In the Bacchae, Pentheus and Dionysus have very different characters. They are both very complex characters and they both go through changes that alter the way you see them. At the beginning of the play, we are given a very dramatic image of Dionysus at his mothers, Semele's monument. He is wearing a crown of ivy, carrying a thyrsus and wearing a fawn skin. It is a very mysterious and haunting scene. When Dionysus speaks he speaks angrily and passionately - you do not get the impression that he is a very subdued character.

In contrast, however, when you first meet Pentheus you see him as a very proud man. He is outraged with the women of Thebes, he has a strict sense of his own beliefs - he simply cannot understand why the women are choosing to believe in a foreign god, an ' upstart god '. He is instinctively sceptical. He believes that the women of Troy have left 'on some pretence of Bacchic worship'. He is so cynical he honestly cannot believe in the power of Bacchus.

When we first meet the two adversaries face to face, we at first feel sympathy for Dionysus, for he is the prisoner. Pentheus starts the conversation thinking he has the upper ha

What I do not agree with though, is the way Dionysus turns everyone mad. It is not the people of Thebes' fault that Agauë, Ino and Autonoe believed that a mortal fathered Dionysus. It is very unjust of Dionysus to punish the whole city. I also do not agree with the way that he punishes Cadmus. The man has done nothing wrong, he believed in Bacchus and followed his rituals. He has to come to terms with the murder of his grandson, by his own daughter. It is not fair to also banish him from his home. Cadmus even appeals to Dionysus, telling him that 'Gods should not be like mortals in vindictiveness'. His pleas are ignored.

nd because he has more power over the situation. However, it is clear to the audience that Dionysus is in control of the situation. He is calm and strong. He could have felt threatened, being in a king's presence, but instead he acts confidently. This could have made me feel proud of Dionysus for handling the situation so well; if it was not for the fact that he cruelly mocks Pentheus. Pentheus obviously has no idea that he is talking to a god, and Dionysus takes full advantage of this. Dionysus drops hints that he is not simply a Bacchic worshiper, but these are only obvious to the audience. Dionysus tells us that Dionysus is 'close at hand and sees what's being done to me'. The audience can appreciate the subtly in this, but to Pentheus the man is just provoking him.

Some common words found in the essay are:
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Approximate Word count = 1360
Approximate Pages = 5 (250 words per page double spaced)