Greek Mythology Essay1

201.
113 Greek Mythology
Essay 1, Topic 4
Anika O’Connell
20023303
Dr. Jonathan Tracy
10 April 2021
Dionysus: The Epitome of Righteous Pettiness
The gods enforcing punishment upon mortals is not an uncommon occurrence in Greek
mythology, many may even argue that some of the most important interactions between mortals
and gods stemmed from a place of vengeance or discipline. Dionysus is no exception to this,
especially not as he is portrayed in Euripides’ Bacchae. With his questionable moral compass
and high level of what could only be described as pettiness, it’s incredibly difficult to label him
as good or evil. Consequently, I believe that, as he is depicted by Euripides, he is neither a
positive nor negative force in human life.
Dionysus has a very two-sided personality that presents a sort of duality, simultaneously
representing both one thing and its antithesis. He is both divine and human, Greek yet foreign,
masculine yet effeminate, even referring to himself as “most fearful and yet most kind to men.”
(Euripides, Bacchae, 1058). Dionysus’ aliases also give an insight as to how others viewed him,
the name Lysios meaning “god of letting go” and Bromios meaning “roaring one”. Even his gifts
of wine and theatre are double-edged swords. They enable mortals to let go of troubles and
express themselves freely through art, allowing them to experience a sense of freedom and relief,
but without self-control, these gifts can lead to a loss of sanity and better judgement. This divine
side is opposed by Dionysus in disguise, the embodiment of self-control. While Dionysus is
depicted as an enabler, encouraging and influencing wrongdoing, the Stranger is depicted as self-
possessed and patient. He stands out from the mortals surrounding him by displaying wisdom
and self-control, advising Pentheus by saying “I warn you—you shouldn’t tie me up. I’ve got my
wits about me. You’ve lost yours.” (Euripides, Bacchae, 629-630). Whilst capable of turning
men mad, he remains the picture of sanity, thus suggesting that mortals are the cause of their
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own bloody discord. However, no matter how reasonable and wise Dionysus may seem when in
disguise, his true destructive nature seems to outweigh the positive attributes.
It’s relatively clear for most that Dionysus surpasses the standard case of divine
retribution by a long shot, leaning closer to pettiness than righteousness. He indulges in mindless
overkill in an apathetic way by not only punishing Pentheus with death, but also doing so in the
most degrading way possible. It is painful, both physically and mentally, as he is killed by the
hands of his own brainwashed mother. Pentheus is assailed and undermined through what he
cares about most, and he dies participating in a cult he intended to disband from the beginning.
To make matters worse, punishing Pentheus alone is not enough for Dionysus. On top of forcing
Agave to kill her own son and parade his severed head around whilst in a trance, Dionysus
decides that it’s only fair to exile her and the other maenads from Thebes. Additionally,
Dionysus, despite the fact that Cadmus had been honouring him and attempting to convince
Pentheus to do so as well, orders for Cadmus and his wife to be turned into snakes and lead
barbarian armies, cursed to destroy the cities they once belonged to. Although, it can be argued
that Cadmus was disingenuous in honouring the god because when attempting to convince
Pentheus he said “For if, as you claim, this man is not a god, why not call him one? Why not tell
a lie, a really good one?” (Euripides, Bacchae, 424-426). If this were true, then it could be
assumed that Dionysus was able to see through Cadmus’ false pretence and see it just to punish
him accordingly. Those around him acknowledge Dionysus’ harshness as well, Cadmus stating
that “Angry gods should not act just like humans.” (Euripides, Bacchae, 1723) and the chorus
leader showing pity towards Cadmus, saying “I’m sorry for you Cadmus–you’re in pain. But
your grandson deserved his punishment.” (Euripides, Bacchae, 1642-1643). Despite everything,
Dionysus shows himself to have no mercy, even when repentance is shown he forgives none and
punishes all, just or not, seemingly as a final demonstration of power.
Even though Dionysus’ egocentric outlook controls his rational mind and causes him to
act in a decidedly evil way, it’s argued that he can be excused. Having only just arrived in
Thebes—his place of birth—as a young god, he wishes to spread the word of his power and
religion. Therefore, when he is met with people discrediting his divinity and spreading lies about
his mother, it’s a relatively reasonable response for him to be angry at Pentheus. Equally, when
this continues, he is provoked to enact revenge upon those who refuse to respect and
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acknowledge his status. Man is fundamentally selfish and given that the gods are not immune to
these mortal inclinations, it’s safe to assume this trait carries on amongst the divine. If anything,
it should be expected due to the characterisation of the gods and their egocentric tendencies, on
top of the fact that honour is essentially a sacred concept to the Greeks.
The easiest way to judge whether Dionysus is good or bad in this play is to analyse how
he interacts with others, mainly Pentheus. The issue with this is that Pentheus himself is not the
most likeable person, making it harder to fairly judge whether or not he deserved what happened
to him. In the same way that Dionysus’ actions can be deemed justifiable or not, Pentheus’ are as
well. He is portrayed as a young man, far too passionate about proper behaviour and order. Like
Dionysus himself, Pentheus is neither fully good nor fully bad in my eyes, and he manages to
have enough good in him to gain sympathy from the audience when he is torn to shreds.
Pentheus stands for reason while Dionysian ecstasy stands for the irrational, and when he is
faced with nature’s irrational force, he tries to solve it with human rational measures, which is
ultimately his downfall. As many do, he has his moment of anagnorisis right at the end of his
life, as the trance he’s in clears and he realises his wrongdoings, but it’s not enough for Dionysus
who once again presents his lack of mercy.
Despite the possible justifications for their actions, Dionysus is still driven by an almost
childish need for revenge and the extent of his wrath is so extreme to the point of being
irrational, while Pentheus is simply too obstinate and arrogant for his own good, or that of his
people. The entire story can change solely based on who the reader identifies as the protagonist
and the antagonist, and in this example, I don’t believe either is set in stone. I would state that
they are both equally as negative and positive as each other. The notion of positive and negative,
good and evil, right or wrong depends too much on an individual’s moral standing to come to a
concrete conclusion. As with any good story, there are two sides, and the individual must decide
whether they sympathise with Pentheus and his family for their losses or with Dionysus for the
disrespect he was shown.
Word Count: 1207
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Bibliography
Euripides. Bacchae. Translated by Ian Johnston. Nanaimo: 2003.

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201.

113 Greek Mythology

Dr. Jonathan Tracy

Dionysus: The Epitome of Righteous Pettiness

Word Count: 1207

Euripides. Bacchae. Translated by Ian Johnston. Nanaimo: 2003.

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