Dionysus in the Bacchae

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  • Dionysus
    • Prologue
      • identifies himself as the god Dionysus, son of Zeus and Semele
      • states his purpose in Thebes
        • has caused the women to go mad like Bacchants
          • threatens violence if Thebes uses force to remove them
          • to punish the daughters of Cadmus for not believing in him
        • wants to punish Pentheus for not worshipping him
        • prove to Thebes he is a god
    • Episode 2
      • been captured by a soldier
        • Soldiers describes how the stranger was gentle when under arrest
      • Pentheus effeminises Dio to insult him
      • interrogated by Pentheus
        • Dio speaks in riddles
        • Dio is in control of the situation
      • "Do not bind me"
        • threatning. change in tone
      • calm
    • Episode 3
      • miracles
        • palace is shaken by an earthquake
        • creates a hallucinateion to trick Pentheus
          • Pentheus ties up a bull
      • in control
        • Dio now effeminises Pen
          • pity
          • dresses him up as a bacchant
        • shows Dio's physical and mental powers
      • tells the chorus that he will kill Pentheus
      • audience loses sympathy for Dio in this episode - too cruel and vindictave
    • Episode 4
      • continues to play with Pen
        • makes him look and act stupidly
      • leads Pen towards his death
    • Episode 5
      • Miracles
        • Pulls the fir tree down for Pentheus to get onto
        • causes complete silence
      • instructs the women to kill Pentheus
        • given them superhuman strength to brutally murder him
    • Exodus
      • Deus ex machina
      • Justifies his actions
        • states that the mortals could have avoided their punishment had the worshipped him
      • Prophesises the futures of Cadmus and Agave
      • Cadmus
        • you punish too severely!

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