. Hector, prince of Troy, has killed Patroclus, Achilles’ best friend. Achilles wants revenge! Disregarding his mother’s warning that he would die shortly after, Achilles meets Hector in a duel and slays him. His craze for vengeance leads him to show disrespect for Hector’s body and drag it around the walls of Troy for all to see.
Priamos, king of Troy, comes to request his son’s body and Achilles, respecting the old king’s humility and courage, agrees to let him have the body. The encounter between the two men is truly touching – two enemies that, for a moment, lay aside their differences and meet on the basic human levels of loss and pain and mutual respect.
The powerful epilogue provides us with thoughts on the issue of war, its futility and man’s opportunity to learn from his mistakes and not repeat them.
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