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This test consists of 5 multiple choice questions, 5 short answer questions, and 10 short essay questions.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. What does Aegisthus claim after his entrance in "The Libation Bearers"?
(a) He is the father of Orestes.
(b) He is the wisest man in Mycenae.
(c) He cannot be fooled.
(d) He is thrice blessed by the gods.

2. What does Orestes hold up as proof that his father has been avenged?
(a) The cloth that Agamemnon was trapped in before he was murdered.
(b) His mother's bloody robes.
(c) Aegisthus's bloody robes.
(d) The crown.

3. What will Athena appoint to pass judgment on the case between Orestes and the Furies?
(a) A council of gods.
(b) A council of king.
(c) A council of Athens' elders.
(d) A court of all spirits affected by Orestes' murder of Clytemnestra.

4. What is the result of the judges' vote after the trial?
(a) The vote is divided evenly.
(b) The judges did not vote as they wished to avoid the wrath of the Furies and of the gods.
(c) The vote is in favor of the Furies.
(d) The vote is in favor of Orestes.

5. What false news does the disguised Orestes give Clytemnestra?
(a) Electra has run away.
(b) Orestes is returning.
(c) Electra is dead.
(d) Orestes is dead.

Short Answer Questions

1. What happened to Clytemnestra in her dream when she tried to nurse what she'd been birthed?

2. Where does the second part of "The Eumenides" take place?

3. What do the Furies complain about when Athena leaves in the second part of the third play?

4. What is the question on the chorus's mind after Orestes flees the palace?

5. What do the Furies tell Apollo about their hunt for Orestes?

Short Essay Questions

1. According to their words in the second part of the third play, what do the Furies believe about their rights?

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

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

4. Who is revealed to be encouraging the Furies to hunt Orestes and why?

5. In the beginning of "The Eumenides", what is the oracle's vision and what does it mean?

6. Why does Apollo appear to Orestes while at Delphi?

7. What does Athena decide to do about judging the case between Orestes and the Furies?

8. What ends up being the fate of the Furies at the end of the play?

9. What does Apollo say about the rights of parents during Orestes' trial?

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

(see the answer keys)

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