Compare And Contrast Zeus And Dionysus

I decided to analyze the similarities and differences between the two gods: Zeus and his son Dionysus. Even though Dionysus is of the same lineage of Zeus, this does not mean they share all of the same characteristics of one another. They differ greatly in attitude, appearance and morals. Zeus is considered the king of all gods, and he proudly uses his powers for his own amusement and pleasure, often at the expense of others lives. Whereas, Dionysus is the god of wine and fertility and he uses his powers to bring both pleasure and an escape from the grief that plagues ones mind but this can come at a cost leading the consumer to become unpredictable and easily influenced through overindulgence and addiction.
Many of the myths spun colorful

Both Zeus and his son Dionysus are no different in this case. Zeus has continually been portrayed as wrathful and violent, he has no problem enacting revenge on another if he feels the victim deserves the punishment. In the story of Prometheus, Zeus tortures Prometheus for his thievery sentencing him to a cruel punishment, “Everyday he sent an eagle to feed on his captives liver, which, however much it was devoured, always grew back again” (35). This excerpt tells of how Zeus is often cruel, unforgiving and quick to enact revenge on his enemies. Even though Zeus is immortal and thought to be the figure of perfection, he still endows many flawed characteristics. He even goes as far as taking pleasure in the pain and agony Prometheus faces for sneaking behind Zeus’s back. I feel this points to how even Zeus isn’t perfect in nature for he often falls prey to the destructive human emotion: anger. Like his father, Dionysus is also quick to enact revenge on his enemies through vicious and bloody ways. In the tale of Pentheus, Dionysus gladly lets the King Pentheus be ripped to bloody shreds for mocking his divine ceremonies. “First they hurled stones, boughs torn from trees, and their

The story of Europa, tells of how Zeus took the form of a majestic Bull in order to enchant Europa, a beautiful maiden so that he could possess what he desired, “He could hardly hope to tempt the girls innocent spirit if he came in his own form, the god contrived a ruse…he assumed the shape of a bull” (53). I feel this moment in the story shows that Zeus is willing to do anything to get what he wants even if it means taking advantage of the naivety and trusting nature of Europa. In his mind his needs and wants come first no matter the consequences of his actions showing how selfish he can be. Whereas instead of using illusions and tricks for lustful intentions, Dionysus uses deception and mind games for his murderous intentions using his charismatic nature to his advantage. “He promised Pentheus to bring back the Maenads, if the king would don woman’s raiment, lest seeing him⎯a man, and uninitiate⎯they tear him to pieces” (65). Dionysus tricks Pentheus with false promises that eventually lead to the Kings untimely and gruesome death. This shows that Dionysus is no stranger to deceit and willingly lulls the King into a false sense of security. To me this situation is a perfect representation of how easily mortals are tempted and deceived when given enough