In the Bacchae, madness echoes the duality of man by being portrayed as a double headed beast. Madness parallels the nature of the god who inspires it—Dionysus. Dionysus’ dual-sided nature is best highlighted through his patronization of Greek theater. In Ancient Greece, only males were allowed to take part in the production of plays; as a result, female characters were …show more content…
For example, the madness present in the case of the Theban women could be considered a liberator rather than an oppressor in more ways than one. This concept of madness as a liberator is supported by the presence of wine in the midst of the Bacchants’ revels. Alcohol allows the women to release their true selves; intoxication paradoxically clouds the women’s judgment while freeing the women of the preconceived notions and duties generated by their status in society. The madness inspired by Dionysus allows the women to lose their inhibitions while at the same time unlocking the instinctive part of their identity, the part which society smothers and