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Name: _________________________ | Period: ___________________ |
This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.
Short Answer Questions
1. What must Aegisthus bring with him to the palace?
2. Why does Clytemnestra grieve after the false news of her son's death?
3. Why does Orestes wish to return to the oracle at the end of "The Libation Bearers"?
4. What happened to Clytemnestra in her dream when she tried to nurse what she'd been birthed?
5. What does Orestes wonder about Aegisthus after he has murdered his mother?
Short Essay Questions
1. What does Apollo say about the rights of parents during Orestes' trial?
2. Why is it important that Orestes tell Athena who his father was when the goddess comes to him?
3. What does Orestes mean when he cries out to Zeus in the second part of "The Libation Bearers"?
4. What does Athena decide to do about judging the case between Orestes and the Furies?
5. After receiving false news in the third part of the second play, what is Clytemnestra's reaction to news of Orestes' supposed death?
6. After he is freed at the end of "The Oresteia", what does Orestes claim to want for the future?
7. Who is revealed to be encouraging the Furies to hunt Orestes and why?
8. Why does Orestes decide to go back to the oracle?
9. How do Orestes and Pylades get inside the palace?
10. What are the Furies and why are they tormenting Orestes at the end of "The Libation Bearers"?
Essay Topics
Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:
Essay Topic 1
The language of "The Oresteia" alternates between being simple dialogue and poetically complicated. Discuss the use of language in the following format:
Part 1) The chorus invoking the gods.
Part 2) The simple exchanges of dialogue.
Part 3) The stylized speeches of Cassandra and the Furies.
Cite specific examples from the text.
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
Choose one of the following to write about:
1) Agamemnon and Clytemnestra's conflict about how he is welcomed home from war.
2) The role of the Furies in this tragedy.
3) Athena's decision that a council of mortals needs to decide Orestes' fate.
This section contains 954 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) |
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