Oresteia

Use these questions or activities to help gauge students’ familiarity with and spark their interest in the context of the work, giving them an entry point into the text itself.

Short Answer

1. Who was Agamemnon? What do you know about the myth of Agamemnon and his family? Who are some mythical figures you associate with ancient Greece and/or the Trojan War?

Teaching Suggestion: This Short Answer Question introduces students to Agamemnon, the legendary king of Mycenae (Argos) who led the Greek army during the Trojan War. Like most ancient Greek tragedies, the plays making up the Oresteia are based on older narratives taken from traditional mythology. As students read the Oresteia, it will be important to introduce them to the basic mythical context of the plays. Discussing the myths about the family of Agamemnon will strengthen their understanding; you might focus on the “Curse of Atreus” and how it shaped the lives of Agamemnon and his children, as well as the Trojan War and Agamemnon’s role in this myth.

• This article gives a helpful overview of the myth of Agamemnon and his family.
• This article from History.com surveys the mythology and history behind the narrative of the Trojan War.

2. What is ancient Greek tragedy, and why is it important? Consider some Greek tragedies you have encountered, such as Sophocles’s Oedipus the King or Euripides’s Medea. What are some of the defining qualities or characteristics of Greek tragedy?

Teaching Suggestion: Greek tragedy was a performative genre of literature most often associated with classical Athens. Tragedy’s heyday was the fifth century BCE, often known as Athens’s “Golden Age.” It was during this century that the three “canonical” Athenian tragedians—Aeschylus, Sophocles, and Euripides—were living and working. Though we know of many ancient Greek tragedians, the only surviving tragedies that are left today are tragedies by Aeschylus, Sophocles, and Euripides. Consider introducing the class to the important qualities of Greek tragedy (especially their tendency to dramatize traditional myths and their use of literary devices such as irony, reversal, and catharsis). You might also discuss the historical and sociocultural context of tragic performances, highlighting the connection of Greek tragedy with the annual festival of Dionysus known as the City Dionysia.

• In this short video posted by the National Theatre, classical scholar Edith Hall introduces Greek tragedy.
• This article from the TheCollector.com introduces the ancient Athenian festivals of Dionysus, including the City Dionysia and the Lenaia.

Personal Connection Prompt

This prompt can be used for in-class discussion, exploratory free-writing, or reflection homework before reading the text.

The Oresteia explores the power of heredity. What is heredity, and what role does it play in your life? What are some examples in which you feel your life may have been guided by the broader decisions of your family?

Teaching Suggestion: Students need not get too personal in responding to this question if they are uncomfortable, as even the most basic aspects of our lives are often connected in some way to heredity (such as what foods we like or dislike and our moral and/or religious values). This could be a good place to reflect on the relationship between nature and nurture, an idea that deeply interested the ancient Greeks. You could also urge students to think deeply about what kind of things we do and do not inherit from our families: Do we inherit goodness or cruelty? How about curses or bad luck?