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Classical Civilisation: Greek Theatre > Bacchae by Euripides > Flashcards

Bacchae by Euripides Flashcards

Greek Theatre (MST) (72 cards)

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1
Q

What does Dionysus reveal in the Prologue of Bacchae?

A

He is a god, son of Zeus and Semele, and has come to Thebes disguised as a mortal to punish the city for denying his divinity.

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2
Q

Why does Dionysus disguise himself?

A

To punish Thebes while remaining undetected, testing mortal belief and obedience.

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3
Q

How does the Prologue show Dionysus using disguise and deception?

A

Dionysus enters Thebes in human form (krupto), concealing his identity to punish unbelievers like Pentheus.

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4
Q

How is the gods vs mortals theme introduced through Dionysus?

A

Dionysus immediately sets up a divine challenge to mortal authority, showing his superiority and seeking vengeance.

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5
Q

What is the focus of the Parodos?

A

The chorus praises Dionysus’ divine power and calls on Thebes to embrace his rituals and divine frenzy.

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6
Q

What tone is established by the chorus?

A

One of awe, reverence, and ecstatic worship – showing Dionysus as both joyful and fearsome (deinos).

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7
Q

How does the chorus present Dionysus in relation to chaos and irrationality?

A

They glorify his irrational rites, suggesting chaos can be divine and cleansing.

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8
Q

How does the chorus frame Dionysus’ identity?

A

They affirm his dual nature as god and mortal-born, reinforcing themes of identity and contradiction.

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9
Q

What happens in the First Episode?

A

Pentheus expresses scorn for Dionysus; the disguised Dionysus is captured and brought to him.

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10
Q

How does Dionysus act while in disguise?

A

Calm and mysterious, manipulating Pentheus while pretending to be a mortal follower of Dionysus.

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11
Q

How is Pentheus’ relationship with the gods shown?

A

He mocks Dionysus and refuses to believe in his divinity, showing hubris and ignorance.

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12
Q

How does Dionysus use deception against Pentheus?

A

He allows himself to be captured, luring Pentheus into a false sense of control (agon begins here).

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13
Q

What is the focus of the First Choral Ode?

A

The chorus praises the simplicity of Dionysiac life and criticises those who resist divine ecstasy.

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14
Q

How is morality presented in the First Choral Ode?

A

The chorus values divine worship and humility over rational control and scepticism.

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15
Q

How does the chorus contrast Dionysus and Pentheus?

A

Dionysus brings joy and mystery; Pentheus brings repression and denial of divine order.

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16
Q

How does violence relate to Pentheus in the Fist Choral Ode?

A

The chorus hints that rejecting Dionysus will lead to destructive consequences (peripeteia foreshadowed).

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17
Q

What occurs in the Second Episode?

A

A messenger reports miraculous events on Mount Cithaeron, but Pentheus still refuses to believe.

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18
Q

How is Dionysus’ power shown?

A

Through nature responding to him and the maenads performing miracles.

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19
Q

How does Pentheus embody irrationality despite claiming to be rational?

A

His refusal to believe the messenger’s divine report shows stubborn irrationality in the face of truth.

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20
Q

How does the gods vs mortals conflict develop?

A

Dionysus is shown to be beyond mortal control; the more Pentheus resists, the closer he moves toward destruction.

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21
Q

What is the tone of the Second Choral Ode?

A

It becomes darker, predicting doom for those who show hubris toward the gods.

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22
Q

What moral lesson does the chorus give?

A

Respect divine boundaries or suffer violent consequences.

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23
Q

How is Pentheus connected to the theme of order vs chaos?

A

His attempt to enforce civic order becomes irrational and self-destructive when resisting Dionysus’ divine chaos.

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24
Q

How does the chorus link Dionysus to violence?

A

They imply that disbelievers will be punished violently, foreshadowing Pentheus’ fate.

