Questions on Aeschylus’ Oresteia
1. The Oresteia is a trilogy of plays, the only one that survives from the ancient world. What are
the three plays it contains? What, briefly, is each about?
2. Clytemnestra is one of the most imposing characters in Athenian tragedy. Describe her. What
does she do in the first play? How does she defend her actions? She also has a role in the second
and third plays: what does she do?
3. What must Orestes do? Why does he hesitate? Why does he eventually go through with it?
Who seeks to punish him for his actions? Why? Who tries to help him? Why?
4. The third play becomes a trial scene. Who is on each side of the trial? Who is the judge? What
argument does each side make? How does the judge decide?
5. How would you decide the case? Do you think the other side has a valid point?
6. Can you think of a play, show, work of literature, or any other public medium in our culture
that regularly addresses such difficult questions?