Teachers and parents! The Bacchae Study Guide. Pentheus (PEHN-thews), the young, still beardless king of Thebes. Cadmus, grief-stricken, speaks with her gently until the madness passes; only then does she look at the thing she carries. Cadmus You can view our. Lines 169-519 These virtues, when pursued exclusively and blindly, ignoring the unmistakable signs of Dionysuss godly powers, will produce his tragic fall. 1998 eNotes.com "The Bacchae Study Guide." He attended Dionysus and Pentheus when the god brought the boy to see the Maenads. For these reasons, Dionysus' revenge is brutal and excessive. New York, NY, Junie B. Jones: The Musical JR The child was Dionysus, and he grew into a powerful deity. "My students can't get enough of your charts and their results have gone through the roof." Dionysus (di-eh-NI-suhs), also called Bromius, Evius, and Bacchus (BA-kuhs). "The Bacchae Characters". But in truth Dionysus was growing into a powerful god, traveling around Asia and teaching his rites to man. In The Bacchae, he warns of the importance of paying tribute to the gods and is dressed up in Dionysian garb . She now enters, with Pentheus' head impaled on a thyrsus. Cadmus enters, with attendants carrying a bier on which lie the shredded remains of Pentheus' mutilated body. Agave limb from limb? Euripides tragedy unleashes that force and shows how susceptible we are to it. Background [ edit] The Dionysus in Euripides' tale is a young god, angry that his mortal family, the royal house of Cadmus, has denied him a place of honor as a deity. She is condemned to exile by Dionysus. The only Greek drama to feature the god Dionysus as a central character, the Bacchae is a drama about belief and faith, expressed with Euripides characteristic willingness to complicate easy answers. If there are two dates, the date of publication and appearance . Definitions and examples of 136 literary terms and devices. Zeus plucked the unborn baby Dionysus from her womb and concealed him in his thigh, until his proper birth. My students love how organized the handouts are and enjoy tracking the themes as a class., Requesting a new guide requires a free LitCharts account. by Euripides Buy Study Guide The Bacchae Character List Dionysus Young god. In Sophocles Teiresias stands as a window into the will of the gods; he is a sign that there is an absolute truth to which man can refer. Disbelieving the divinity of Dionysus, Pentheus considers what has happened to the Theban women to be perverse and abhorrent and the newly arrived foreign priest of a false god to be a charlatan who must be persecuted, thereby sealing his doom. He is a god of the general fertility of nature and especially of wine. But Pentheus' excesses and crimes against the god are understandable. They don't get involved in the action, but serve as a way of heightening the drama. This is when a character has a recognition or realization of some kind. I'm sorry, this is a short-answer forum designed for text specific questions. Aristotle reported that, outraged by Euripides disrespectful treatment of the immortals, the archon (chief magistrate) Kleon prosecuted him for blasphemy, but no record indicates the trials outcome. Mother! They are the only two men who have decided to participate in the rites of the new god; because of the other men, they fear that punishment will fall on Thebes. Teach your students to analyze literature like LitCharts does. When Dionysus arrives in Thebes with his frenzied followers, the Maenads, he has already possessed his mother's sisters, Agave, Ino, and Autonoe, turning them into frenzied Bacchae and sending them into the forests of Mount Cithaeron to perform mysterious Dionysian rituals. to read our character analysis for Agave and unlock other amazing theatre resources! Everything you need for every book you read. Ultimately, the play is less about faith in the gods than an acknowledgment of the contradictory forces that rule the universe and human nature. Son of Zeus (king of the gods), and the mortal woman Semele. The second messenger, one of Pentheus's servants, tells the story of how the Bacchae ripped Pentheus apart, mistaking him for a lion, and he scolds the chorus for being happy Pentheus is dead. Daughter of Cadmus. He orders the Stranger (Dionysus) placed in chains and led off to prison to await his death. The old man rushed to the hills as soon as he heard about the murder. In one key scene Dionysus asks the question which has perplexed theorists of tragedy: would you really like to see what gives you pain? Dionysus, ironic questioner and stage-manager of the action, is a double of the poet himself. The Bacchae E-Text contains the full text of The Bacchae. 