The Main Causes of Pentheus's Destruction in Euripides's Bacchae - Essay Example

EURIPIDES BACCHAE Order No. 236513 No. of pages: 6 Premium 6530 ‘Bacchae’, by the great Greek tragedy Euripides is the last extantGreek tragic play, and the focus of much deliberation and interpretation. This play was written by Euripides in his old age, in exile, and is a marvelous depiction of the conflict between rationalism and religious fervor. When such opposing ideas clash, passions are bound to run high and such a conflict guarantees a dramatic end, and indeed the conclusion of the play, one of the most violent in dramatic history, is unrivalled for its “depth of tragic irony” (Haigh, A.E.1896). The play celebrates the power of Dionysus, the Greek God of drinking and wine, whose followers were called the Bacchae, Asian women who devoted themselves to him and to his cult. Asian in this context is anyone from the continent of Asia. They were not really possessed, but were ardent followers of God. Their rituals consisted of putting on bestial masks and dancing and drinking in gay abandon. Pentheus, the king of Thebes, the person charged with upholding law and order in the city, was determined to suppress these sensual indulgences even if he had to apply brute force. (Haigh, A.E.1896) The Maenads or Bacchae Definition - The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition | Date: 2008 Maenads, in Greek and Roman religion and mythology, female devotees of Dionysus. They roamed mountains and forests, adorned with ivy and skins of animals, waving the thyrsus. When they danced, they often worked themselves into an ecstatic frenzy, during which they were capable of tearing wild animals to pieces with their bare hands. The maenads were also called (for Bacchus) bacchantes or Bacchae. (Bibliography: See R. S. Kraemer, Maenads, Martyrs, Matrons, Monastics (1988). In the fashion of Greek tragedies, the hero Pentheus succumbs to Hamartia, the tragic flaw in character, which proves to be fatal. In the case of Pentheus, there are several conflicting versions of Hamartia, but chief among them is the belief of Pentheus in his own wisdom and the syllogistic reasoning, which mistakes wisdom for fantasies. The rational mindset of Pentheus, the protector of organized law, and a man given in to reflection and deliberation is challenged by Dionysus, who represents the frantic anarchistic passions of humans. The clash between the two is a fight between the denial of suppressed human passions and thus a deliberate non-understanding of one’s own humanity. Pentheus’ rationality or rather his intellectual boldness is the hubris or arrogance, which is another important aspect of Greek tragedy. The God Dionysus in true God-like manner issues to Pentheus a warning that he should “know the limits of your strength” (line 505). Unfazed by the stern admonishment, Pentheus is still unrelenting in his dismissal of this pagan God, whom he accuses of snatching away the women and children from their homes. Pentheus, the king of Thebes, is ready to go to any lengths to keep his citizens away from the all-consuming religious fervor of the Dionysian cult, which has captured the innocent men and women of his city in a vice-like grip. Cadmus, the graying counselor, advises Pentheus to accept the new religion, since it is sometimes more prudent to accept “a useful falsehood” (Haigh,A.E. 1896). Cadmus’ advice is laced with fear, because he knows that the wrath of the Gods cannot be endured by humans. The destruction and eventual death of Pentheus in “The Bacchae” has often been attributed to his “amathia”. Amathia can be roughly translated as ‘recklessness’ or the inability of a person to comprehend his inherent ignorance, in relation to the nature of the universe. Pentheus suffers from amathia, and that is the reason he questions so irrationally the creed of Dionysus, and why the people of Thebes should follow the Bacchae rituals. In his impatience, he forgets that he is rejecting the worship of a son of Zeus, and this scorn for a new religion, paves the way for his final end. It is not to say that the God’s do not exhibit this undesirable trait, for the punishment meted out by Dionysus to Pentheus is hardly the justice of a wise man. The brutality of Pentheus’ death, orchestrated by Dionysus at the hands of his mother is a vengeful act, not a punishment for