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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 6, what is decided to be done with the slaves Agamemnon captured so long ago?

2. On page 242, what breaks the silence at night?

3. In Chapter 4, where does Orestes first stab his mother?

4. In Chapter 5, what do the echoes sound like?

5. Where is Orestes grabbed when he is waiting for his mother in Chapter 6?

Short Essay Questions

1. What does Leander do when he arrives at the palace?

2. After Leander learns about the death of Clytemnestra and his family in Chapter 6, what does he ask for?

3. In Chapter 4, what do Leander and Orestes find when they get to the house where the man herded goats?

4. In Chapter 4, after Orestes challenges Aegisthus, what does Electra tell him?

5. What does Orestes realize about the boys who were in the detention place with him in Chapter 6?

6. In Chapter 5, what does Clytemnestra see about her mother?

7. In Chapter 4, where do Leander's family want him to go and why?

8. On page 240, how does Clytemnestra describe the place where she is?

9. What village do Leander and Orestes finally approach in Chapter 4, and why does Leander believe they will be safe there?

10. What is Aegisthus' position once Leander returns?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

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?

Essay Topic 2

In ancient Greece, men were powerful and women were subservient. How does Toibin give female characters the power to act and control their lives? How does he depict the lack of power that some male characters have? How is this depiction of agency a reversal of typical roles of men and women in ancient Greece?

Essay Topic 3

Clytemnestra and Aegisthus are lovers and co-rulers after Agamemnon’s death. How would you describe the relationship between the two? What brought them together? Why do they stay together if they do not love one another?

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