The Two Most Powerful Plays among the Classical Greek Tragedies - Coursework Example

OEDIPUS and BACCHAE: A Comparative Analysis Introduction This discussion is a comparative analysis of the two most powerful plays among the ical Greek tragedies, and those that have provoked the most heated discussion among scholars. The Oedipus was written by Sophocles and tells of the story of an ill-fated prince who kills his father and weds and beds his mother. The Bacchae, on the other hand, was written by Euripedes and depicts the story of the retribution visited by Dionysus on the city of Thebes under the rule of Pentheus, for refusing to acknowledge him as god and fulfilling the necessary rituals. In both the Oedipus and Bacchae, man is depicted as a plaything of gods, the gods being oddly and inexplicably malignant, and the author does not attempt to justify the ways of the gods. The deities seek retribution for the disobedience of mortals – in Bacchae, this refers to Cadmus and Pentheus’ hostility against Dionysus, and in Oedipus this is seen in Oedipus’ implied rejection of Apollo’s prediction (that Oedipus seeks to prove the Oracle wrong), and Laius in having his son exposed against Theban law, also a defiance of the Oracle’s prediction. In many ways, the two plays are different, such as in the characterizations of their main protagonists. Oedipus, for instance, is depicted as noble, honorable and upright, respected for having “swept away the Sphinx’s song, the tribute of dismay, that all were bowed beneath, and made us free.” (Chorus) On the other hand, Dionysus, who dominates the Bacchae, while a god, is depicted as uninhibited, degenerate and licentious. Dionesan worship, for some reason, appeals particularly to women, drawing them away from their families in order to roam the mountains, shedding their inhibitions and dancing in “ecstatic states of altered consciousness” (Parsons 1990), who in their trance tear to pieces live animals and eat their raw flesh. Justice as seen in Oedipus and Bacchae There are similarities and differences in the depiction of justice in the two plays. In both plays justice is dispensed unilaterally; there is no hearing, no appeal. The gods directly impose the punishment, and they are brutal and malevolent in the manner of doing so. There is also a similarity in the reason for imposing the punishment, that is, in both plays the gods have been disrespected, and their power and authority challenged. A difference may be perceived in the nature of the act that merited the punishment. In Bacchae, the city of Thebes was punished because they refused to honor Dionysus – a voluntary act based on a conscious decision. Oedipus, on the other hand, was punished for his acts which, though unquestionably comprising parricide and incest, were unwittingly committed and did not result from any conscious decision on his part. But even in this, there is a similarity in the application of justice, and that punishment is meted out for reason of the act itself, and not the intention behind the act. While this is contrary to the contemporary concept of justice, it is however consistent with the idea of justice as accepted by the ancient Greeks. (Johnston, 2001) There exist, however, differences of opinion on the justification of punishment. One opinion states that the characters of Oedipus are not as blameless as one would at first think. First, Laius is guilty of having his infant son killed, and Jocasta also for allowing this to happen. Oedipus, in a sense, is guilty of trying to thwart the prophesy of the Oracle. Comparison of style and incidentals Parsons (1990) commented on similarities and divergences in the dramatists’ (Sophocles’ and Euripides’) writing styles and the circumstances surrounding the manuscripts. 1. Both are the last plays of their writers, and both date to about 408-406 B.C.; the manuscripts were made public at or near the end of the dramatists’ lives. 2. Both are last plays, dating at about 408-406 BC, and near the end of the dramatists’ lives. 3. Both are set in the Greek city-state of Thebes, which happens to be the earliest known city-state, and thus the situs of the origin of Greece. 4. Certain details in the text are similar, like the “unearthly silence” and the “god’s voice in the messengers’ speeches.” 5. Each play has provoked controversy and a great number of divergent interpretations. 6. Both plays revolved around the subtleties of the human nature, and depict psychological conflict in each of their protagonists. 7. Chorus plays a smaller role in Sophocles rather than Euripides. The Bacchae turns out a remarkable choric effects which Oedipus could not do. The Chorus in Sophocles play the voice of the gods while that in Bacchae play the Bacchants. 8. Bacchae is more structured and closer to Aeschylean: prologues, chorus, messenger, visible god. Sophocles (Oedipus) is less structured, the outlines are blurred, as well as the ends of verses. Lessons from both plays If there is one main lesson both plays bring to the fore, it is that arrogance of men will be punished by the gods. In Greek tragedies, the gods are seen as omnipotent beings whose divine authority may never be questioned or ridiculed. In the play, Oedipus arrogantly tells the Chorus, "You pray to the gods? Let me grant your prayers," indicating that he bestows upon himself the power of the divine, so that the gods are made redundant or unnecessary. Likewise, in Bacchae, the very repudiation of Dionysus by the city of Thebes is, by Greek reckoning, sufficient to merit the scorn of the gods. The plays assert that the gods are more powerful than man, that