Who are the members of the chorus in the Bacchae?
| The Bacchae | |
|---|---|
| Written by | Euripides |
| Chorus | Bacchae, female followers of Dionysus |
| Characters | Dionysus Tiresias Cadmus Pentheus Servant Messenger Second Messenger Agave |
| Date premiered | 405 BC |
Who is the chorus how do they worship Dionysus?
The chorus is traditionally a unified singing and dancing body removed from the central actions of the play. Euripides equated these features with the characteristics of the Bacchae, a nomadic cult that worshipped Dionysus through song and dance. The chorus became the Bacchae, and vice-versa.
What does Tiresias do in the Bacchae?
Tiresias. A famous Theban seer and friend of Cadmus. Tiresias persuades Cadmus to worship Dionysus.
What does Teiresias say about the story that Dionysus was sewn into Zeus’s thigh?
Dionysus has returned to Thebes after establishing his cult in the East. Teiresias defends myths and mysteries: he interprets the story of Dionysus sewed into Zeus’ thigh (a mistake: he showed a dummy Dionysus to jealous Hera); he admits that Bacchantes indulge in sex, but only to their own inclinations.
Why is Dionysus angry at the beginning of the Bacchae?
Dionysus, the god of wine, prophecy, religious ecstasy, and fertility, returns to his birthplace in Thebes in order to clear his mother’s name and to punish the insolent city state for refusing to allow people to worship him.
Why is Cadmus punished in the Bacchae?
Cadmus was punished because he founded a city and tried to protect his people from an angry dragon. End of story… Cadmus was the mythical founder of Thebes and the progenitor of the royal line being the first king of Thebes as well .
Who is the hero of the Bacchae?
Dionysus
Dionysus. There’s no doubt that Dionysus is the protagonist of The Bacchae. He’s the center around which the play revolves. He’s the one who disturbs the world of the play by bringing his new religion home to Thebes.
Why does Pentheus finally put on the outfit of the Bacchants?
As he does in Scene II, Dionysus takes the stage and calls upon Pentheus to enter. Pentheus, “so eager to see what [he] should not see, and strive to achieve what should not be sought,” enters dressed as a female bacchant. Pentheus is excited about his mission and cannot wait to catch the maenads.
What is the theme of the Bacchae?
The play is sprinkled throughout with duality (oppositions, doubles and pairings), and opposite forces are major themes of the play: skepticism versus piety, reason versus irrationality, Greek versus foreign, male versus female/androgynous, civilization versus savagery/nature.
What kind of god is Dionysus in The Bacchae?
Dionysus, the protagonist of the play, is the Greek god of wine, fertility, ritual madness, and theater.