The Ecstasy of Reason
analytical Essay
899 words
In the Bacchae, Euripides questions the authority of god versus man and man's allegiance to the gods. Pentheus is caught in a unique struggle of maintaining authority in his own kingdom and keeping allegiance to his favored god Apollo. The appearance of Dionysus in Thebes raises a conflict for Pentheus in that he can not accept the authority of a god other than the one he has chosen to revere within his kingdom. Pentheus resists Dionysus supreme authority as a show of solidarity with Apollo and the laws of reason versus Dionysus and the disruption of civil order.
Pentheus is worshiped and revered in Thebes just as he reveres Apollo. Apollo represents rationality, law, order, harmony and philosophical enlightenment. Dionysus is the god of wine and pleasure and represents all that is irrational, chaotic, and physically pleasing. Dionysus takes possession of the women of Thebes who have denied his godly descent from Zeus. He dresses them as bacchanals and sends them to the mountains to learn the rites of Bacchus, so that his prestige will be greater than that of Apollo in Thebes. A rumor reaches Pentheus that there is another controlling his people, specifically the women. His immediate reaction is outrage and Pentheus returns to Thebes to find that the women have indeed left their homes for the mountains, where they are said to "frisk in mock ecstasies...where they serve the lusts of men" (ln 210-220). Pentheus considers himself to be the protector of civilized society and does not want the Bacchae to disrupt the civic order and duty to which they are bound. Pentheus hostile response to the erotic liberation of the women by Dionysis is due to the closely held belief that sexual energy should be repressed within the c...
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...g and amounts to nothing. He is unable to save his city and those who advised him to act differently to Dionysus are punished or destroyed. The Bacchae leaves us with a world in Dionysian control. There is no law or reason and ethical norms have disappeared. Dionysus will move on to the next city and conduct the same disruption there. Pentheus resistance is futile and serves only as a warning that it is futile to resist chaos. A well placed shield of Apollonian rational is easily cast aside by the madness of Dionysus ritual. The lesson Pentheus refused to learn is this: the ecstasy of wine and pleasure must be embraced to counter the rigid nature society demands or there is the risk of being torn apart by the demands of both.
References
Euripides V. The Bacchae. Ed. David Grene and Richmond Lattimore. Chicago & London: The University of Chicago Press, 1968
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how euripides questions ity of god versus man and man's allegiance to the gods. the appearance of dionysus in thebes raises a conflict for pentheus.
- Explains that pentheus reveres apollo, while dionysus is the god of wine and pleasure. the erotic liberation of women in thebes is due to the belief that sexual energy should be repressed within the culture of the city.
- Analyzes how pentheus dislikes dionysus, who has long-hair, rosy cheeks, and no overtly frightening qualities. he tries to reestablish his authority over the stranger during a verbal battle.
- Analyzes how euripides questions ity of god versus man and man's allegiance to the gods. the appearance of dionysus in thebes raises a conflict for pentheus.
- Explains that pentheus reveres apollo, while dionysus is the god of wine and pleasure. the erotic liberation of women in thebes is due to the belief that sexual energy should be repressed within the culture of the city.
- Analyzes how pentheus dislikes dionysus, who has long-hair, rosy cheeks, and no overtly frightening qualities. he tries to reestablish his authority over the stranger during a verbal battle.
- Analyzes how pentheus' struggle to be the most powerful makes him blind to the god that appears in his kingdom.
- Analyzes how dionysus subjugates pentheus to his power and convinces him to dress as a woman.
- Analyzes how the life and death of pentheus emerges in this play as irrational and borders on insane. the play leaves him lying unburied and scattered so that he is denied the rites of a hero.
- Explains that euripides v. the bacchae. ed. david grene and richmond lattimore. chicago & london: the university of chicago press.
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- Analyzes how the binary opposition of foreigners versus citizens switches at the end of euripides plays.
- Analyzes how euripides used binary opposition to highlight the central themes in the bacchae and the medea.
- Analyzes how euripides switches the roles of man versus woman in both plays. in bacchae, the woman worships dionysus, while pentheus disguises himself as a woman. medea reversals the stereotype.
- Analyzes how the binary opposition of foreigners versus citizens switches at the end of euripides plays.
- Analyzes how euripides used binary opposition to highlight the central themes in the bacchae and the medea.
- Analyzes how euripides highlights the antithesis between foreigners and citizens in greek cities.
- Analyzes how the third binary opposition is gods versus man. in bacchae dionysus and penthues, gods are worshiped, respected, and called upon when times go wrong.
1019 wordsRead More - A Comparison Of Pentheus And Milo Yiannopoulosanalytical essayOf all the things Yiannopoulos is known for, it is his burning hate for feminism and women’s rights. Yiannopoulos frequently appears on news networks to debate feminists and say that women do belong in the workplace. In a talk on a college campus, Yiannopoulos explained that “The only bit of feminism left is that which is more interested in hurting men than empowering women” (Thornberry and Nguyen, "Milo Yiannopoulos Talks on Campus, Targets Feminism, Rape Culture and Muslims"). Yiannopoulos displays his pronounced fear of women. Identically, Pentheus sees women as threatening as the go out to the mountains to perform bacchic rituals. During Pentheus’ dialogue with Tiresias and Cadmus mentions, “but I hear about disgusting things going on / here in the city—women leaving home / to go to silly Bacchic rituals.” Pentheus sees the Bacchic rituals as a rebellion against men. When the women leave for the mountain, they are doing acts that would be prohibited when men are around. Pentheus immediately tries to quell the Bacchic rituals.
