Characters
Niobe
a daughter of Cadmus, punished by Apollo and Artemis
Dressed as a woman to spy the bacchae
Pentheus, a king of Thebes
Why did Dionysus arrive to Thebes?
To punish people, who did not warship him
Why did Pentheus want to destroy Teiresias' altars?
Because Teiresias believed in false God.
When he prays,
he chooses to ignore me. For this neglect
I’ll demonstrate to him, to all in Thebes,
that I was born a god.
Dionysus speaks about Pentheus
Ino
Daughter of Cadmus, an aunt of Dionysus and Pentheus
A Lydian stranger, follower of Dyonysus
God Dionysus
Why did Pentheus consider Dionysus a charlatan?
Pentheus thinks, that Semele died childless
Who are the members of the chorus?
Bacchic women, followers of Dionysus
Well, stranger, I see this body of yours
is not unsuitable for women’s pleasure—
that’s why you’ve come to Thebes. As for your hair,
it’s long, which suggests that you’re no wrestler.
Pentheus speaks to Dionysus
Acteon
Prince of Thebes, punished by Artemis
Arrested a God
Soldiers of Pentheus
Whose tomb did Dionysus visit in Thebes?
Dionysus visites a tomb of his mother, Semele
Why did Bacchae attack Pentheus?
They thought he was a lion.
I’m an old man, and he’s even older,
but we’ve agreed make ourselves a thyrsus,
to put on fawn skins and crown our heads
with garlands of these ivy branches.
Teiresias speaks about Cadmus and himself
Teiresias
a blind prophet from Thebes
Two old men in deer skins
Cadmus and Teiresias
Whom did the soldiers chain instead of Dionysus?
They chained a bull.
Why did Pentheus think, that Dionysus is a dangerous for the city?
Because Dionysus provoked disorder in the city.
Alas! Alas! What dreadful pain you’ll feel
when you recognize what you’ve just done.
If you stay forever in your present state,
you’ll be unfortunate, but you won’t feel
as if you’re suffering unhappiness.
Cadmus speaks to Agave
Agave
a mother of Pentheus, princess of Thebes
Beheaded a "lion"
Agave beheaded Pentheus
How did Dionysus liberated himself from a prison?
He provoked an earth quick.
How did Agave woke up from her ecstasy?
She watched a sky, as Cadmus advised
You mention a good point. I’ll use no force
to get the better of these women.
I’ll conceal myself there in the pine trees.
Pentheus speaks to Dionysus