Lecture 17

Question 1

What are the Bacchae doing?

Answer 1

• sleeping, not passed out drunk, modestly and serenely
• hit a thyrsus on a rock and water comes out
• some breastfeeding wild animal cubs
• puts a stick in the ground and wine comes up
• working all sorts of miracles as they worship Dionysus

Question 2

Pentheus’ response to the Bacchae

Answer 2

• not responding wisely
• he wants to arrest them all to deal with them
• bringing out military force (extremely masculine way to counter all the feminine stuff happening) (army represents structure and civilization and the Bacchae are the completely opposite, wildness and animalistic natures.)

Question 3

Jung

Answer 3

• animus: masculine
• anima: feminine
• innate masculine and feminine nature inside every human and to have a healthy mind the two must be in balance so Pentheus is unable to tap into his anima and has an unhealthy mind

Question 4

Dionysus and Pentheus about seeing the Bacchae

Answer 4

• Dionysus is starting to pull Pentheus’ animal qualities out of him without his will
• At this point Dionysus is going to use his divine powers to tap into Pentheus’ innate deep desires (lust) that ultimately lead Pentheus to his death.
• Pentheus says what he’s supposed to say but Dionysus brings out of him his innate desires and exposes them and brings them to the surface
• Dionysus then convinces Pentheus that he must dress as a woman
• Dionysus plays with the line between masculine and feminine himself
• Altering Pentheus’ state of being. Breaking down masculine exterior and bringing out his feminine side
• not changing who Pentheus is but how he presents himself.
• denies his anima
• wants to embarrass Pentheus

Question 5

Pentheus under Dionysus’ power

Answer 5

• after he comes out dressed as a woman Dionysus completely takes over his mind
• Pentheus really loses himself and becomes dazed and confused and he sees Dionysus as himself.
• sees him as a bull

Question 6

On the Mountain

Answer 6

• He can’t see the women
• Dionysus puts him up in a tree
• Dionysus then appears as a voice and tells the women to attack him
• They rip him apart because it’s animalistic (sporagmos-ripping them apart and omophagia-eating the raw flesh)

Question 7

Agave and the Bacchae

Answer 7

• leads them in ripping apart Pentheus
• they don’t realize what they’re doing
• mounts his head on the thyrsus and parades it proudly back to Thebes thinking she’s killed a lion.
• Cadmus calls her back to her senses and she realizes what she’s done
• the house of Cadmus no longer has an heir and Cadmus and the sisters are exiled and must go their separate ways

Question 8

Final words of the Chorus

Answer 8

• gods will has been carried out
• his own family is destroyed
• were in a position of power and fortunate but during the course of the play they lost it all
• humans not blameless and when they didn’t turn around how they were going to behave toward the gods Dionysus intervenes

Question 9

Peripeteia

Answer 9

-reversal of fortune

Question 10

Fair?

Answer 10

• Dionysus gave Pentheus a lot of chances to change
• Chorus says it seems very horrific, especially to Cadmus
• Gods have killed more people for a lot less in other stories so perhaps Dionysus is action rationally
• Pentheus goes over the line to deny Dionysus and maybe he believes he should make an example out of him

Question 11

Purpose of Tragedy?

Answer 11

• cautionary tale=diadatic meant to teach a lesson
• explain that bad things happen
• makes every day life seem better
• provides catharsis

Question 12

Catharsis

Answer 12

• “release” experiencing strongly negative emotions allows them to be purged, leaving positive emotions in their place
• idea of Aristotle