The Bacchae

Summary: In the last third of Bakkhai, Pentheus makes his way to the mountain, Pentheus is killed by his mother, Agave, and Kadmos daughters, and Agave is exiled after returning to sanity. In the 4th choral ode by the Bakkhai, they tell the tale of how it happened when Pentheus made his way to the mountain to hide and spy on the women. Pentheus was taken from his hiding spot then Dionysos set the women “loose” on him. Agave led the charge to kill him, and the women ripped him limb from limb and…

In The Bacchae many of the things said and done by Dionysus are similar to Jesus in The Bible. Proof of this is seen in the human way they live on Earth, the unusual ways they were born and conceived, both gods are called twice born, their want of people to believe that they are gods, their ability to turn people and objects into different items, the fear for their lives they had as infants, the lack of struggle when they are arrested, and finally their persecution. Therefore if Dionysus is like…

The Bacchae is a shining example of Greek tragedy, and would be an excellent choice to produce at the National Theatre here in Columbus. Although it was written in ancient Greek times, its messages still ring true in today’s world. The ideas that resonate most today, from The Bacchae, in my opinion are of the duality of chaos and order in society, and of the outwardly hidden nature of people. These two ideas represent changing conventional values and speak most to the focus of issues in today’s…

Anthesteria is the festivals in honour of Dionysus, the God of wine. Anthesteria is held each year for three days in the month of Anthesterion (February–March) celebrating the beginning of spring and the maturing of the wine stored from previous years. On the first day of the festival (Pithoigia, or “Jar Opening”) tributes were offered to Dionysus from the newly opened wine. The second day (Choes, or “Wine Jugs”) was a time of popular merrymaking typified by wine-drinking contests in which even…

The ancient Greek drama Bacchae written by Euripides, is a renowned tragedy known for the intense struggle between King Pentheus and the God Dionysus. Perhaps what makes this play so startling, in addition to the graphically brutal murder of Pentheus, is the wild yet captivating all-female chorus. Typically, the chorus is intrinsic to the play as it represents the voice of the community, reflecting on ethical and moral issues. However, in Bacchae, the chorus consists of fifteen women who are…

I am extending this letter with the intention to let you know some comments regarding the character of Faustus in the play. I tried to discuss with the actor about the transition from playing Pentheus in The Bacchae, but he would not listen because in his opinion the two are "the same guy". It is true that the characters and the situations in which they find themselves are similar, but the idea of playing Faustus with the essence of Pentheus could cause a conflict in the theatrical…

The Greek play Bacchae by Euripides explores the concepts of religious fervor and skepticism and helps a reader analyze how these concepts are opposed to each other, how these ideas are demonstrated in the play and how religious fervor and skepticism are still relevant in our society today. Euripides uses religion, one of the most controversial subjects in the world, to demonstrate the power it has on its believers. Euripides also demonstrates the criticism believers can receive from non…

Euripides’s Bacchae is a tragedy about a mother killing her son. While the plot of it is very simple, the thematic implication is what makes this play so fascinating. One of the themes in this tragedy is one about free will. Free will, or the absence of it, is a catalyst for the end result of the tragedy. Two very important mortal characters in this play, King Pentheus of Thebes and his mother Agave, are both stripped of their free will and are manipulated by Dionysus, the god of wine and…

After reading both Wasps by Aristophanes and Bacchae by Euripides, I realized that words can be just as powerful as a god. Athenian government officials, such as Cleon, in Wasps and Dionysus from Bacchae had total control over others. The people the Athenian government and Dionysus controlled were manipulated to believe that they had power. Within Wasps, readers are introduced to Procleon, a man who has an obsession with being a juror for the Athenian government. Procleon’s obsession is…

Dionysian/Apollonian: The Greek characters, Apollo and Dionysus represent the dichotomy of human nature and the unending debate of societal repression versus individual liberation. In the Greek tragedy, The Bacchae, Dionysus is the archetypal personification of hedonism, licentiousness, and chaos. He is the god of the vine, the ultimate party deity whose main goal was drunken revelry and personal freedom. The complete opposite of Dionysus is Apollo, the sun-god, the bringer of light, order and…