theres a limit to human ability and reason. In Oedipus, Jocasta belittled the prophesies, which nevertheless came true in the end. When Oedipus tells his wife that a prophecy from Delphi supposedly tells his awful fate, Jocasta reassures him, saying, "No skill in the world, nothing human can penetrate the future." And even while Oedepus implored the gods for help, such as deliverance from the plague, he appears to spite the gods and usurp the authority that belongs to them: “You pray to the gods? Let me grant your prayers” (245) The cause of human suffering is attributed, in part, to the will (whim) of the gods. Oedipus’ suffering appears undeserved, if not for this slight boast. A theme that is touched on by both plays is the concept of pollution or defilement. In Oedipus at Colonus this is evident in the fact that “’The long companionship of time’ may have taught Oedipus patience, but it has not lessened the pollution which clings to him. Antigone, sister and daughter, is with him as a living reminder of it.” (Parsons, 1990) In Bacchae, the defilement occurs at the instance Agaue commits sparagmos (tearing apart of a live animal) and homophagia (the eating of raw flesh) which, in her deluded mind, she thought to be a young lion, but in actuality was her own son, Pentheus. There are three other themes that come at the end, that elevate the tragic heroes in both plays to the level of nobility. These are acceptance, wisdom and compassion. At the start of the play, Oedipus begins as a perfect, almost noble, leader and statesman, having delivered Thebes from the ordeal of the Sphinx, and then in addressing the plague. Confidence turns to hubris as he began to believe himself up to perform the deliverance which the gods should have undertaken. After his discovery of the truth of his birth, however, and getting over his initial anger, he reverts to acceptance of his grievous fault, and in repentance blinds his eyes with Jocasta’s broach. From this he gains the wisdom to understand what penalty he should impose upon himself (exile, which in ancient Greece is worse than death), and in passing on without rancor the governance of Thebes to his brother-in-law, Creon. In Oedipus at Colonus, Oedipus is shown compassion by Theseus, to whom the repentant Oedipus entrusted his dying instructions. The three themes are also present in Bacchae. In acceptance, there is the realization that the world is hostile, and man, despite his intellect and abilities, is powerless to do anything about it. It is useless to plead mercy from the gods because they are unrelenting and unmindful of the plight of the humans. In the end, Agave stops her father from pleading with the gods, and instead, like Oedipus, voluntarily goes into exile. In the Bacchae, all of the major human characters mention the statement “I pity you”. According to commentators, this is probably the highest form of Sophia (or wisdom), which is to understand compassion because of one’s own suffering. Lesson to Atheneans In both plays, Thebes is punished by the gods mainly, as it was mentioned, due to the arrogance shown towards the gods by the city’s rulers. Morality is not a central issue in either play. It is ironic that Oedipus, despite taking earnest steps to avert the evil acts he was prophesied to do, still ended up fulfilling the very prophesy he tried to avoid. Pentheus, likewise, had merely sought to protect his city from the imposition of a foreign religion from Asia (Johnston, 2001) and, viewed from a perspective of morality (of right and wrong), is but the duty of a sovereign to his subjects. This is not the view, however, of Greek mythology. The gods must be accorded due respect, and retribution is imminent for acts of disrespect. Athenians, however, are under the protection of Athena and Zeus (in Eumenides), and will likely rely on this protection to avert a fate similar to that of Thebes. Conclusion Ancient Greek philosophy and morality are vastly different from the modern perspective. In the Greek tragic plays, it is apparent that people’s good intentions and determination of their own destiny is not reason to anger the will of the gods, even if this will is based on whim and caprice. The Greek gods are irrational, unpredictable, and insatiable, and yet it is the fate of man to be subject to their will. It is the act, not the intention, that determined retribution, and woe be the mortal who transgresses the gods in this manner. In the end, however, despite suffering and tribulation, the tragic hero emerges accepting, wiser, and more compassionate, and thus ennobles himself which, if one were to look at it, elevates him in nobility above the gods who cause him harm. This is probably the ultimate irony, that in his humbling man ascends to a higher level than if he had elevated himself through his pride and arrogance. REFERENCES Arrowsmith, W. (1959) “Introduction to The Bacchae.” Euripides ¬ V: Three Tragedies. Chicago: U. of Chicago Press. Conacher, D. J. (1998) Euripides and the Sophists: Some Dramatic Treatments of Philosophical Ideas. Duckworth, London. Dallas, I. (1999) Oedipus and Dionysus, Freiburg Press, Granada. Dodds, E. R.ed. (1977) Euripides Bacchae. Second Edition. Clarendon Press, Oxford. Euripides as Theater of the Absurd. Retrieved 3 August 2009 from Johnston, I. (2001) An Introductory Note to Euripides’ Bacchae. Malaspina University College, British Columbia. Retrieved 3 August 2009 from Parsons, M. (1990) “Self-Knowledge Refused and Accepted: A psychoanalytic perspective on the ‘Bacchae’ and the ‘Oedipus at Colonus’”, Journal of Analytical Psychology, vol. 35, p. 19-40 Read More

