The Bacchae
Summary
Melvyn Bragg and guests delve into Euripides' "The Bacchae," a foundational Greek tragedy first performed in 405 BC Athens. The discussion covers the play's brutal plot—Dionysus's revenge on Pentheus, leading to his dismemberment by his mother—its original staging, and Euripides' innovative portrayal of women and violence. The panel also explores the historical context of a defeated Athens, the nature of Dionysiac ecstasy, and how modern interpretations, from Nietzsche to avant-garde theatre, continue to grapple with its powerful themes of control, delusion, and the wildness of nature.Episode description
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss Euripides' great tragedy, which was first performed in Athens in 405 BC when the Athenians were on the point of defeat and humiliation in a long war with Sparta. The action seen or described on stage was brutal: Pentheus, king of Thebes, is torn into pieces by his mother in a Bacchic frenzy and his grandparents condemned to crawl away as snakes. All this happened because Pentheus had denied the divinity of his cousin Dionysus, known to the audience as god of wine, theatre, fertility and religious ecstasy.
The image above is a detail of a Red-Figure Cup showing the death of Pentheus (exterior) and a Maenad (interior), painted c. 480 BC by the Douris painter. This object can be found at the Kimbell Art Museum in Fort Worth, Texas.
With
Edith Hall Professor of Classics at King’s College London
Emily Wilson Professor of Classical Studies at the University of Pennsylvania
And
Rosie Wyles Lecturer in Classical History and Literature at the University of Kent
Producer: Simon Tillotson