Abuse of Power in the Bacchae - Essay Example

English Literature 18 December Abuse of Power in the Bacchae' and Dr. Faustus The dynamics of power play is an integral part ofhuman behavior and psyche consequently it has been an important aspect of literature where a large number of dramatists as well as writers and poets have utilized this theme to explore human behavior and nature. Subsequently regardless of the difference in the eras of Euripides and Marlow it is observed that both playwrights in their respective plays “Bacchae'” and “Dr. Faustus” focus on the power dynamics and the abuse of power between human beings and the super powers like God and the Devil. “Bacchae'” is a tale about the wrath of Dionysus the God of the god of wine, prophecy, religious ecstasy, and fertility that is directed at the people of Thebes who had disowned his existence as Dionysus was the son of Zeus and the princess of Thebes Semele. The play unfolds the story of Dionysus’s revenge on the people of Thebes for denying his existence and Pentheus’s actions of forbidding his people from worshipping Dionysus. The power play in the text is not only interesting but is also a projection of human psyche where ultimately man has to bend in front of the higher power willingly or unwillingly as power of the Supreme renders human beings helpless. Similarly “Dr. Faustus” is also a story about an individual who sales his soul to the Devil and after tasting forty years of power he becomes enslaved to Lucifer. Then again Marlow like Euripides explore the idea of the abuse of power and the fact that mostly human beings suffer because of their greed and lust, may it be for power, money or quest for knowledge. Moreover it is interesting to note the manner in which human beings abuse the power and later the penance they have to pay for their mistakes or misjudgments. Since the commencement of the play “Bacchae'” the readers observe a power struggle between Dionysus and Pentheus and the entire plot of the play revolves around this rivalry. Moreover the dramatist throughout the course of the play keeps providing the readers with hints about Pentheus’s character flaws or his abuse of power though these hints were more like subtle warnings for Pentheus to which he paid no heed. As old seer Tiresias describes Pentheus's principal fault well when he says, "do not be too confident that / sovereignty is what rules men nor if you hold an opinion, take that opinion for good sense” (Euripides 22). The subtext of these lines can also be inferred as a lesson for the readers as well i.e. power corrupts and in order to circumvent one’s downfall it is necessary that an individual keeps in touch with his rational side as ‘power’ wields the authority of not only corrupting an individual and his soul but it can also absorb human rationality and intelligence. In the beginning of the play it is apparent that although Pentheus wielded complete power over the people of Thebes yet he was a fair ruler as he says in the text as well, “From me you do not have a thing to fear. It is never right to fume at honest men” (Euripides 32). However the entry of a Lydian stranger and his Maenads not only disrupts the law and order of Thebes but Pentheus feels threatened by this man and hence the abuse of power commences in the play as it is observed that he orders to chain, bound and torture the so-called delicate stranger. However the manner in which Dionysus uses his power i.e. when Pentheus tries to tie Dionysus he ties only a bull, when Pentheus plunges a knife into Dionysus the blade passes only through shadow it is the beginning of Pentheus’s punishment for his sins which ends with his death. It is stated in the play, “What is wisdom? Or what fairer gift from the gods in men's eyes than to hold the hand of power over the head of one's enemies? And 'what is fair is always followed.’” (Euripides 45). Although literally these lines reiterate that revenge is justified yet figuratively it can be taken as the Chorus’s assertion of Pentheus’s punishment for his sins i.e. his actions of defying the Gods by forbidding his people from worshipping Dionysus and later desiring to watch maenads for himself, undetected constituted as his biggest sins. Though Pentheus was on the verge of launching a military expedition to arrest the band yet suddenly he is unable to resist the opportunity to see the forbidden and hence he is punished. Furthermore although he pleads with his mother that, “Have mercy on me, Mother and because of my mistakes do not kill your son--your son” (Euripides 70). Yet his desire to repent and seek redemption occurs too late and he suffers the consequences of his abuse of power in the form of a brutal death. A relatively similar situation is also observed in “Dr. Faustus” where the protagonist abuses his powers as well since for forty years he has the Supreme powers though in return he enslaves himself to the devil. Moreover the play also explores the Christian concepts of sin and redemption. In the play Marlow uses the word ‘power’ to show both the negative and positive sides of the manner in which human beings have the capacity of getting drunk on the elixir of power and knowledge. Dr. Faustus represents an individual who has the quality of over-achieving in every walk of life may it be in the art of seeking maximum knowledge or using supernatural powers for personal pleasure or devious machinations. As it is apparent from the lines, O, what a world of profit and delight/Of power, of honor and omnipotence…All things that move between the quiet poles/Shall be at my command. Emperors and kings/Are but obeyed in their several provinces/but his dominion that exceeds in this/Stretcheth as far as doth the mind of man/A sound magician is a demigod (Marlow 15). Hence he aspired to become a demigod and simply wanted to rule the people. However it is interesting to note that his aspiration was not Machiavellian in nature because even during his forty years of power he never used his power for negative or wrong deeds instead his idea of being equal to the Supreme power was to be able to make a spectacle of the people in authority like the Pope and desire for the most beautiful woman Helen as he says in the play as well, “Sweet Helen, make me immortal with a kiss/Her lips sucks forth my soul, see where it flies!” (Marlow 65). Furthermore it is observed that his only tragic flaw was his inability of redeeming himself in the eyes of God via the Good Angel or the old man throughout the course of the play yet he does not and finally when he realizes his mistakes it is too late. As it is stated in the text as well, “…O God, if thou wilt not have mercy on my soul,…Cursed be the parents that engendered me/No, Faustus, curse thy self, curse Lucifer/That hath deprived thee of the joys of heaven…My God, my God, look not so fierce on me!” (Marlow 87). Hence at this point his redemption is impossible because he is about to be enslaved to Lucifer forever and he has missed every opportunity of redemption prior to this point in the play. Therefore it can be reiterated that in “Dr. Faustus” Marlow represents the abuse of power to show man’s desire to attain the ultimate power yet his inability or lack of intelligence to deal with such massive authority. Furthermore because of the extreme magnitude of Faustus’s Supernatural powers he met his early demise in other words his giddiness and elation over having the ultimate power and authority ruined him and his life was a waste of an enlightened and highly gifted and intelligent mind. Hence it is observed that although both the dramatists wrote their plays centuries apart yet in their own unique way they impart the same lesson about human nature and behavior i.e. power corrupts. Moreover human beings have the tendency of not only abusing their power of authority but also in abusing it they ruin themselves for life. Works Cited Euripides. Bacchae'. Virginia: Richer Resources Publication, 2008. Print. Marlowe, Christopher. Dr. Faustus. Stilwell: Digireads Publishing, 2005. Print. Read More