A Short Analysis of Euripides' Iphigenia at Aulis Essay

The basis of this play has to do with a man named Agamemnon who had never grasped the idea of having to sacrifice his daughter, Iphigenia. He makes the decision to do it, but he has second thoughts and decides to recede from his plans of sacrificing her. He had originally sent a letter to his wife telling her what he was going to do, but then ended up sending another telling her to ignore the first letter because he had changed his mind. His wife, Clytemnestra, did not receive the letter because his brother, Menelaus, prevented the letter from getting to her. Menelaus was highly upset that Agamemnon did not want go along with his original plans of sacrificing Iphigenia. Menelaus does not want the original plan that they had decided on to be stopped. Menelaus is also very irritated with Agamemnon because one of the reasons that the Greeks are going to battle with Troy is to rescue his wife, Helen. The fate of the Greek army is at stake if the sacrifice of Iphigenia does not take place. There would be riots and destruction to come.
Agamemnon and Menelaus both try to bring up valid points as to why the sacrifice should or should not take place. After a while of debating back and forth, Menelaus now feels that they should not sacrifice Iphigenia, and Agamemnon believes good would come from sacrificing his daughter. During this exchange, Clytemnestra is on her way to Aulis with Iphigenia and Orestes, they're baby son. The fact that Clytemnestra and Iphigenia are in Aulis makes the decision beyond difficult to settle on. Their presence causes the men to be at unease.
The idea of marrying a soldier exhilarates Iphigenia, but Iphigenia, Clytemnestra, and Achilles end up finding out the real reason why they are all in Aulis. Achilles had felt betrayed and used by Agamemnon. He vows to protect Iphigenia from her father and his plans that will result in her death.
Clytemnestra is also angry with Agamemnon. She felt that her husband had lured to Aulis only so that he can kill their daughter. She was distraught and couldn't wrap her head around the idea that her husband is willing to sacrifice Iphigenia, their only daughter. Achilles is still armed and alert waiting to protect Iphigenia regardless of the circumstances. Agamemnon believes he has no other choice, but to sacrifice his daughter. Iphigenia comes to terms with her father and decides that dying for the Greeks would be noble and the right thing to do. Clytemnestra is in agony that her daughter is being led to the altar to be sacrificed.
Everyone believes that Iphigenia is instantly killed, but one of the messengers informs Clytemnestra that Iphigenia is saved last minute by Artemis. Artemis was apparently pleased with her, and he chose to save Iphigenia by replacing her body with that of a deer and gives the troops wind