11 June 2023 . The Bacchae restages the primal battle between rationality and irrationality for a final summary statement on both divine and human natures. The mythic backstory for the Bacchae is the relationship between Semele, the daughter of Cadmus, king of Thebes, and Zeus. They're like having in-class notes for every discussion!, This is absolutely THE best teacher resource I have ever purchased. Copyright 2016. Teach your students to analyze literature like LitCharts does. Complete your free account to access notes and highlights. Drink is at the bottom of it all. for a group? Women have deserted their homes for thesefraudulent rites up in the woods and mountains,dancing to celebrate some new godDionysus, whoever he is.Drink is at the bottom of it all.Huge bowls stand in their midst, I'm told,brimming with wine, and one by one the womenslip into the shadows to satisfy the lusts of men.They say they are priestesses, sworn to Bacchus,but it's clearly Aphrodite they adore.I've had some of them trapped, and shackled in the prison.The rest are still out there on the mountain Even my mother is among them,she who bore me to Echion,with her sisters Ino and Autonoe, mother of Actaeon.I'll hunt them down with nets.I'll put an end to their filthy orgies. Although invited to produce tetralogies for at least 22 of Athenss Dionysian festivals, Euripides won the competition only three times before his departure, compared to his contemporary Sophocles, who won 24 first prizes. Pentheus means to take his best troops into the hills to make all-out war against the Maenads. The god is with us, says Dionysus sinisterly. Complete your free account to request a guide. Not that it does him much good. Cadmus begs for mercy, but to no avail. He proclaims that Agave and Cadmus are to be exiled, separately. In The Bacchae, Tiresias appears briefly at the beginning of the play, as the voice of wisdom and experience. Semele, princess of Thebes and daughter of Cadmus, was impregnated by Zeus, king of the gods. For the most part, scenes of death and destruction in Greek tragedy occur offstage. The messenger is a cattle herder who tells Pentheus about the Bacchae's violent behavior on Mount Cithaeron and neighboring villages. And, whether it was intended to encourage or to discourage fanaticism, the picture of fanatical excitement which it exhibits has never been rivaled. Critic J. Michael Walton has observed that The sheer power and mystery of the Bacchae is so startling that it rightly belongs in the forefront of the greatest plays ever written. The Bacchae persists largely because of the plays astonishing capacity to harness psychological and emotional forces to form a central myth with far-reaching psychological, moral, and ontological implications. You'll be able to access your notes and highlights, make requests, and get updates on new titles. As revealed by Dionysus in the plays prologue, Agave insulted the god by saying he was not the son of Zeus; that Semele, Dionysuss mother and Agaves own sister, lied about her lover, who was actually some mortal. It is often very obscure; and I am not sure that I understand its general scope. In it, the young king of Thebes, Pentheus, refuses to acknowledge or worship the new god Dionysus. Among the women are Semele's sisters, including Agave, mother of Thebes' current king. Accessed June 12, 2023. https://www.coursehero.com/lit/The-Bacchae/. You talked madness before, but this is raving lunacy! Yet Pentheus is responding to a crisis in which the womens departure has led to a breakdown of order in the city, threatening their survival. Agave, mother of Pentheus, daughter of Cadmus, and sister of Semele, Autonoe, and Ino, does not speak until the end of the play. (2017, June 23). A chorus of his followers sing his praises. She returns to Thebes triumphant, carrying her son's head as a trophy. But why was Pentheus there?CADMUSHe went to mock the gods, and your rituals.AGAVEBut wewhy were we there?CADMUSYou were out of your wits.The whole city was possessed by Bacchus.AGAVEI see. How do the gods in TheBacchae by Euripides make the characters' lives harder or create obstacles for them? Dionysus, god of wine, theater, nature, and madness, is the son of a mortal, Semele, and the