Dionysos and the Bacchae

        Is Dionysos better understood as a cosmic or psychological force in         Euripides' Bacchae, or as a petty, vindictive god?  What does this reveal about         the relationship of the gods to human beings within the play?

Within many Greek myths, there have been multiple examples of greek characters who portray revenge hungry, vindictive behaviours and attitudes. Many of these characters gain this trait due to hardship they encounter throughout their lives, but the privileged have also shown a craving for revenge when undermined. In the story of Dionysos in Euripides’ Bacchae, hardship and peril would seem the immediate motivation behind what drove Dionysos to infect his enemies with psychological force, but in some cases, Dionysos may be portrayed as vindictive due to his extreme actions throughout the play. In this essay, I will delve into the reasoning behind why Dionysos is better understood not only as a psychological, but a cosmic force, why he could easily be misunderstood as a cynical, vindictive god, and what this reveals about the relationship between the gods and human beings.

Dionysos is described in Euripides’ Bacchae as the only god to have had a mortal parent, being that of his mother Semele. Semele gave birth to Dionysos after her and Zeus wed, which Hera, Zeus’s wife fell very jealous of, and decided to make an end to this. Hera was merciless, and very vindictive when it came to Zeus and his multiple extramarital ‘ventures’, which Semele and Dionysos were no exception of. This is where I feel Dionysos gained a certain attitude toward people who did not agree with his divinity, nor with the fact he was a god, and the son of Zeus, “Now I've come to Thebes, city of Greeks, only after I've set those eastern lands dancing in the mysteries I established, making known to men my own divinity” ^[1]. The mysteries Dionysos speaks of are the psychological disrupt he can cause in one’s mind, driving them out of their homes and their minds.

The psychological force Dionysos controls is a very powerful, relentless tool, which he uses throughout Euripides’ Bacchae to manipulate mortals that have doubts within his godly divinity. This is shown at the beginning of the play when Dionysos reveals he has transformed himself into the form of a human being, to allow seamless integration within Penteus’s kingdom, after driving every woman in Thebes (including his ill talking aunt’s) insane and out of their homes, “So I've driven those women from their homes in a frenzy—they now live in the mountains, out of their minds.  I've made them put on costumes, outfits appropriate for my mysteries”1. This psychological force seems inadvertently increased due to the cosmic force Dionysos also carries, by which he illustrates himself as the divine son of Zeus, which his following, the Chorus of Bacchii, proclaim for all to hear.^[2]

This cosmic force Dionysos carries, is inevitably due to the Dionysian religion and beliefs he created. Dionysos is primarily known as the god of wine, as this in fact was a crucial part to his domain, a domain built up of everything that is involved in the flow of nature, a cosmic force if you will. The Dionysian religion also has a strong connection with fertility, and the emotions and feelings that bring this to fruition, ultimately to continue life.2 This is where many Greek mortals, such as Pentheus, disagreed with the Dionysian rites, due to the fact they saw Dionysian rituals, of which wine and sexual interactions help to liberate the soul from the hardships of everyday life, undeniably dangerous. This view was primarily due to the fact women at the time were constitutionally seen incapable, or unfit to control their basic instincts, so it was no surprise Pentheus disagreed with the fundamental elements of this religion, as it was his job to assure the sexual excesses and proclivities of the women in the city, to uphold public morality.

Dionysian religion brought light to the strength of Dionysos, and his inescapable cosmic, psychological force. He is understood as a hugely confident, crafty and cunning god throughout Euripides’ Bacchae, which brings surface the argument that Dionysos can easily be misinterpreted as a petty, vindictive god, although this may just be a figure of personal view.

Dionysos at times throughout Euripides’ Bacchae, portrays some traits of a vindictive god, primarily due to the extreme actions by which he cast his psychological mysteries amongst the mortal woman of Thebes, driving them out of their homes in a crazed frenzy. This behaviour would seem inevitable after his mother’s death, and the way in which it happened, which is why misinterpretation surrounding Dionysos and his motivations can easily occur. Revenge could be seen as a main trait Dionysos decided to banish his Aunt’s, and every other women from Thebes with his psychological force, as his negative attitude toward Hera, for what she did to his mother, released the true animosity Dionysos had toward people that did not belief, nor accept his Dionysian rite, and divinity.^[3]

Dionysian rituals also release some insight as to the revenge Dionysos held within him, as the sexual altercations involving the drinking of wine could be seen as a dig to get back at Hera, for ultimately killing his mother Semele. These rituals portray everything Hera despised, due to Zeus’ multiple extramarital ventures, and could easily depict Dionysos as a petty, vindictive god if taken in the wrong context. Dionysos struggles to show the audience throughout Euripides’ Bacchae, that his actions are for anyone but himself. Although Dionysos manages to gain some following, and speak of how if people had respected and trusted his Dionysian rites, that none of the terrible situations that have arisen would of occurred, he still remains in the mind of the audience as a rather self-enveloped god. ^[4]

This brings forward, what was the real relationship between the gods and human beings? It can be seen in a rather conflicting light due to some of the rather irrational seeming acts gods ventured in, but should humans really respect such authority if perils can be brought down upon them so easily? “The gods appear in many forms, carrying with them unwelcome things. What people thought would happen never did. What they did not expect, the gods made happen. That's what this story has revealed”.1 Euripides’ Bacchae creates discussion and conflicting views surrounding this topic, which I ultimately feel was an act to bring light to the respect of the gods.