| A | B |
|---|
| Clytemnestra | “man-hearted”; calls self “timorous”; slays husband |
| Apollo | advises Orestes to seek revenge; defends Orestes in court |
| Orestes | claims to have news of Orestes’ death; leaves lock of hair at father's grave |
| Furies | discovered asleep in front of Apollo’s temple; characterized as beasts |
| Athena | establishes a jury of citizens; birth used to rationalize unimportance of mother |
| Atreus | father of Agamemnon; his sins create intergenerational violence |
| Kronos | Chained by Zeus during overthrow |
| Aeschylus | father of tragedy; author of The House of Atreus |
| Hermes | messenger god who guides Orestes to Athens |
| Priam | king of Troy; killed at his own altar |
| Pylades | Orestes’ friend |
| Cilissa | Orestes’ old nurse |
| Electra | Orestes’ sister |
| Cassandra | Priam’s daughter; cursed with prophetic visions no one will believe |
| Pythia | Priestess of Apollo at Delphi |
| Strophius | raises Orestes during Trojan War |
| Aeropagus | hill site of Athenian court |
| Aegisthus | Thyestes’ son who becomes Clytemnestra's lover |
| Chorus of Maidservants | Advises Elektra to pray for vengeance |
| Chorus of Athenian Citizens | place ballots to decide Orestes' fate |
| Chorus of Argos Citizens | old men and young who were too feeble to fight |
| Herald | Describes the hardships of battle |
| Watchman | Waits on top of roof for sign of Agamemnon's return |
