Bacchae Essay Research Paper In the Bacchae

Bacchae Essay, Research Paper In the Bacchae, for whom do you experience more sympathy? Pentheus or Dionysus? In the Bacchae, Pentheus and Dionysus have really different characters. They are both really complex characters and they both go through alterations that alter the manner you see them. At the beginning of the drama, we are given a really dramatic image of Dionysus at his female parents, Semele? s memorial. He is have oning a Crown of Hedera helix, transporting a thyrse and have oning a dun tegument. It is a really cryptic and haunting scene. When Dionysus speaks he speaks angrily and passionately # 8211 ; you do non acquire the feeling that he is a really hushed character. In contrast, nevertheless, when you foremost run into Pentheus you see him as a really proud adult male. He is outraged with the adult females of Thebes, he has a rigorous sense of his ain beliefs? he merely can non understand why the adult females are taking to believe in a foreign God, an? upstart God? . He is instinctively doubting. He believes that the adult females of Troies have left? on some pretension of Bacchic worship? . He is so misanthropic he candidly can non believe in the power of Bacchus. When we foremost meet the two antagonists face to confront, we at first feel understanding for Dionysus, for he is the captive. Pentheus starts the conversation thought he has the upper manus because he has more power over the state of affairs. However, it is clear to the audience that Dionysus is in control of the state of affairs. He is unagitated and strong. He could hold felt threatened, being in a male monarch? s presence, but alternatively he acts confidently. This could hold made me experience proud of Dionysus for managing the state of affairs so good ; if it was non for the fact that he cruelly mocks Pentheus. Pentheus evidently has no thought that he is speaking to a God, and Dionysus takes full advantage of this. Dionysus drops intimations that he is non merely a Bacchic worshipper, but these are merely obvious to the audience. Dionysus tells us that Dionysus is? near at manus and sees what? s being done to me? . The audience can appreciate the subtly in this, but to Pentheus the adult male is merely arousing him. I think that Pentheus is covetous of Dionysus? power over adult females, long coils and white tegument. This would explicate why he is so arch to Dionysus. Pentheus does non desire to believe that Dionysus is truly the boy of Zeus. I think that deep down he knows that he is and that is why he invariably needs to reassure himself of his royal position. I think Dionysus is cognizant of Pentheus? green-eyed monster and he uses this to his ain advantage. We know that he can pull strings people, as he can do the guard experience guilty for merely conveying him before the male monarch. I can sympathize with Pentheus because it is difficult for him to understand this new, foreign cult, allow entirely accept it. He is a immature and comparatively new male monarch and fresh to his power, without holding it questioned by a alien. He wants to asseverate his power and to be in control. He can non make this when being threatened by an eastern cult. I do disagree, nevertheless, with the manner Pentheus attempts to order Thebes # 8211 ; it should be up to the people of Thebes to do up their ain heads as to their beliefs. If they want to believe that Dionysus is the boy of Zeus, there is nil Pentheus can make to alter their heads. Pentheus is frightened by the manner that the adult females are so certain of themselves, he does non like the manner they are all of a sudden at easiness with nature. What he does non realise is that Dionysus does non desire the adult females to wholly abandon themselves to nature, but merely to recognize his importance and the importance of his worship. There are many qualities that make Dionysus a strong God, he is really wise and helps the people to bury their agony by securing vino. He is besides a prophesier and can enable people t Os see their hereafter. Dionysus is frequently blamed for his female followings being unchaste and without ethical motives. I do non believe that this is a just accusal, as he does non do them move immoral. If they do, so they are already immoral and would hold been so even of they had stayed at place with their households. Teiresias makes this clear when he says ? Dionysus will non oblige adult females to be chaste, since in all affairs self-denial resides in our ain natures? . Dionysus is besides thought to hold been the ground the adult females of Thebes go monsters and plunder the nearby small towns when faced with any resistance or force. I do non believe that this has anything to make with the faith, for when the chorus, the true Drunken revelers, are faced with force they alternatively lie prostrate on the floor naming for their God to deliver them. What I do non hold with though, is the manner Dionysus turns everyone mad. It is non the people of Thebes? mistake that Agau? , Ino and Autonoe believed that a mortal fathered Dionysus. It is really unfair of Dionysus to penalize the whole metropolis. I besides do non hold with the manner that he punishes Cadmus. The adult male has done nil incorrect, he believed in Bacchus and followed his rites. He has to come to footings with the slaying of his grandson, by his ain girl. It is non just to besides ostracize him from his place. Cadmus even entreaties to Dionysus, stating him that? Supreme beings should non be like persons in vengefulness? . His supplications are ignored. There are besides grounds for non sympathizing with Pentheus. He instantly Judgess Dionysus to be an effeminate doormat and mocks him for this. He besides Judgess the adult females of Thebes and the Maenads excessively rapidly. He is xenophobic, racialist and clannish. Whilst these are non admirable features in a individual, they can be excused because Pentheus is merely a person. Dionysus does non hold that alibi. However, Pentheus can sometimes merely be accused of being incompetent. He makes a foolish opinion in locking Dionysus up. He has blatantly ignored the guards? and Dionysus? warnings, about the miracles that Dionysus can execute. In the 3rd scene when Dionysus is runing Pentheus, Pentheus is have oning Bacchanal attire, much as a victim of forfeit would hold. This is a cardinal scene in the drama. It is here that I can clearly see that the functions of Dionysus and Pentheus have been reversed. Now it is Dionysus in control of Pentheus? arrant humiliation. I feel far more sympathy for Pentheus than Dionysus because Pentheus is non cognizant that he is under enchantment or being mocked. Even when it was Dionysus being hunted, he was ever cognizant of what he was making. Pentheus would neer hold humiliated himself by dressing in adult females? s apparels and moving vain, if he had been of sane head. When it eventually comes to the decease of Pentheus, I feel no heat for Dionysus whatsoever. He has cruelly lured Pentheus to his decease and has sent Agaue mad and unable to state that she is slaying her ain boy. Whatever understanding I had one time felt for Dionysus? character is now gone. He has acted in such a cold, hardhearted mode to everyone around him. He has driven every one who did non believe that he was the boy of Zeus mad, every bit good as some who did. He has acted in a revengeful and vindictive mode non suiting for a God. He is the boy of Zeus, but he acts like a resentful person. Pentheus, though he has made some bad determinations, is decidedly the character I feel more sympathy for. Almost all the manner through the drama, he is non cognizant of what is go oning around him, or the manner he is being used. It is rather pathetic to see the manner he tries to appreciation on to his power and saneness. He deludes himself all through the drama that he is the 1 in charge, the 1 with the authorization.