What are the references to the known myths in the movie "The killing of a sacred deer"? [closed]

The movie is full of references to Greek myths apparently. The title itself, the four stages of sickness, etc. What are the other references that you could name and what known myths do they refer to?

the-killing-of-a-sacred-deer

Best Answer

Killing of a Sacred Deer is loosely based on Greek myths recorded in plays from Homer, Aeschylus, and Euripides, and seems to be based on the myth of King Agamemnon murdering his daughter, Iphigenia.

This Vulture piece gives a good run-down of them.

This quote from the article explains where the film’s title comes from.

However, in Euripides’s Iphigenia at Aulis, the reason for Iphigenia’s sacrifice is made more explicit: Agamemnon accidentally killed a sacred deer that belonged to Artemis, and she requires blood in return.

(BTW: If you have questions about the myths, best ask them in the Mythology/Folklore exchange.)

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What myth is killing of a sacred deer based on?

And wouldn't you know it, Sacred Deer is inspired by an ancient Greek tragedy: Euripides' Iphigenia in Aulis (called out by Lanthimos and Filippou directly, in revealing that Cassidy's Kim wrote an essay on Iphigenia for her high school class).

What Greek myth is killing sacred deer?

In Greek mythology, Iphigenia appears as the Greek fleet gathers in Aulis to prepare for war against Troy. Here, Agamemnon, the leader of the Greeks, hunts and then kills a deer in a grove sacred to the goddess Artemis. Artemis punishes Agamemnon by acting upon the winds, so that Agamemnon's fleet cannot sail to Troy.

Why do they talk so weird in the killing of a sacred deer?

The audience isn't meant to form attachments to the characters, but rather question if Martin's actions are justified and wonder how Steven will react. The movie's weird dialogue ensures the audience focuses on the right elements of the movie, making it a truly unsettling watch.

How does Martin poison the family in the killing of a sacred deer?

In another, Martin bites into Steven's arm; when Steven pulls free, Martin sets his teeth on his own arm, biting out a chunk and saying through bloodied teeth, \u201cIt's a metaphor.\u201d (Just as The Lobster's billing as a black comedy didn't quite cover it, horror isn't sufficient to characterize The Killing of a Sacred Deer, ...

THE KILLING OF A SACRED DEER (2017) Explained

Sources: Stack Exchange - This article follows the attribution requirements of Stack Exchange and is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.

Images: Sebastiaan Stam, Brett Jordan, MART PRODUCTION, Pavel Danilyuk