Agamemnon’s daughter. Like Isaac, Iphigenia was supposed to be sacrificed by her father. However, Agamemnon was supposed to sacrifice Iphigenia to appease an angry goddess and for the greater good whereas Isaac was supposed to be sacrificed just because God asked Abraham to do it (presumably as the ultimate test of faith). Furthermore, Kierkegaard indicates that Agamemnon was able to explain to Iphigenia why she had to be sacrificed, which is something Abraham doesn’t do with Isaac.
Get the entire Fear and Trembling LitChart as a printable PDF.
Iphigenia Character Timeline in Fear and Trembling
The timeline below shows where the character Iphigenia appears in Fear and Trembling. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Problema 1: Is There a Teleological Suspension of the Ethical?
...a sacrifice similar to Abraham’s under different circumstances—to appease an angry deity (like Agamemnon sacrificing Iphigenia to appease a vengeful goddess) or because the law demands it—then people admire them for...
(full context)
Problema 2: Is There an Absolute Duty to God?
...can resort to the universal whereas a knight of faith cannot. Agamemnon prepared to sacrifice Iphigenia, took comfort in the universal, and then sacrificed her. However, Abraham couldn’t turn to the...
(full context)
Problema 3: Was it Ethically Defensible of Abraham to Conceal his Purpose from Sarah, from Eleazar, from Isaac?
...for disclosure, though. For instance, Agamemnon had to keep his grief over having to sacrifice Iphigenia quiet because he’s the hero, but aesthetics demands that somehow the other characters find out...
(full context)
...in part because they’ve given counterarguments the chance to be heard (such as Agamemnon letting Iphigenia and others talk to him about the sacrifice he must make). Abraham can’t do this—his...
(full context)
