The Bacchae
In The Bacchae, Euripedes portrays the character of Pentheus as an ignorant, stubborn, and arrogant ruler. These character flaws accompanied with his foolish decisions set the stage for his tragic downfall. Pentheus' blatant disregard to all warnings and incidents, which prove that Dionysus is truly a god, lead him to his own death. In the end, his mistakes are unforgiving and his punishment is just. Throughout the play, the audience cannot help but feel merciless towards Pentheus. In his opening scene, Pentheus does not heed the warnings bestowed upon him by Teiresias and Cadmus. Before Pentheus even meets Dionysus, Teiresias offers him wise advice:'So, Pentheus listen to me. Do not mistake the rule of force for true power. Men are not shaped by force. Nor should you boast of wisdom, when everyone but you can see how sick your thoughts are. Instead, welcome this God to Thebes. Exalt him with wine, garland your head and join the Bacchic revels'(19).Cadmus carefully tries to persuade his grandson by adding, 'For even if you are right and this God is not a God, why say it? Why not call him one? You have everything to gain from such a lie'(20). Pentheus shows no respect for the elderly or their wisdom by replying, 'Go! Run
His arrogance and controlling nature is apparent in every action and choice he makes. In return, Dionysus destroys his palace, bringing it 'crash!ing to the ground' (34). The only suspense that Euripides leaves the audience waiting for is to see what further tragic mistakes Pentheus will make before his death. 'Those who look for filth, can find at the height of noon' (28). Dionysus, rather mercifully, gives Pentheus one last chance to save himself from his horrible fate. ------------------------------------------------------------------------**Bibliography**. Pentheus rejects these omens and throws Dionysus in prison. We yet again, find Pentheus ready to confront divine powers with mere mortal ones. This !is the end for Pentheus, and ultimately, due to his constant ignorance, a just death. Pentheus, still so ignorant, thinks he can defeat the Bacchae with an army, and force them to return. He will not let any 'old fools' tell him what to do. Now I have him in my net, no amount of agile tricks can help him slip away' (25). However, it is clear to the audience that Dionysus is in control. At this point, Dionysus has had enough.
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