No Mercy, No Quarter: the Depiction of Dionysus and his Vengeance in Euripides' Bacchae

Abstract

Euripides' Bacchae presents Dionysus as a vibrant god, who can be benevolent but who is also capable of terrible vengeance when provoked. Euripides' deliberate juxtaposition of human emotions such as anger and outraged pride with superhuman power (as befits a divine son of Zeus) within this one figure shows to the audience the danger of the system of anthropomorphic gods. This kind of belief system which brings foolish mortals and outraged gods into conflict, a situation depicted in many of the Athenian tragedians' works, can only result in tragic outcomes. Euripides is not 'showing up' Dionysus as a cruel villain, but is showing - in the most effective way -the dangerous combination of human and divine characteristics which exist within such a god.