Euripides' The Bacchae: A Deadly Choice

Oftentimes, it is surprising how much a short moment, a single choice, can affect and change the course of a person's life. The power of choice is both a blessing as well as a curse for the human race. Unfortunately, often more than not, the negative aspects of free will become manifest. In theater especially, the constant theme of choice is a deeply rooted and powerful part of dramatic literature. From the chilling Shakespeare tragedy Macbeth, when a Scottish nobleman and his wife make the decision to usurp the crown (eventually leading to their own downfall), to Arthur Miller's powerful and dark drama about the Salem Witch Trials, The Crucible, in which the self-protecting lies of a group of schoolgirls result in the trial and execution of many innocents for witchcraft, the chilling repercussions of dramatic characters' choices quickly become clear to the audience.

But before these dark tragic works, there were the earliest forms of drama. Nearly two thousand years before Shakespeare had learned to write a single word, Euripides was a master of tragedy in Ancient Greece. The breadth of Euripides' work is extensive, but one of his darkest and most powerful plays is The Bacchae, a tale of divine wrath. In The Bacchae, the god Dionysus exacts his revenge on a group of humans that he feels has wronged him (by not truly accepting him as a deity). The two central characters of the drama are a human embodiment of Dionysus, and Pentheus, the young ruler of the Greek province of Thebes. Throughout the play, the two characters engage in what could be likened to a game of chess, each attempting to fool and defeat the other, through words and actions. Dionysus, being a deity, is eventually victorious, while Pentheus is murdered by his own mother (who is possessed by Dionysus) and literally torn to shreds. However, Pentheus' destruction can be related back to a single choice, a scene where Dionysus warns Pentheus to abandon a planned attack against Dionysus' possessed followers, but Pentheus chooses to ignore and spurn the warning (786-810). This passage marks the turning point in the play, where the advantage of Dionysus in the conflict increases, and the choice made by Pentheus seals his fate. This passage is the most important moment in the play because of the way it catalyzes the events that follow, and because of the shift in power.

Until this point in the play, the conflict between the Bacchae (the possessed women that are the followers of Dionysus) and Pentheus has not escalated to a critical point, and the extent of true physical conflict before this is when Dionysus summons an earthquake to escape from the prison he has been placed in by Pentheus. While this is a powerful act, it is not a direct attack on Pentheus, simply a way for Dionysus to escape from his imprisonment. Dionysus is not directly wrathful, and even seems to be willing to bargain with Pentheus. "Friend, you can still save the situation ... I undertake to lead the women back to Thebes. Without bloodshed" (801-803). At this point, the hotheaded and bold deity is in a position where he wishes to avoid conflict with Pentheus, even to the point where he will bargain with him.

The turning point, the true shift in the narrative occurs when Pentheus spurns the bargaining words of Dionysus. He is wary (and rightfully so) of a trap, but does not even explore the possibility of accepting Dionysus' proposal. Whether or not the proposal of Dionysus was in good faith is debatable, but the fact remains that he was at least open to discussion. After this, the power shifts completely to Dionysus' favor. He proceeds to use treachery, not bargaining, to bring about what he wants. He gleefully celebrates his certain victory with his followers. "Women, our prey now thrashes in the net we threw. He shall see the Bacchae and pay the price with death" (846-847). For the rest of the play, Dionysus is in complete control, and Pentheus plays perfectly into the elaborate trap set for him. The young ruler pays for his insolence against Dionysus with his life, and all of the former nonbelievers are punished in one way or another.

This play is seemingly a cautionary tale, a story of what could happen to those who dare to deny the gods, but it also questions the omnipotence and actions of the gods. Cadmus, the maternal grandfather of Pentheus, tells Dionysus after the conflict is over: "Gods should be exempt from human passions" (1347). The final message of the play seems to question the role of the divine rulers, and what powers they should have over the human race. It becomes apparent that the choice of Pentheus to spurn and openly deny Dionysus led to his downfall, and that the point at which he makes this choice is the most pivotal point in the play. A simple human choice leads to untold suffering, as well as Pentheus' own death, and leaves a city torn apart by the wrath of an angry god.