Dichotomy Between Madness And Madness In Euripides Bacchae
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You Mad, Brah? Madness is often a theme that is explored throughout literature. From plays by the ancient Greeks to works by current authors, the contradictions between sanity and madness are often explored in order to make compelling arguments. One such work, in which madness takes a central role, is Euripides’ Bacchae. Through a complex dichotomy between sanity and madness, Euripides is able to build the play’s plot (by conveying Dionysus’ revenge) and also indirectly warn Athens about trusting in the governmental power that was traditionally in rule. He explores madness through women, a leader, a god, and most interestingly, himself. In all of these situations, he presents madness along side sanity, in order to make it easier for the audience to see and interpret the implications that madness has. In the Bacchae, madness is presented in two distinct ways, as a means to present two important points. While the theme of…show more content… The maenads were members of the Chorus and represented those that worshiped Dionysus willingly. Their diction throughout the play presents them as logical beings, who are dedicated to Dionysus. QUOTE. This greatly contrasts the maddened women of Thebes. These women are deranged in thought and manic in action. Through this comparision, Euripides presents just how Dionysus is seeking his revenge. By making the Theban women suffer through their madness, Dionysus is not only punishing the women for their lack of belief, but also the men by causing them to worry about the women. Euripides presents the maenads to act as a distinction between the traditional followers of Dionysus and those possessed. This differentiation is important so that the reader can understand that worshiping Dionysus would not involve going mad continuously. For the maenads, following Dionysus is actually