god, Zeus. -Graham S. The timeline below shows where the character Agave appears in. Still under her delusion, she first appears carrying her sons mangled head affixed to her thyrsus like a trophy. He shaves away the god's curls and has him put in the dungeon. You'll also receive an email with the link. eNotes.com Key Information Character Agave Show The Bacchae Gender Female Age Range Adult, Mature Adult Role Size Supporting Dancing Non Dancer Voice Non-singer Time & Place Thebes, Ancient Greece, palace Tags ancient greek mother daughter royal madness violence spectacle visions worship victim Analysis Cadmus, father of Semele and Agave and grandfather of Dionysus and Pentheus, is now an old man who believes Dionysus is a god who should be worshipped. Summarizing Euripides development, scholar H. D. F. Kitto has stated: Love and vengeance are the basis of the Medea; Aphrodite and Artemis in the Hippolytus are instinctive, non-moral forces, jealous of each other, beneficent to man only when each receives her due honour. The guards and attendants are Pentheus's men. Dionysus should not be thought of as the merry god of wine; this concept of him is part Roman, part Disney. They, in turn, are followed on stage by the prophet Teiresias and Cadmus. Scene 2 & Interlude 2. The god's revenge is too harsh, and the Bacchae look on Agave and Cadmus with compassion. Playing only a small part in the play, the Servant is one of King Pentheuss men. During the battle, he claims, the women were impervious to the villagers weapons but were themselves able to wreak terrible havoc with simple branches and reeds. Tiresias is a common character in Greek literature. His mortal mother, Semele, was a mistress of Zeus; while pregnant she was killed by Hera, who was jealous of her husband's affair. the limits of your strength. Detailed quotes explanations with page numbers for every important quote on the site. PDF downloads of all 1737 LitCharts literature guides, and of every new one we publish. According to myth, he was immortal and blessed with the power of prophecy. on 50-99 accounts. Dionysus revealed him to the Maenads, who ripped the boy to pieces with their bare hands. eNotes.com, Inc. The Bacchae literature essays are academic essays for citation. The Greek god of wine and revelry, Dionysus was also known as Bacchus to the Romans. As revealed by Dionysus in the play's prologue, Agave insulted the god by saying he was not the son of Zeus; that Semele, Dionysus's mother and Agave's own sister, lied about her lover, who was actually some mortal. GradeSaver, 25 November 2000 Web. The way the content is organized by Euripides Start Free Trial Summary PDF Cite Share Last Updated on May 5, 2015, by eNotes Editorial. Pentheus follows, enraged at seeing his prisoner free, and receives a report about the Theban women, including Pentheuss mother, Agave, who are on a nearby mountain and whose nature worship includes the slaughtering of cattle and ravaging the countryside. The climax of the play brings the ultimate unnatural acta mother killing her own son. Chorus Tiresias Character Analysis. Instant PDF downloads. Research Playwrights, Librettists, Composers and Lyricists, See more characters from Lightning strikes and there is a mighty earthquake: the royal palace of Thebes is completely destroyed. The small crowd is made up of Theban citizens. He is a puritan with something in his own mind that prevents his seeing any but the extreme aspects, the supposed sexual excesses, of the worship of Dionysus. eNotes.com will help you with any book or any question. PDFs of modern translations of every Shakespeare play and poem. Now you are seeing what you ought to see. Here the absurdity of Pentheuss loss of control and rationality is mixed with the tragic suggestion offered by both Dionysus and the Chorus that Pentheus is going to his doom. $18.74/subscription + tax, Save 25% Word Count: 1573. (including. LitCharts Teacher Editions. After striking her down, Zeus hid Dionysus in his thigh until the god was ready to be born. Start your 48-hour free trial to get access to more than 30,000 additional guides and more than 350,000 Homework Help questions answered by our experts. Pentheus is the king of Thebes, son of Agaue, grandson of Cadmus and the first cousin of Dionysus. Cadmus has stepped down from the throne to hand the kingdom over to his grandson, Pentheus. Law, the basis of social order, must be preserved. His opposition to the god is adamant. They watch