The present article focuses on how contemporary directors approach the theme of sacrifice in their stage representations of Euripides’ Iphigenia in Aulis. For this purpose, I discuss several well-documented Greek and international productions. The performance history of the play indicates that Greek directors of the early 20th century emphasized the patriotic aspects of Iphigenia’s self-sacrifice for the Panhellenic cause. However, during the late 20th century and early 21st century, most directors shifted their focus to the themes of military aggression and political ambition, which destroy the life ofan innocent girl. Consequently, they portray Iphigenia’s sacrifice as coerced and unjust. During the same period, the rise of gender studies sparked interest, particularly among female directors, in deconstructing the patriarchal values that demanded a young girl’s death to serve the militaristic aims of a male-dominated society. Furthermore, in many productions, Iphigenia’s sacrifice is presented as the central motive for Clytemnestra’s murder of Agamemnon in the productions of Aeschylus’ Oresteia.
