The Oresteia

by Aeschylus

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The Oresteia Questions and Answers

Is Clytemnestra's killing of Agamemnon a justified revenge, portraying her as a martyr?

Explain the quote from Aeschylus' Agamemnon: "Time and your own enquiries / Will show, among your people, / Who has been loyal, who has played you false."

What is the purpose of Athena's intervention at the end of the trial of Orestes in Aeschylus' Eumenides? How does it serve the moral of the story?

Compare Cassandra in The Oresteia by Aeschylus with Teiresias in Oedipus Rex by Sophocles.  

How does the watchman waiting for Agamemnon feel about the state of things in the beginning of Aeschylus' Agamemnon?

What is the relationship between Apollo and the Furies? How do they view each other?

Explain the quote from Aeschylus' Agamemnon: "My tongue's nailed down. .... Well, I speak to those / Who understand me; to the rest – my door is shut."

How is Clytemnestra a proto-feminist in the Oresteia?

Contrast the theme of truth in Aeschylus's Oresteia with truth in Sophocles's Oedipus the King and Antigone. 

What happens to the Furies after the trial in Aeschylus' Eumenides? What does this say about Athenian law?

How does Aeschylus portray the power of women's speech (and to a lesser but palpable degree, actions) in a culture that was largely patriarchal such as Greece?

 Is justice only in the eye of the beholder, or is there an absolute justice? Clytaemnestra believes she must exact revenge against her husband for killing their daughter. He believes that the honor of his family demanded the sacrifice that he made unwillingly, and that he was forced to give up his daughter. Who is correct?

Explain this quote from Agamemnon by Aeschylus: ''Why our child is here to give you fitting welcome, Our true love's pledge, Orestes. Have no uneasiness.''

Can you explain the message  "lust for power"  using a motif(s) found throughout The Oresteia to support your explanation?

Who is more brash in Aeschylus' Agamemnon, Agamemnon or Clytemnestra?  

Why does Apollo advise Orestes to go to trial? Why do the Furies oppose the trial? What complaints do the Furies have against Apollo?

From a women's point of view, what does Cytemnestra represent?

What is the social and legal significance of Apollo's claim in The Oresteia that "The woman...is not the parent, just a nurse to the seed..."?

Explain the following quote from Agamemnon ``Apollo, Apollo! Leader of journeys, my destroyer!``

In The Oresteia by Aeschylus, how do Apollo and the Furies differ in how they interpret the bond of blood?

How does Aeschylus argue for or against the importance of obedience in The Oresteia?

How are the "Furies" (avengers, the spiritual agents of vengeance) described in The Oresteia before the trial? What does this imply about the nature of vengeance?

How does Aeschylus ensure that Orestes is the central figure in the Oresteia? In your answer, please make specific reference to ALL three plays, Agamemnon, Libation Bearers, and The Eumenides.

1. What use has Aeschylus made of the story behind the return of Agamemnon from the Trojan war? Discuss how his concerns differ from those of Homer. 2. What do you think of the character of Clytemnestra? Is she admirable, understandable, disturbing, hypocritical, evil?  How is this reflective of women in the position of authority? 3.  What is the primary message of the play? Is this play principally entertainment, education, or political propaganda? How  seriously does Aeschylus want us to take it?

Describe the rationalization process of the Erinyes in "The Eumenides" by Aeschylus.

Can you list some motifs that occur throughout the book (list page numbers) and offer insight into the message that they are bringing to the reader of "The Oresteia"?

How does the role(s) of the Chorus change throughout The Oresteia Trilogy and in what ways does it have influence or lack influence on the plot or on central characters?

How is The Oresteia by Aeschylus not only the tragedy of the fall of the house of Atreus but also a study of the socio-political evolution of 5th century Athens?