all the action of the play, never becoming direct participants but providing, through their songs, important background information about the life and worship of Dionysus. Struggling with distance learning? More books than SparkNotes. Already a member? Best summary PDF, themes, and quotes. The audience is left to wonder if her crimes against the god and her sister Semele merit the punishment Dionysus metes out. Dionysus appears in all his glory atop the palace, and although lines from his speech are lost, it is clear from context and other sources that he proclaims his divinity and banishes Agave and Cadmus, who acknowledge their sins and beg for mercy but are refused. Upload them to earn free Course Hero access! June 23, 2017. Zeus preserved the child and hid him from Hera. Scene 1 & Choral Interlude 1. The [Pelo-ponnesian] war brought a new tragic theme to the fore, and the tragedy of rational man preyed on by irrational but necessary passions is pushed into the background. The child was assumed to have perished with its mother. Some background is helpful in understanding the events of the play. The Greek deity was much more complex. the Bacchae has been widely recognized as one of the most successful applications of a psychoanalytical approach to an ancient Greek trag edy.I Devereux has shown how Cadmus, using a "flawless psycho therapeutic strategy,"2 brings Agave out of a psychotic episode by a question-and-answer technique that forces her to speak and thus to Mother of Pentheus and daughter of Cadmus. The Bacchae Summary. Blind old seer of Thebes, familiar to those who have seen/read Oedipus the King or Antigone. There has been a lot of talk about this particular cover, especially in the way Presley resembles Dionysus.. handsome, spellbinding.. a kind of "god" to the young what are the main themes of the Bacchae, as indicated by the prologue? Not affiliated with Harvard College. Later, when they pillage the towns, the Bacchae include children in their attacks. He wants the Thebans to be the first among the Greeks to learn the songs, dances, and rites of the Dionysian cult. Complete your free account to access notes and highlights. beneath the silver firs on the roofless rocks. He has inherited the throne of Thebes from Cadmus, and early in the play he is abroad on business of his realm. They are not possessed, and so their will is their own. Cadmus. The second date is today's He was part of Pentheuss retinue of soldiers who followed the king to the forest and witnessed him being torn to pieces by the maenads. Wine was only one of Dionysus' gifts to mankind; he is also the god of excess, savagery, ecstasy. Athens, and Euripides with her, turned from high tragic issues to a lighter or a more intellectual drama. Certainly Pentheuss wilful blindness merits Teiresiass condemnation: Reckless fool, you do not know the consequences of your words. Course Hero. Would not have made it through AP Literature without the printable PDFs. Ed. There they sit, Near the end of the play, Agave, still in a mad frenzy, leads the women in a bloody attack on Pentheus, her own son, who she mistakes for a mountain lion. In Greek myth, he is said to have been the son of the immortal king of the gods, Zeus, and Semele, the mortal daughter of Cadmus, founder of Thebes. fawn-skin, holding the thyrsus. He explains that hes targeted Thebes because his mother Semeles sisters. Detailed quotes explanations with page numbers for every important quote on the site. Euripides Bacchae claims a preeminent place in both classical Greek drama and Euripides career as his and his ages last great tragic drama. What is initially striking about the Bacchae is its return to many of the themes treated in Medea and other plays written 20 or 25 years earlier, along with its being, for the iconoclastic and innovative Euripides, one of his most conventional dramatic structures. New York, NY, Cabaret He determines to imprison and punish Dionysus and his followers, the Bacchae. When the women discover him, they tear Pentheus limb from limb, and his own mother carries his head back into the city. that I shall vindicate my mother Semele June 23, 2017. Our, "Sooo much more helpful thanSparkNotes. Like others before him, the First Messenger encourages King Pentheus to accept Dionysus and his cult before it is too late. In The Bacchae, Cadmus appears in his old age, after he has resigned the throne to his grandson, Pentheus. creating and saving your own notes as you