Dionysus

The Bacchae by Euripides is an interesting play, and I think that Dionysus is a fascinating god. He is, of course, the god of wine, agriculture, and theatre. And although he often inflicts madness on people to teach them a lesson or to get revenge, he is also associated with civilization and peace. His antithetical nature makes him quite frightening even while he is credited for bringing joy to Greece. Dionysus is definitely a god whose good side you want to be sure to stay on. In the introduction, I believe Woodruff talks about the smiling masks that the actor who played Dionysus would have worn. The fact that his smile can be benign or dangerous seems almost creepy to me. But, the question of madness and sanity in the play is an interesting one. It seems like they are almost switched, or sometimes Dionysus sounds crazy and Pentheus just stubborn. I think that this play is complex and that there is a lot that can be gotten from it. I will have more to say on the Bacchae in subsequent blogs.