Adventures with Iphigenia in Tauris

Edith Hall traces the remarkable cultural journey of Euripides' Iphigenia in Tauris from ancient times to the modern stage, revealing how this tragic tale of human sacrifice, sibling reunion, and miraculous escape has captivated audiences across centuries. Moving beyond traditional scholarship, Hall examines the play's influence on subsequent Greek and Roman literature, its enduring impact on popular culture from romantic fiction to Hollywood action films, and its significant adaptations including Gluck's opera and Goethe's verse drama. Through thirteen richly illustrated chapters, she charts evolving responses to the work from Aristotle and Ovid through Christian interpreters like Milton, to modern feminist and postcolonial dramatists worldwide. Accessibly written with all texts translated into English, this study makes a compelling case for reconsidering one of antiquity's most influential yet understudied masterpieces.