Tavid Bingham

Greek Tragedy

Euripides Bacchae

Background

The Bacchae was the last tragedy of Euripides and produced after the playwright’s death by his son in the year 405 BCE. Likely the play was completed after Euripides had angrily left Athens for the court of Macedon where he died (406/7BCE). Euripides had been criticized in Athens for being critical and perhaps even against religion. The Bacchae seems to be a response to this, as Euripides presents an apparent defense of religion and tradition.

In fact, many scholars have interpreted the Bacchae as being a direct criticism on what was then a new and rising intellectual movement known as sophism. Sophism emphasized logical and rational thinking that discounted irrational religious and traditional practices. Euripides uses the god Dionysus (pictured here) as a vehicle to present this subject. The plot is full of paradoxes that raise many questions about religion, specifically about the Dionysian religion that was perhaps the best example of faith clashing with rationality.

Plot Synopsis

The play opens with a prologue (lines 1-63) by Dionysus himself, who explains that he has returned to his home of Thebes in order to punish the sisters of his mother, who dishonored him by doubting his godliness. He has made the women of the city go mad and sent them to dance crazily on Mt. Kithairon, as members of his cult would. He then ushers the chorus onto the stage to speak the opening parados (lines 64-166). The chorus of Maenads (female worshipers of Dionysus) pay high praises to Dionysus, telling of the freedom and delight that he has brought them. Next, in the first episode (lines 170-369) the men of the city including the seer Tiresias, the old king Cadmus and his son Pentheus commiserate about the rebellious women, and it becomes that Pentheus wishes to amass an army to lead up the mountain to reclaim the women and in effect, battle Dionysus. The chorus re-enters and pays more praises to Dionysus and in their first ode (lines 370-432) make it clear that Pentheus is most unwise to dishonor the god further. In the second episode (lines 433-518) Dionysus is brought before Pentheus disguised as an attractive foreign agent of the cult. The two argue about the religion and Pentheus realizes that his prisoner is quite clever. The chorus then appeals (lines 519-575) to Dionysus to come join them in their dithyrambic dance so that he may defend them and the cult from the attack that Pentheus is waging. Next, Dionysus cunningly persuades Pentheus to quietly sneak up the mountain and spy on the crazed Maenads, luring the young prince into a trap (lines 576-861). Then the Maenad chorus erupts into another ode of ecstasy (lines 862-911) in which they reflect on the stupidity of men, and their habit of provoking the gods to punish them. This punishment is quickly approaching during the fourth scene (lines 912-976) and then the fourth stasimon (lines 977-1023), as the Dionysus and Pentheus approach the maenads (pictured above), and as the chorus becomes fervent with excitement as the moment of Bacchus’ vengeance comes close. In the fifth episode (lines 1024-1152) a messenger returns to Thebes and reports that Pentheus was ripped apart by the maenads, and it was none other then his mother, Agave, who ripped off his headed and danced with it, thinking it was a lion’s. The final brief choral ode (lines 1153-1164) rejoices at Dionysus victory. The exodos (lines 1165-1392) then has Agave return to Thebes and realize that she has in fact killed her own son. Dionysus then appears as a deity and reveals that he will also punish Cadmus. The end of the play shows how the wrath of his vengeance has made his superiority clear.

Themes and Thoughts

Sophism

As discussed above, the Bacchae is full of suggestions about sophism, or “new learning” as it sometimes called. Sophism emerged in the latter half of the 5^th century BCE and was led by scientists, historians and philosophers such as Protagoras and Gorgias. The movement was characterized by “attacks on traditional religion, established law and social custom” (Woodruff-xvii). These attacks were typically based on the sophist’s notion that many existing practices and beliefs of society were grounded in irrationality. In this way, Pentheus could be indicated as a symbol of the sophist movement, because of the way that he attacked the Dionysian religion because of its unusual nature.

Methods of extending these attacks include persuasive speech that utilizes logic to discount the claims of such irrational groups as the Bacchae (Dionysus’ worshipers), who behave in a most unconventional way. The paradox of this claim is that Pentheus’ resistance against Dionysus and his unconventional followers is based in nothing more then the fact that he wishes to maintain control over the women of the city. He is not based in any other rationale then this.

Here it is almost as if Euripides is suggesting that the sophist’s notion of rationality is perhaps not very substantive at all. Furthermore, it is Dionysus, disguised as the foreigner who craftily persuades Pentheus to go up the mountain without an army, a decision that leads to his death. The way that Dionysus convinces Pentheus with speech is a technique perhaps more characteristic of sophists. This deepens the paradoxical nature of the play. These paradoxes could be identified as the ways in which Euripides presents a dialogue between what Nietzsche called the “Apollonian” and “Dionysian” elements of Greek society.

Apollo vs. Dionysus

Nietzsche (pictured below) believed that Apollonian virtues include human reason, civilized life, dialogue, science, and dialectics. While Dionysian virtues include human emotion, nature, music, myth, and imagination (327). With this in mind Apollo seems to be a clear symbol of the sophist movement. Dionysus is meanwhile seen as a symbol of disorder, chaos and wildness, as revealed by the fanatical actions of his followers. In fact it is known that the cult of Dionysus had perhaps no order, or specific ritual to it. Instead it was focused on passively allowing the god to affect you as he chose. In all, the goal is that one should lose himself with Dionysus.

However, it is clear that these conflicting elements of Greek life clearly have been woven together in the Bacchae. Apollonian and Dionysian elements are blended together in Pentheus and in Dionysus as well. Consider Pentheus who lost his life when he allowed himself to be driven mad by Dionysus. A true sophist would discount the god’s ability to influence them so drastically because it is irrational. If Pentheus had maintained his order and discipline he could perhaps have escaped his terrible fate. On the other hand, as discussed above, Dionysus is forced to resort to some Apollonian techniques in order to vanquish his foes. Apart from the fact that he uses persuasive speech, consider that the Maenads of the chorus provide the basic structure of the tragedy through their odes. That the chorus is not a group of citizens from Thebes, perhaps says something about the structure that the seemingly unrestricted cult members actually hold. This fits with Nietzsche’s claim that elements of each god’s holdings come together.

At any rate, it is clear that Euripides Bacchae poses more questions than it does provide solutions. This is of course the nature of tragedy: to incite debate, thought and discussion rather then silence argument. This play in particular raises some provocative questions.

Consider this modern day examples of Dionysian attributes…

Jim Morrison

The rock and roller used intoxication for his artistic inspiration throughout his entire career. He even attracted an almost cult-like following that was obsessed with his singing, voice and poetry. His art caused these fans to lose themselves while at concerts. His intoxication eventually led to his death.

Bibiliography

Bather A.G. The Problem of the Bacchae. Journal of Hellenic Studies. Vol. 14. 1894.

Euripides. Bacchae. Ed. with an introduction by Paul Woodruff. Hackett Publishing, Indianapolis: 1998.

Euripides. Bacchae. Ten Greek Plays. Ed. with an introduction by L.R. Lind. Houghton Miflin, Boston: 1957.

Silk, M.S. and Stern, J.P. Nietzsche on Tragedy. Journal of Modern History. Vol. 55. March, 1983.