Euripides Bacchae Essay

1501 Words7 Pages
The disruption of the male and female social norms is present in Euripides' Bacchae. The myth tells a story of Dionysus, the god of budding vegetation, wine, liberation, "... ec-stasy and terror, or wildness, and of the most blessed deliverance" , and how he broke women free from repression and the effect that his decisions had on the social order of the city Thebes. In the myth, Dionysus displays several powers including: the power to escape incarceration, the power to grant freedom to others, both physically and mentally, and his power of persuasion. Although there was a price that mortals paid when granted the power of freedom: if they lacked self control, the freedom would consume them and cause them to go insane. In Euripides Bacchae, the author shows that the pursuit of power and control can lead one to death or madness. Upon arrival in Thebes in order to clear his mother's name, Dionysus plans to punish the royal family due to the fact that Pentheus, king of Thebes and son of Cadmus, refuses to offer…show more content…
Throughout history, different cultures around the world have had substantially different ways of life, but a commonality between most cultures is the role that men and women have in society. In the past, men were often in positions of higher power and im-portance than women therefore the roles of each gender were quite different. A man's role was to be the head of the house, the provider, and protector of not only his family, but of his nation as well. Women in the past often took on the role of caregiver. Women were not valued as much as men either and were often sought out as the weaker gender. Eurip-ides shows how the struggle between gender roles is real through the fight the women of Thebes put up in order to prove their worth and value to their male counterparts. Even so, the women fall into insanity just as Pentheus fell to his own death due to this power
Show More
Related

  • Who Is Dionysus 'By Euripides' Bacchae

    1241 Words  | 5 Pages

    In Bacchae Euripides grapples with themes of theatre and art. Euripides looks to make a commentary about how we consume art in the most ironic medium possible. He is addressing the very audience there to consume his art. His use of metatheatrical devices are not blatantly obvious, but the message is seeped in through the undertones of the story. He tells us something about the audience without ever blatantly stating that this is the true message. Often throughout this play Euripides urges the reader

    Read More

More about Euripides Bacchae Essay

Open Document