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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. According to Apollo in the first part of the third play, where must Orestes travel?

2. Where was Orestes when he was told to avenge his father?

3. When the Furies do not awaken, what does the ghost urge them to dream about?

4. To whom does the oracle pray after her vision in the beginning of The Eumenides?

5. What does Athena name the judges who will vote on whether Orestes is guilty or not in the last part of the third play?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does the chorus influence Cilissa when she enters?

2. What is the conflict between the Furies and Apollo?

3. How does Orestes defend himself in his trial?

4. Why is Clytemnestra's dream significant to Orestes?

5. Why do the Furies claim Orestes' journey to Athens has been useless when they catch up with him in the second part of "The Eumenides"?

6. According to what he tells Electra and the chorus, why is Orestes seeking vengeance for his father's death?

7. How does Clytemnestra attempt to defend herself against Orestes in the last part of "The Libation Bearers"?

8. After he is freed at the end of "The Oresteia", what does Orestes claim to want for the future?

9. What does Orestes find ironic about the deaths of Aegisthus and Clytemnestra?

10. What does Orestes mean when he cries out to Zeus in the second part of "The Libation Bearers"?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss the use of dramatic irony within "The Oresteia". What characters seem to be the victims of this? Why can these characters never truly fulfill their goals? City specific examples from the text to support your arguments.

Essay Topic 2

What are the roles of justice and revenge in "The Oresteia"? What are the differences between the two? What characters seek justice and what characters seek revenge? How does this reflect upon the play cycle as a whole? Cite specific examples from the text to support your arguments.

Essay Topic 3

Consider the reactions the chorus and Orestes have to Clytemnestra's relationship with Aegisthus. Conversely, look at how the chorus and Clytemnestra treat Agamemnon when he reveals that he has brought Cassandra back with him as a concubine. What do these differing reactions signify about the roles of men and women in this play? Are these a reflection of the time? Bear in mind that in the first play the chorus is comprised of old men. Cite specific examples from the text to support your argument.

(see the answer keys)

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