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Oresteia: Agamemnon

Total questions: 20

Worksheet time: 10mins

Name
Class
Date
1.

The chorus in Aeschylus’ Agamemnon consists of ___.

a)

Clytaemnestra’s housemaids

b)

older women of the city of Mycenae

c)

the elders of the city

d)

Agamemnon’s soldiers and sailors

2.

Cassandra was able to see into the future, but ___.

a)

could not make people believe or understand her

b)

did not realize that she was about to be murdered

c)

never told anyone else what she knew

d)

was unable to speak Greek

3.

Clytaemestra is Agamemnon's ___

a)

wife

b)

mother

c)

sister

d)

daughter

4.

In the title of a work of Greek literature, the endings -eia (-ey) and ­-ad mean ___.

a)

substance"

b)

"son of…"

c)

"song/tale of…"

d)

"lament for…"

5.

Which of the following is not given as justification for the murder of Agamemnon in the Oresteia?

a)

Agamemnon had killed Clytaemnestra's daughter.

b)

Agamemnon's father had killed Aegisthus' brothers.

c)

The killing is a consequence or working out of the family curse.

d)

Agamemnon had killed Elektra.

6.

Which of the following is not true of the Greek theater?

a)

The Greek theater had no special effects.

b)

The actors always wore masks.

c)

The Greek theater was always outdoors.

d)

The chorus was a main character in the drama.

7.

Which of the following best describes Cassandra's communication with the chorus?

a)

The chorus understands her perfectly at first, but can no longer follow her train of thought at the end of the scene.

b)

The chorus never understands just what she is saying.

c)

At first the chorus is confused by her words, but gradually they come to understand more clearly what she is saying.

d)

The chorus seems to grasp her meaning pretty well from beginning to end.

8.

"Here is anger for anger. Between them

who shall judge lightly?

The spoiler has robbed; he killed, he has paid.

The truth stands ever beside God's throne

eternal: he who has wrought shall pay; that is law."

These lines are performed by ___.

a)

Orestes

b)

the chorus

c)

Cassandra

d)

Agamemnon

9.

"Here is anger for anger. Between them

who shall judge lightly?

The spoiler has robbed; he killed, he has paid.

The truth stands ever beside God's throne

eternal: he who has wrought shall pay; that is law."

The term "spoiler" could refer to ___.

a)

Clytaemnestra

b)

Aegisthus

c)

Atreus

d)

Agamemnon

e)

All options are true.

10.

"Here is anger for anger. Between them

who shall judge lightly?

The spoiler has robbed; he killed, he has paid.

The truth stands ever beside God's throne

eternal: he who has wrought shall pay; that is law."

Which of the following characters is not killed by one of the "spoilers?"

a)

Cassandra

b)

Aegisthus

c)

Orestes

d)

Agamemnon

11.

Which of the following characters does not exemplify the recurrent theme of the Oresteia "joy beneath storm clouds" ("things look bad, but maybe something good will happen anyway")?

a)

Cassandra

b)

the watchman

c)

Paris

d)

Agamemnon

12.

In Stasimon 1 of the Agamemnon the point of the lion cub analogy is that ___.

a)

the Greek expedition against Troy was unjust

b)

Helen was bound to bring destruction sooner or later

c)

Paris was fond of young animals

d)

a day would come when Cassandra's curse would be lifted

13.

In the Agamemnon the chorus can only hint that all is not well because they fear ___.

a)

Agamemnon himself

b)

Orestes and Electra

c)

Clytaemestra and Aegisthus

d)

Zeus and Artemis

14.

The portion of a Greek tragedy that is performed before the entrance of the chorus is called a(n) ___.

a)

epilogue

b)

prologue

c)

stasimon

d)

lament

15.

The point of Agamemnon's walking on the purple carpet is that ___.

a)

he is doing something he knows he should not

b)

he cannot be punished just for walking on an expensive rug

c)

Clytaemnestra's welcome is sincere, and she has forgiven him

d)

the people of Argos have woven the carpet as a homecoming gift

16.

When the chorus realizes that Agamemnon is being murdered in the palace, they ___.

a)

run away

b)

dash in and attempt to rescue their king

c)

fall upon their own swords

d)

disagree and do nothing

17.

Iphigeneia was sacrificed at the demand of ___.

a)

Agamemnon

b)

Artemis

c)

Clytaemestra

d)

Calchis

18.

Clytaemestra is informed that Troy has fallen ___.

a)

by messengers

b)

through an elaborate series of beacons

c)

by a dream

d)

through a letter from Agamemnon

19.

The chorus expresses concern that ___.

a)

the Greeks may destroy Troy's temples

b)

the anger of the war dead may never sleep

c)

the population will hold the casualties against the king

d)

All options are true.

20.

The opening song of a Greek tragedy, sung by the chorus as it enters, is called the ___.

a)

antistrophe

b)

parodos

c)

exodus

d)

stasimon