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25
What major plot turn happens in the Third Episode?
Dionysus convinces Pentheus to disguise himself as a woman to spy on the maenads.
26
How is this moment ironic?
Pentheus believes he’s in control, but he is being utterly deceived.
27
How does disguise drive Pentheus’ downfall?
Dionysus uses gender disguise (krupto) to humiliate and destroy Pentheus.
28
What does this show about Dionysus' control?
He is the ultimate manipulator of identity and perception.
29
What do the chorus sing about in the Third Choral Ode?
They reflect on the joy of divine madness and freedom, warning against resisting it.
30
What mood shift occurs?
From celebration to eerie foreshadowing.
31
How does the chorus view Pentheus’ actions?
As arrogant and doomed—he is entering Dionysus’ world without reverence.
32
How is chaos seen as divine in the Third Choral Ode?
The chorus praises irrationality as a pathway to godliness.
33
What is reported in the Fourth Episode?
Pentheus has been torn apart by the maenads, led by his own mother Agave.
34
What literary technique dominates this scene?
Tragic peripeteia—Pentheus’ disguise leads to his brutal death.
35
How does violence shape Pentheus’ fate?
His rejection of Dionysus leads to the most savage punishment possible—death by his mother.
36
How is Agave used in the theme of identity?
She is blinded by divine madness, unable to recognise her son, showing Dionysus’ power to confuse reality.
37
How does the chorus react to Pentheus’ death?
With awe and horror, they accept Dionysus’ justice but grieve its brutality.
38
What does this ode suggest about divine punishment?
It is inevitable, total, and emotionally devastating.
39
How is Dionysus seen as deinos in the Fourth Choral Ode?
He is both awe-inspiring and terrifying—capable of justice and cruelty.
40
How does Agave reflect the theme of gods and mortals?
She is a tragic victim of divine will, showing the mortals’ helplessness.
41
What happens in the Fifth Episode episode?
Agave realises she killed her son. She is horrified and exiled.
42
How is the tragedy completed?
With full emotional devastation and recognition (anagnorisis).
43
How does Agave’s realisation reflect the theme of truth and identity?
Her madness lifts, and she sees her true identity—as mother and murderer.
44
How does Dionysus’ role as a god conclude?
He is remote and absolute, enforcing divine justice without pity.
45
What does the chorus sing in the Fifth Choral Ode?
They summarise the moral: the gods' will is supreme, and mortals who defy it suffer.
46
What tone does the Fifth Choral Ode end on?
Sombre acceptance of divine order.
47
How is Pentheus remembered in the Fifth Choral Ode?
As a warning—his downfall was inevitable due to his pride.
48
How does the chorus frame violence?
As justified when it comes from divine sources.
49
What is Dionysus’ final act?
He exiles Cadmus and Agave, asserting his divine authority.
50
What is the final message of the play?
Divine power must be respected—mortals who challenge it will suffer.
51
How does Dionysus embody deinos in the end?
He is majestic and terrifying—his justice is complete but inhuman.
52
How does Pentheus’ arc reflect peripeteia?
He moves from king to disguised spy to corpse, destroyed by his own rejection of divine power.
53
How does Pentheus show obsession with Dionysus before meeting him?
He constantly talks about Dionysus, questions strangers about him, and is fixated on capturing and exposing the "fraud" behind the god's cult.
54
What does Pentheus hope to achieve by meeting Dionysus?
He wants to humiliate and dominate him—to assert mortal authority over a being he does not realise is divine.
55
How does this obsession reflect a psychological struggle?
It hints at repression and desire—Pentheus is both repulsed by and drawn to Dionysian liberation, revealing inner conflict.
56
What does Pentheus’ desire to see the Bacchants suggest?
Voyeurism, curiosity, and latent attraction to the freedom and femininity he claims to despise.
57
How are the Bacchants first described by the herdsmen?
As calm, pure, and miraculous—nursing animals, crowned with ivy, singing in harmony, untouched by men.
58
What miraculous acts do the Bacchants perform in the wilderness?
They strike the earth and draw wine, milk, and honey, showing harmony with nature and divine favour.
59
What changes the Bacchants from peaceful to violent?
When threatened by the herdsmen or men spying, they become frenzied and violent, tearing cattle apart.
60
What is the symbolic meaning of this duality?
They embody Dionysus' dual nature: blissful liberation and terrifying destruction (deinos).
61
How does Pentheus die?
While disguised as a woman and spying on the maenads, he is mistaken for a lion cub and torn apart by them, especially his mother Agave.
62
How is Dionysus responsible for Pentheus’ death?
He lures Pentheus into the disguise, manipulates his vision, and ensures the maenads are frenzied enough to kill.
63
What literary concept is fulfilled in Pentheus’ death?
Peripeteia (reversal): Pentheus shifts from powerful king to helpless victim, destroyed by the very disguise he used to spy.
64
What role does Agave play in the tragedy?
She is the agent of her son’s death—under Dionysus’ spell, she rips off his head and triumphantly displays it.
65
What happens when Agave returns from the mountain?
She is still in a trance, proudly carrying Pentheus’ head, believing it to be a lion’s.
66
How does Agave realise the truth?
Cadmus slowly guides her back to reality; she recognises the head as her son’s and is horrified.
67
What does this anagnorisis show about Dionysus’ power?
He can fully cloud perception and identity, turning family into enemies and reversing nature itself.
68
How does Agave respond once she realises?
With utter despair and self-condemnation, unable to comprehend how she committed such horror.
69
What punishment does Dionysus impose on Agave?
She is exiled from Thebes and forced to live in shame and isolation, cut off from family and city.
70
What punishment is given to Cadmus?
Cadmus is turned into a serpent and sent into exile with his wife Harmonia to lead barbarian tribes.
71
Why are these punishments significant?
Even the pious Cadmus is not spared—Dionysus enforces total divine justice, punishing mortal resistance and failure.
72
What theme does this ending reinforce?
That no mortal, regardless of past loyalty, can oppose or underestimate divine will without consequence.

Classical Civilisation: Greek Theatre (4 decks)

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