Analysis of the Bacchae
To this day scholars offer a number of different interpretations of Euripides’ The Bacchae. This essay will argue the centrality of ‘sophia’ (wisdom) and its opposite ‘amathia’, similar to the interpretation offered by Arrowsmith and Dodds: that the central idea of The Bacchae is that wisdom – possession of humility, acceptance and self-knowledge, encompassed by the Greek word ‘sophia’ – is the greatest and most necessary quality humanity can possess in the face of godly power. In particular this essay will focus on how the central idea is communicated through the convergence of characters and dialogue in Euripides’ The Bacchae.
The Bacchae explores the necessity of wisdom and acceptance, as it looks at the conflict between the man-king Pentheus and the man-god Dionysus. Dionysus indicates from the outset that he has ultimate control over Pentheus’ destiny, announcing his plan to “prove to (Pentheus) and every man in Thebes that I am god indeed.” Pentheus refuses to accept the power of Dionysus and his new religion, and is duly punished for it, falling victim to Dionysus’ plan. Dionysus makes clear the stupidity and futility of Pentheus’ plight as he says: “a man, a man, and nothing more, yet he presumed to wage war with god.” Pentheus therefore is shown as the embodiment of ‘amathia’, as he denies his own weakness and seems ignorant to the universal knowledge that there is no power greater than that of a god.
It is evident from the above argument that the idea of wisdom manifests itself particularly through the characters of The Bacchae. Each possesses a form of ‘sophia’ and ‘amathia’, with one of the two forms being more prevalent in certain characters. Pentheus’ character is defined by a boyish lack of wisdom and is therefore humiliated and punished. His ‘amathia’ is his rejection and mockery of Dionysus, as he “flouts custom and outrages god.” Despite warnings from the chorus, Teiresius, Cadmus and Dionysus himself, Pentheus seems determined in stubborn
The Bacchae explores the necessity of wisdom and acceptance, as it looks at the conflict between the man-king Pentheus and the man-god Dionysus. Dionysus indicates from the outset that he has ultimate control over Pentheus’ destiny, announcing his plan to “prove to (Pentheus) and every man in Thebes that I am god indeed.” Pentheus refuses to accept the power of Dionysus and his new religion, and is duly punished for it, falling victim to Dionysus’ plan. Dionysus makes clear the stupidity and futility of Pentheus’ plight as he says: “a man, a man, and nothing more, yet he presumed to wage war with god.” Pentheus therefore is shown as the embodiment of ‘amathia’, as he denies his own weakness and seems ignorant to the universal knowledge that there is no power greater than that of a god.
It is evident from the above argument that the idea of wisdom manifests itself particularly through the characters of The Bacchae. Each possesses a form of ‘sophia’ and ‘amathia’, with one of the two forms being more prevalent in certain characters. Pentheus’ character is defined by a boyish lack of wisdom and is therefore humiliated and punished. His ‘amathia’ is his rejection and mockery of Dionysus, as he “flouts custom and outrages god.” Despite warnings from the chorus, Teiresius, Cadmus and Dionysus himself, Pentheus seems determined in stubborn
Bibliography: Arrowsmith, W. ‘The Bacchae’ in Euripides V, D Grene and R Lattimore (eds), University of Chicago Press, Chicago, 1959. Dodds E.R. The Bacchae, Oxford, 1944. McLeish, K. A Guide to Greek Theatre and Drama, A&C Black, London, 2003 Sutherland, D Thomas, J. Script Analysis, Elsevier Inc, Oxford, UK, 2009. Vellacott, P. ‘The Bacchae’, The Bacchae and Other Plays, Penguin Books, Middlesex, England, 1984. Webster, M. ‘Gods and Men in Greek Religion’, 2005, viewed on 6th April 2012 http://faculty.gvsu.edu/websterm/Gods&men.htm