In this essay, the author
- Compares milo yiannopoulos and pentheus of euripides' bacchae. both leaders believe that outsiders are a threat to themselves.
- Explains that milo yiannopoulos and pentheus of the bacchae share similar views on xenophobia and women but differ heavily in their opinions of homosexuality.
- Opines that america has a muslim problem, which isn't radical. it's not an isis, al qaeda, taliban, or any of the muslim terror groups that have sprung up in 2016.
- Compares milo yiannopoulos and pentheus of euripides' bacchae. both leaders believe that outsiders are a threat to themselves.
- Explains that milo yiannopoulos and pentheus of the bacchae share similar views on xenophobia and women but differ heavily in their opinions of homosexuality.
- Opines that america has a muslim problem, which isn't radical. it's not an isis, al qaeda, taliban, or any of the muslim terror groups that have sprung up in 2016.
- Analyzes how milo yiannopoulos' claim that all muslims are dangerous lacks any hard facts or numbers. only a fraction of muslims actually believe that suicide tactics are justified.
- Analyzes how milo yiannopoulos and pentheus believe that women are not entitled to rights that men have due to their fear that they will eventually control men.
- Analyzes how yiannopoulos, openly gay, enthusiastically promotes his lifestyle for others like him, despite his conservative views.
- Opines that donald trump is best placed to end the tyranny of political correctness in this country.
- Analyzes how yiannopoulos embraces himself as gay and loves himself for it whereas pentheus rejects itself.
- Compares yiannopoulos' view of homosexuality for himself and others with pentheus' rejection of himself as a homosexual.
954 wordsRead More - Differences and Similarities: Apollo and Dionysuscomparative essayThe Differences between Apollo and Dionysus are not difficult to see. Though both Gods are associated wi...
In this essay, the author
- Compares the two greek gods, apollo and dionysus, who are half brothers and compete as most brothers do. both have the need for power and creative drive.
- Compares the musical styles of apollo and dionysus. apollo retains abstract intellect, is an educator of young men, and promotes logical and rational thought.
- Opines that dionysus and apollo's similarities aren't as obvious as their differences. half-brothers that are both gods would not be considered such opposites.
- Compares the two greek gods, apollo and dionysus, who are half brothers and compete as most brothers do. both have the need for power and creative drive.
- Compares the musical styles of apollo and dionysus. apollo retains abstract intellect, is an educator of young men, and promotes logical and rational thought.
- Opines that dionysus and apollo's similarities aren't as obvious as their differences. half-brothers that are both gods would not be considered such opposites.
512 wordsRead More - Euripides. "Medea." The Norton Anthology of World Masterpieces. Ed. Sarah Lawall. New York and London: W. W. Norton & Company, 1999.
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how medea's intention to slaughter her own children is horrifying, in present time, due to the natural maternal instinct, to protect their children.
- Explains that the decameron, "tenth day, tenth story", "othello" and "medea" are all tragic works, with seemingly tragic heroes.
- Explains euripides' "medea" in the norton anthology of world masterpieces, ed. sarah lawall.
- Analyzes how medea's intention to slaughter her own children is horrifying, in present time, due to the natural maternal instinct, to protect their children.
- Explains that the decameron, "tenth day, tenth story", "othello" and "medea" are all tragic works, with seemingly tragic heroes.
- Explains euripides' "medea" in the norton anthology of world masterpieces, ed. sarah lawall.
- Describes shakespeare, william, othello, e. a. j honigmann, surrey: thomas nelson & sons ltd.
- Analyzes the tragic heroes in euripides medea, shakespeare's othello, and boccaccio’s decameron.
- Explains that in many great works of literature, there are numerous characters whose acts are either moral or immoral. in euripides' "medea", shakespeare's "othello" and boccaccio’s decameron,
- Explains that the morale of today varies greatly with that of the time periods in which these works were written. gualtieri from boccaccio's work, othello from shakespeare'
- Analyzes how boccaccio's decameron, "tenth day, tenth story", portrays gualtieri as a well-respected, moral man.
- Analyzes how gualtieri is portrayed as a compassionate man who orders his people to respect his wife, no matter what.
- Analyzes how gualtieri's actions were harsh, in the current views of our time and even of his time. when he pretended to murder his children and take a new wife, his subjects criticized him bitterly.
- Explains that gualtieri's misdeeds would be viewed as immoral sins. pride is the "wanting to elevate oneself above others".
- Analyzes how othello was a courageous, open, generous, heroic, unsuspecting-nave man. iago was the main cause in shakespeare's tragic play.
- Analyzes iago's devious plan to trick othello into thinking that cassio is having an affair with his wife, desdemona.
- Analyzes how othello kills himself because he cannot live with someone who is untrue. he embraces jealousy and pride, two sins of today's time, which would outweigh his strength and courage, changing him into a savage.
- Opines that medea is the most inexcusable of all the wrongdoing of the characters in euripides' great tragic play, "mede
- Analyzes how medea seeks revenge for her husband's unfaithfulness. she murders the princess and her father, and escapes with the bodies of her dead children to a land of safety.
- Analyzes how medea's speech to the chorus of corinthian women speaks of her own humiliation and plight. she begs them to help her obtain her revenge on jason.
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