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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. What do the Furies celebrate in poem and dance in the second part of "The Eumenides"?

2. What is coming true for Clytemnestra in the fourth part of "The Libation Bearers"?

3. What does Orestes realize about his mother's dream?

4. What ends up freeing Orestes from the Furies at the end of "The Eumenides"?

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

Short Essay Questions

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

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

3. What was Clytemnestra's dream?

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

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

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

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

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

9. How does Orestes defend himself in his trial?

10. How does the chorus know that Aegisthus is being murdered?

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

Is "The Oresteia" inherently misogynistic? Create a strong thesis (it is suggested that this thesis be centered on the characters for the sake of clarity) arguing that "The Oresteia" is or is not misogynistic. Points to consider are the treatment of Clytemnestra by the chorus, the role of Aegisthus, and Apollo's views on parents in the third play.

Essay Topic 3

Choose one of the following options to write about. Cite specific examples from the text to support your thesis.

1) Electra as a passive character.

2) The herald's statements about the price of victory in war.

3) The curse on the house of Atreus.

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 983 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample