Comparing Ovid's Metamorphoses And Euripides '

The Metamorphoses by Ovid and Euripides' play entitled, The Bacchae present the same two stories in very different directions. The general story revolves around the figure of Pentheus, a Theban prince who challenges the might of Bacchus, his cousin and a god. While both include the same key plot driven aspects, the interpretations given by the two different writers are vastly different in what morals and concepts they try to let out from the text. The Metamorphoses is essentially a testament of hundreds of many different Roman myths culminated together where the tale of Pentheus is but a small part, thus holding much significance in the manner in which his story should be interpreted. Euripides, The Bacchae, while still the same story as the one Ovid presents, is written as a play,
Tiresias, who has knowledge of both the feminine and masculine psyche, was consulted in an argument between Jove and Juno regarding which sex receives more pleasure in sex. Tiresias is punished by Juno for taking Jove's side and is cursed with blindness, yet again, continuing the theme of the Theban doomed to be punished by a feminine God. His story is the only, however, to have the pity of a masculine God occur in how Jove grants Tiresias the gift of foresight- most literally foreshadowing Tiresias' foreshadowment of Pentheus' fate. The story of Narcissus and Echo symbolically represent the psychological nature of what leads to Pentheus' fate. Narcissus is punished for stubbornly refusing the love of Echo, and every other female who makes an attempt to get closer to him. His self absorbed nature and obstinate self-concern reflect the personality of Pentheus in how he is driven by pride in his offense towards Bacchus and denial of the advice from Tiresias, (who also happened to prophesize for