Summary
Euripides' 'Bacchae' Summary
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Key quotes from the entire play, colour-coded by theme, with context notes and critic's quotes at the end
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Bacchae MasterdocThemes:
Piety and Impiety
Cadmus, however, I praise - divine approval
[the city must learn its lesson] even against its will - those who do not respect the gods will
be forced into piety
Pentheus, who now fights with gods - impiety alert !!!
[Cadmus to Tiresias] the wise voice of a wise man - pious by respecting a prophet
[Cadmus about Dionysus] We must honour him
It is so sweet to forget we are old - youth through Bacchus
Are we the only men… who will dance for Bacchus? - They are the only ones with sense
[Pentheus] fake Bacchic rituals
A magical enchanter - Pentheus claims the foreign priest of Dionysus is a faker
[Pentheus] Because she lied that Zeus was her lover - again claims the Bacchant god is a lie
So you can make more money - Pentheus claims Tiresias just wants profits, like Oedipus’
claim that he's a prophet in it for the profit.
[Tiresieas to Pentheus] you are mad, agonisingly mad
You will pay for your ignorance and irreverence to the god! - Dionysus tells Pentheus his fate
He rages, how he rages - excessive anger from Pentheus
I will sacrifice a great slaughter of women
He will be punished by death
I am in your hands now - Pentheus finally submits to Dionysus
‘you want to bring this new god to mankind so that you can make more money from augury
and sacrifices’ - Pentheus accuses Tiresias of wanting money just like Oedipus
The Gods
I, Dionysus, son of Zeus - the play begins with a divine prologue. Dionysus states his
purpose and sets the scene, shows piety from Euripedes, many of Euripedes plays begin
with gods giving prologues
[Page 1, prologue] with me! - leaving me… no mention of me - Dionysus as a selfish god,
attention seeking, but maybe also claiming what should rightfully be his as a god?
Commanding my maenads - the bacchant women lose their individuality and become ‘his’
and one unit
My women - possessive pronoun
[chorus’ blessed is he… who leads a life of reverence… who dances…who honours the rites
[Zeus] concealing the baby within his thigh… Zeus brought him to birth - man born of man,
link to the ‘men birth ideas’ thing
Let it stream from the shaft - phallic
Long thick hair
[wine] it puts an end to the pain of suffering humans - Dionysus can both free you and
control you, is the version of freedom truly freedom?
You are well named for disaster - Pentheus’ name means is similar to the word Penthos,
meaning pain or grief
Shall I change from man to woman ? - Dionysus is often seen alongside gender reversal and
transgression
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