History for those who asked

This is my last History tutorial paper on Euripides’ Bacchae for all those who asked to see it. I hope it helps.

In what ways are Pentheus and Dionysus different?
In what ways are they similar?

As outlined in the beginning of Euripides’ Bacchae[1] (pp.805-806) Pentheus and Dionysus have common heritage on their mother’s side to Cadmus, their Grandfather and previous ruler of Thebes (Segal p.178). This is where overt similarities cease[2]; Pentheus and Dionysus couldn’t be presented as more diametrically opposed. Not only do these two cousins assert their Kratos[3] from different parental heritage[4] but Euripides seems to have used the two characters to assert bipolar opposites in Greek thought; In the case of Pentheus, an immature concept and application of rationalism and a deficiency of Apollonian values ultimately leading to Hubris[5], and in Dionysus an illustration of all that Greek society labels as other (Harris & Platzner, p.749).

Why does Pentheus see Dionysus as a threat to civilisation?

The relationship between Pentheus and Dionysus reflects binary oppositions of masculine/feminine, rational/emotional, and civilised/uncivilised natures. Pentheus views this contrast between himself and Dionysus as hazardous to not only his own character but the Greek world he represents[6]. No doubt Pentheus sees himself as the protector of Greek heritage trying with all his very limited ability to preserve the Greek culture from this ‘other’ non-Greek influence personified through Dionysus and his followers. Pentheus outlines his disapproval of Dionysus and his threat to civilisation with an attack, from a very conservative perspective, in his opening passage in the Bacchae[7] (Euripides, pp.806-809).

To whom is Dionysus dangerous?

From a prima facie perspective, it would seem that the Bacchae presents a classic dichotomy of good versus evil but on further introspection deeper social themes develop (Johnston, p.3). The Greek Paradigm, represented by Pentheus, is deeply ethnocentric and through extreme exclusionism defines the ‘other’[8]; all those outside the Greek Ethos, represented by Dionysus. It is therefore not those who are in direct material opposition to Dionysus himself that are at threat but those who through their ethnocentric principles refuse to accept the limitations of their own world view and the value of the alternative that Dionysus is presenting[9].

Does Euripides’ tragedy provoke criticism of Dionysus?

Dionysus, as the head of the bacchants, is an easy target for criticism as he seemingly represents a religious movement vastly polarised from an orderly city existence. The Bacchants are driven to not only depose of the city but to establish themselves on moral principles seen as filth in the eyes of Pentheus (Euripides, p.806). This view asserts that Dionysus represents the menace of religion[10] (Johnston, p.4). The obstacle here is that Euripides alternative, namely Pentheus and the Greek world he represents, offers no better solution; it can be effectively argued that Pentheus is as much a danger to society as Dionysus[11].

The Bacchants was first performed in 406 B.C. Briefly discuss the theatrical and historical context in which the play was first performed. In what ways might Euripides be using the myth in this context to reflect upon his view of Athenian and or Greek society?

The Bacchae is one of Euripides’ final plays and was composed while the Peloponnesian war was drawing to a close[12] (Harris & Platzner, p.748; The Peloponnesian War). By this time Euripides had disenfranchised himself from Greece[13] (Johnston, p.6). The Bacchae can easily represent Euripides views on the society he was living in[14] as numerous features of the play, such as dissatisfaction with the political leadership and the inability of traditional methods of military control to ensure political stability existed throughout the Greek world particularly during the period of the Peloponnesian war that the Bacchae was composed in[15] (Hornblower, pp.166-170).

References

Euripides, (n.d.), ‘Bacchae’, in Harris, S & Platzner, G 2004, Classical Mythology: Images and Insights, 4th edn, McGraw-Hill, New York, pp. 800-853.

Harris, S & Platzner, G 2004, Classical Mythology: Images and Insights, 4th edn, McGraw-Hill, New York.

