The Sacrifice Of Iphigenia Analysis

Words can paint a picture just as a picture can tell 1,000 words. There are times when literature and paintings can portray similar feelings and thoughts about the same topic. For example, the poet Alfred Lord Tennyson and the artist Giovanni Battista Tiepolo were both on the same page when telling the story of Iphigenia and her sacrifice. Tennyson and Tiepolo both capture Iphigenia as a helpless woman who is defenseless and broken down while being watched by everyone during her sacrifice. Tennyson captures Iphigenia by using descriptive and rhythmic word choices in the poem that paints a picture of Iphigenia to the readers. Tiepolo captures Iphigenia by the layout of the painting that makes people see and feel Iphigenia 's story without words

You can hear Iphigenia’s cries and feel her pain as the balance of colors on the painting continually shift from light to dark. Shifting the balance of colors makes the audience of the painting notice small details that are the most important details in telling the story of Iphigenia and her sacrifice. In suitability of the subject, the audience of Tiepolo’s painting wouldn’t have noticed Iphigenia being exposed on the altar if the color around Iphigenia were lighter. On the fact that the executioner is positioned to stab and kill the exposed Iphigenia with a knife lets us conclude that Iphigenia is broken down. Iphigenia is also being exposed to a crowd made up of only men in the painting which only supports that she feels defenseless. Identically, the way Iphigenia’s body is placed on the altar says that she didn’t put herself there, but was tossed with no consideration for her. This fact gained from the painting informs the audience of the painting that she defenseless. To add, the way how she looks immobilized on the altar and unable to have control of her body helps justify she feels broken down. In the painting, you can see a man riding on a donkey flying towards the temple on a cloud. Every other person except Iphigenia is looking at the man flying in on a cloud with curiosity. By the