transgressions. (www.gradesaver.com) Throughout the play, we are made aware of the dichotomy of Pentheus’ nature. On the one hand is the law keeper, who strives all along to repress his irrational desires, while on the other hand is the inquisitive human, who has to deal with a “ fascination with and horror of these desires” (Haigh,A.E.1896). Pentheus is torn apart by conscious allegiance to the throne and the unconscious repressed desires of his sexual being. When confronted by Dionysus, Pentheus attempts to understand him within the circumscribed limits of his intellectual capacity, not realizing that total surrender to Bacchic rituals and an unflinching devotion to the cult of Dionysus is the way to understand the new religion. Pentheus errs in thinking that he can overcome the amoral force which has seized Thebes, by using the tools of “language, argument, jurisprudence” (www.maricarmenmartinez.com) Towards the end of the play, Pentheus gives in to the stranger (Dionysus himself, dressed as a human) and agrees to go and witness the pagan rituals of the Maenads. This foray into the countryside is as much an enquiry into the new religion as it is a giving in to the voyeuristic tendencies latent in all humans. Dionysus had earlier volunteered to bring the women back into the city, but Pentheus refused it. This may be construed as the desire of a man to see something illegal- “the urge to enjoy the frisson of a voyeur” (Haigh, A.E.1896). Charles Segal has termed “The Bacchae” a metatragedy, in which the drama takes place within a drama that is so successful in revealing the hidden side of Pentheus’ desires. Segal says that Pentheus is ready to go to any lengths, “even crouch beneath fir trees… and is willing to pay a great sum to see that sight”. (Segal, Charles). The inclusion of Pentheus in the Dionysian rites, dressed in a mask like the maenads, makes him a willing participant to the orgy which he had so forcefully condemned earlier. As Pentheus’ watches the Bacchae, he becomes an audience to the frenzied rituals of the Dionysian cult, but this culminates in him becoming their victim, when in the frenzy of their dance, the women in their bestial garbs make him their victim, his mother tearing him apart from limb to limb. Pentheus’ death brings the curtains down on “The Bacchae” but it raises some very uncomfortable questions about the power of the Gods and how indeed human beings are mere playthings in the hands of the Gods. It also holds a mirror to the futility of human resistance to the longstanding arrangements of power and position in the universe. The arrogance of Pentheus in thinking that he could wean people away from Dionysus was from the beginning a flawed effort. In spite of Tierasis’ plea of not to show disrespect to Dionysus, Pentheus goes ahead and destroys the sylvan altar of Dionysus and detains him. Dionysus issues him a stern warning saying that he will “wreak revenge on you for this” (Euripides 417). This utterance of Dionysus shows us how brutal and oppressive the Gods can be, and are therefore no different from the men they seek to control. The destruction of Pentheus is not only due to his refusal to recognize the godhood of Dionysus. It is also a by-product of his suppressed human nature which is skillfully exploited by the God. The tragedy in “The Bacchae” and therefore in Pentheus is absurdity of human existence which makes man “discern the painful reality of his life” (Segal, Charles pp. 158). Pentheus’ downfall is brought about because he is unsuccessful in bridging the gap between “homonaturans” and “homo politicus” (www.maricarmenamartinez.com) a paradox which is inherent in humans. Euripides has successfully shown that the conflict between reason and passion is irreconcilable and man must strive to use reason to understand passion and passionately follow certain reasons. REFERENCES An Introductory Note to Euripides http://records.viu.ca/~Johnstoi/euripides/Bacchae_Introduction.htm Bibliography: See R. S. Kraemer, Maenads, Martyrs, Matrons, Monastics (1988). Pentheus and Dionysus http://www.estoll.com/pentheusanddionysus.htm MIMESIS, HERO, HARMATIA and CATHARSIS In ARISTOTLE, SOPHOCLES and ... http://www.maricarmenmartinez.com/BACANTE.html The Bacchae http://www.theatrehistory.com/ancient/euripides011.html The Bacchae – Study Guide www.gradesaver.com/classicnotes/titles/bacchae/ GradeSaver Read More