Hornblower, S 1983, The Greek World: 479-323 BC, Methuen, London.

Johnston, I 2001, An Introductory Note to Euripides' Bacchae, viewed 23 July 2006, , Malaspina University-College, British Columbia.

Roberg, J 2003, Heritage Studies: An Odyssey in Learning, Carthage College, Kenosha.

Segal, C 1997, Dionysiac Poetics and Euripides’ Bacchae, 2nd edn, Princeton University Press, Princeton.

The Peloponnesian War, 1998, viewed 23 July 2006, .

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[1] The Bacchae, circa 406 B.C, is one of 19 surviving plays composed by Euripides. It is named after the Bacchants, the women devotees of Dionysus. Euripides is famous for his psychological illustrations of distraught characters suffering because they fail to recognise their true identity (Harris & Platzner, pp.748-489; Roberg, p.11).

[2] Throughout the play Pentheus is struggling to deny any similarities that he may have with Dionysus, this will eventually be his downfall as Dionysus recognises that Pentheus is more alike to him than he would like to think. Dionysus antagonises these repressed similarities that Pentheus holds.

[3] Kratos is used in this context and by Segal (p.178) to mean royal power.

[4] Pentheus is the ruler of Thebes through the (inferior feminine?) heritage of his mother Agave whereas Dionysus asserts his Kratos not only through his mother Semele, sister of Agave, but more importantly through his father Zeus, King of the Gods (Segal, p.178).

[5] Hubris is presented by Harris & Platzner (p.749) to mean excessive pride.

[6] Thebes, of which Pentheus is the ruler, is the birthplace of Greek civilisation (Johnston, p.2).

[7] Right from the very beginning of the Bacchae, in a major departure from the traditional Greek hero story, it is blatantly obvious that Pentheus has some personal psychological motivation in his opposition to Dionysus. His emotive reaction to the arrival of Dionysus, such as excessive military force and his apparent obsession with Dionysus’ looks, appear as an illustration of his psychological inadequacies (Johnston, p.2).

[8] On numerous occasions Pentheus ridicules Dionysus and what he represents as inferior and foreign. Pentheus terms the Dionysian cult a travesty (Euripides, p. 806) and filth! (Euripides, p.807), and many times mentions or infers that the culture Dionysus is bringing is foreign (Euripides, pp.806-809, 813 etc.).

[9] This is not to say that the alternative presented by Dionysus is any more meritorious, in fact Euripides constantly illustrates its destructive nature. The argument is that because of ethnocentric ideologies the possibility that anomalies may exist within native Greek thought or that other cultures may have something valuable to offer is ignored, disaster befalls.

[10] At least fanatical superstitious religion lacking in the principles of rationalism.

[11] Of course this entire argument can only be seen as a single aspect of Euripides play as if the fundamental aim of the Bacchae was to convince the audience of the dangers of superstitious religious practice a more appealing alternative would have been presented (Johnston, p.5).

[12] The war began on 4 April 431 B.C. and it ended on 25 April 404 B.C. (The Peloponnesian War).

[13] He was actually now living in Macedonia (Harris & Platzner, p.738).

[14] If the play is to be interpreted from a historical context.

[15] Numerous other parallel features exist with enough correspondent features to effectively assert the conclusion that Euripides based his play on his observations of the Peloponnesian war. Dissatisfaction with political leadership and direction was becoming widespread, along with the sometimes rapid retreat of Greek Democratic systems of government therefore Greek government was becoming less influential overseas. This produced a climate whereby Greek citizens began to open up to and even actively search for other political systems and personal saviours. Eventually the Greek City States began to fail in their attempts to stop their citizens experimenting with foreign ideas of leadership and eventually crumbled (Hornblower pp.166-170). If we take, as mentioned earlier, Pentheus to represent Greek ideology and Dionysus to represent foreign or non-Greek ideology then this historical interpretation competently explains many, if not most, of the attributes of the Bacchae.