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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. In Chapter 2 when the old woman dies, how long have the boys lived with her?

2. Who does Electra consult with in Chapter 3 before she attends Dinos' feast?

3. In Chapter 1, who told Clytemnestra that Iphigenia is to be sacrificed?

4. In Chapter 2, where do the guards and Orestes find water after they leave a man dead near a cottage?

5. In Chapter 3, how many boys besides Orestes are not returned?

Short Essay Questions

1. In Chapter 1, how did Clytenmestra control the elders?

2. In Chapter 3, when Electra says that she is afraid of Aegisthus, how does she describe him?

3. What happened to Clytenmestra when Iphigenia was sacrificed?

4. How did Agamemnon and Cassandra die?

5. Toward the end of Chapter 3, what does Electra realize might free her and how does she try to gain freedom?

6. In Chapter 2, what does Orestes notice as he is traveling with the guards?

7. In Chapter 3, where does Electra remember that she and her sister used to go if they wished to speak privately?

8. Who is Aegisthus?

9. What happens when the boys meet a man with goats in Chapter 2?

10. In Chapter 3, how many times has Electra seen Aegisthus flinch or show fear and how does she describe when she saw fear in him?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

The author uses different points of view in the novel. How does the use of different points of view determine the type of characters depicted and how readers view Clytemnestra, Electra, and Orestes? What does point of view reveal about the power characters do or do not have?

Essay Topic 2

When Leander returns, he has a scar on his face. How is the scar described in various places? What role does the scar play in characterizing Leander? How does the scar represent past and present injuries in his life?

Essay Topic 3

Clytemnestra is the one who stabs her husband, but Aegisthus is also guilty. How is Aegisthus tied to the crime? To what extent has Aegisthus influenced Clytemnestra? Why is he also guilty of the murder?

(see the answer keys)

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