read. Scene 5 & Interlude 5. From the creators of SparkNotes, something better. she bore to Zeus. Dionysus preys easily on the boy's weaknesses, turning the young king into a scapegoat for the crimes of Thebes. Save over 50% with a SparkNotes PLUS Annual Plan! This is the cover of the Dover edition of The Bacchae, which is the version most of you read for class. Read More. Implacably, Dionysus responds My father Zeus decreed this long ago. To which Agave says, It is fated, Father. on 2-49 accounts, Save 30% If there are three dates, the first date is the date of the original This Study Guide consists of approximately 50pages of chapter summaries, quotes, character analysis, themes, and more - and stand revealed to mortal eyes as the god 11 June 2023 . LitCharts Teacher Editions. My Fair Lady On The River If this is an ancient Greek drama, why is Elvis Presley on the cover?!? Try as he will, however, he cannot convince the headstrong Pentheus to accept Dionysus into the pantheon of gods in Thebes. We're sorry, SparkNotes Plus isn't available in your country. Agave Agave is daughter to Cadmus, the founder and former king of Thebes, and mother to Pentheus, the city's current ruler. Grandfather of Pentheus. 23 June 2017. All our house, Cadmus exclaims, the god has utterly destroyed. Cadmus draws the moral that If there be any man who slights divinity, / let him look at Pentheus deathand believe in gods.. A messenger enters with terrifying news for Pentheus: the Maenads in the hills have powers beyond those of mortals. Teacher Editions with classroom activities for all 1737 titles we cover. Both old men are wearing the same garb as the Bacchants but offer different reason for their conversion. The second messenger accompanied Pentheus and Dionysus up the mountain and witnessed the death of his king. I drove from home, mad. Cadmus and his friend, the blind prophet, Tiresias, have discovered the joys of the worship of Dionysus and thereby discovered a second youthful spirit. Analysis and discussion of characters in Euripides' The Bacchae. Messengers in Greek drama are typically minor characters whose principal function is to relay important information about plot developments offstage, so the action of the play can continue unabated. Interestingly, because one of Cadmuss daughters, Semele, was Dionysuss mother, Cadmus is actually the gods uncle. Upgrade to PRO As Tiresias points out in his initial dialogue with Cadmus, no one in Thebes but the two old men (and the women) are embracing the new religion. Summary & Analysis Themes Quotes Characters Symbols Theme Wheel Teachers and parents! publication online or last modification online. Agave is daughter to Cadmus, the founder and former king of Thebes, and mother to Pentheus, the citys current ruler. If this is an ancient Greek drama, why is Elvis Presley on the cover?!? Chorus 3 is one of the Bacchae, Dionysius's followers. He has denounced the new religion. Accessed June 12, 2023. https://www.coursehero.com/lit/The-Bacchae/. When jealous Hera, Zeuss Olympian wife, tricked Semele into asking Zeus to show her his real identity, the hapless woman caught only a glimpse of the god in his glory before she perished in his divine fire. The Bacchae will be enslaved. He has heard that there is a priest who is at the center of the new religion, and Pentheus intends to have the man captured and possibly executed: the audience knows that this priest is Dionysus himself, disguised as a mortal. In the end, however, even they pity the victims of Dionysus. your boastings now and all that uselessness He brings Dionysus, captive, to Pentheus. Impaling his head on her thyrsus, Agave enters to display her prize: You citizens of this towered city, When Pentheus sees his mother and aunts have been completely overcome by wild ecstasy, he is afraid for what this new religion has done to them, but also what it may do to the people of Thebesparticularly women, over whom he does not want to lose control. Read More. He was a descendant of the Spartoi sown by Cadmus, and he was given the gifts of prophecy and long life by Zeus, after being struck blind by the goddess Hera. Near the end of the play, he arrives back in Thebes just ahead of Agave and tells the Chorus about the tragic events on Mount Cithaeron. Pentheus enters, denouncing the new religion and the disorder it has brought to Thebes. Not to be confused with the Maenads. But that child was Dionysus, and he has returned now to establish himself