But even in this, there is a similarity in the application of justice, and that punishment is meted out for reason of the act itself, and not the intention behind the act. While this is contrary to the contemporary concept of justice, it is however consistent with the idea of justice as accepted by the ancient Greeks. (Johnston, 2001) There exist, however, differences of opinion on the justification of punishment. One opinion states that the characters of Oedipus are not as blameless as one would at first think.

First, Laius is guilty of having his infant son killed, and Jocasta also for allowing this to happen. Oedipus, in a sense, is guilty of trying to thwart the prophesy of the Oracle. Comparison of style and incidentals Parsons (1990) commented on similarities and divergences in the dramatists’ (Sophocles’ and Euripides’) writing styles and the circumstances surrounding the manuscripts. 1. Both are the last plays of their writers, and both date to about 408-406 B.C.; the manuscripts were made public at or near the end of the dramatists’ lives. 2. Both are last plays, dating at about 408-406 BC, and near the end of the dramatists’ lives. 3. Both are set in the Greek city-state of Thebes, which happens to be the earliest known city-state, and thus the situs of the origin of Greece. 4. Certain details in the text are similar, like the “unearthly silence” and the “god’s voice in the messengers’ speeches.” 5. Each play has provoked controversy and a great number of divergent interpretations. 6. Both plays revolved around the subtleties of the human nature, and depict psychological conflict in each of their protagonists. 7. Chorus plays a smaller role in Sophocles rather than Euripides.

The Bacchae turns out a remarkable choric effects which Oedipus could not do. The Chorus in Sophocles play the voice of the gods while that in Bacchae play the Bacchants. 8. Bacchae is more structured and closer to Aeschylean: prologues, chorus, messenger, visible god. Sophocles (Oedipus) is less structured, the outlines are blurred, as well as the ends of verses. Lessons from both plays If there is one main lesson both plays bring to the fore, it is that arrogance of men will be punished by the gods.

In Greek tragedies, the gods are seen as omnipotent beings whose divine authority may never be questioned or ridiculed. In the play, Oedipus arrogantly tells the Chorus, "You pray to the gods? Let me grant your prayers," indicating that he bestows upon himself the power of the divine, so that the gods are made redundant or unnecessary. Likewise, in Bacchae, the very repudiation of Dionysus by the city of Thebes is, by Greek reckoning, sufficient to merit the scorn of the gods. The plays assert that the gods are more powerful than man, that theres a limit to human ability and reason.

In Oedipus, Jocasta belittled the prophesies, which nevertheless came true in the end. When Oedipus tells his wife that a prophecy from Delphi supposedly tells his awful fate, Jocasta reassures him, saying, "No skill in the world, nothing human can penetrate the future." And even while Oedepus implored the gods for help, such as deliverance from the plague, he appears to spite the gods and usurp the authority that belongs to them: “You pray to the gods? Let me grant your prayers” (245) The cause of human suffering is attributed, in part, to the will (whim) of the gods.

Oedipus’ suffering appears undeserved, if not for this slight boast. A theme that is touched on by both plays is the concept of pollution or defilement. In Oedipus at Colonus this is evident in the fact that “’The long companionship of time’ may have taught Oedipus patience, but it has not lessened the pollution which clings to him. Antigone, sister and daughter, is with him as a living reminder of it.” (Parsons, 1990) In Bacchae, the defilement occurs at the instance Agaue commits sparagmos (tearing apart of a live animal) and homophagia (the eating of raw flesh) which, in her deluded mind, she thought to be a young lion, but in actuality was her own son, Pentheus.

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