as a god. As with most choruses in Greek tragedies, they often address the audience directly, moralizing about the actions of the plays characters, as when these Bacchae warn the onlookers that the gods punish mortals who do not honor them properly. Cadmus, father of Semele and Agave and grandfather of Dionysus and Pentheus, is now an old man who believes Dionysus is a god who should be worshipped. Pentheus, a young king, son of Agave and cousin of Dionysus, is opposed to the new Dionysian religion spreading throughout Thebes, although he finds the new religion intriguing. The Chorus calls upon the gods to punish Pentheus, and their pleas are answered at the end of their song as an earthquake shakes the palace and Dionysus emerges unbound. understand him properly. Teacher Editions with classroom activities for all 1737 titles we cover. Because she blasphemed Dionysus when she said Semele was not pregnant with the child of Zeus, she is one of the targets of Dionysus' vengeance. The chorus is a group of Bacchae that Dionysus accumulated during his journeying through Asia. Borey, Eddie. It is usually left to messengers to report the bloody deeds to the other characters and the audience, using words that often describe the scene as vividly as if it were taking place before their eyes. "The Bacchae - Characters Discussed" Great Characters in Literature The Bacchae study guide contains a biography of Euripides, literature essays, a complete e-text, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis. Instant PDF downloads. Refine any search. Becoming cruel, ruthless, and cunning, he establishes control over the mind of Pentheus and leads him, disguised as a woman, through the streets of Thebes to Cithaeron, where he is torn apart by the maddened women of his own city, led by Pentheus mother, Agave. Their odes in praise of Dionysus present a picture of Dionysus worship in its purer form and contrast with Pentheus warped ideas. Web. The Greek deity was much more complex. His non-human forms and powers are also felt acutely throughout the play and Dionysus the god is clearly different from Dionysus in disguise, as the Stranger, and yet they are the same. He frees himself and makes one last attempt to convince Pentheus that he must acknowledge Dionysus divinity and power. and compelled to wear my orgies livery. Chorus 9 is one of the Bacchae, Dionysius's followers. He urges Pentheus to do the same. Some background is helpful in understanding the events of the play. You'll also get updates on new titles we publish and the ability to save highlights and notes. Cadmus is the only one in his family to declare allegiance to Dionysus. Complete your free account to request a guide. Their doubt is therefore our certainty. it lacks initiation in my mysteries; He inspires the kind of devotion in his followers, Pentheus, the antagonist of the play, is the nave king of Thebes and, The most tragic figure in the play, Agave is, Tiresias is a common character in Greek literature. A famous Theban seer and friend of Cadmus. He has also returned for revenge: when his mother Semele died in a blaze of lightning, Semele's sisters said that Zeus was punishing her for saying she had been his bride. They leave to observe the Maenads. But he is of a dual nature, both foreign and Greek, child of both mortal and god, male but effeminate; his nature therefore is part of our own. The difference is that the god lacks the dramatists compassion. Course Hero. Retrieved June 12, 2023, from https://www.coursehero.com/lit/The-Bacchae/. Although the Dionysian religion is new and from a foreign land, Tiresias and Cadmus agree to make a thyrsus, don the fawn skins and crowns of garland, and set off to Mount Cithaeron to participate in Dionysian rituals. Along with Cadmus, he tries to persuade the headstrong Pentheus to accept Dionysus and his worship, telling him he is wrong to rationalize about the gods, whose ways cannot be known by mere mortals such as himself. He has encountered difficulty, however: While the old founder and ruler of Thebes, Cadmus, and the wise seer Tiresias have chosen to honor him, the people of Thebes, and especially their new king, Pentheus, deny his name and refuse his worship. Fool, you do not know the consequences of your words the woman. Accompanied Pentheus and Dionysus up the bacchae agave character analysis mountain and witnessed the death of his king unborn baby Dionysus her! 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