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,
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and therefore it too needs to be interpreted from that standpoint. As such, the two writers also show a very different focus in how the character of Pentheus ultimately reaches his fate. Ovid uses the mythology, history, and mysticism of the Gods to justify the punishment and denigration of Pentheus, while Euripides, though granting him the same fate, humanizes the story to offer some defense to Pentheus' character. Ovid presents the tale of Pentheus as a doomed figure for continuing his family's long tradition of offending the feminine aspects of the gods. Book three within the metamorphoses not only holds the story of Pentheus and his conflict with Bacchus, but also the entire history of the line of Cadmus. The history of Pentheus' bloodline is both crucial to his fate and displays how Ovid steers the morals of his stories towards religious superstition. Pentheus was doomed from the moment the first in his line, Cadmus, abandoned his journey to find Europa to establish the city of Thebes. Doing this, Ovid right away establishes the theme of Cadmus's line denying some aspect of feminine power or responsibility for some form of personal gain. The city Cadmus establishes is born from the seeds of Ares upon slaying his serpentine beast and planting his teeth where Thebes is to be established, further pressing the idea that he, and those who come from Thebes, stand as a symbolic masculine representative. His doom is sealed by an unseen godly figure uttering the words, "You, too, will be a snake at whom men gaze" (Metamorphoses pg. 80). By keeping the voice unrepresented by a physical entity, it establishes another theme within the Metamorphoses of raising the undeniable power of the Gods to a level far beyond humans. It is a trait that will echo within Pentheus' tale. Continuing along the bloodline of Cadmus, the tale of Actaeon represents another instance of insult towards a greater feminine power. Actaeon, the masculine hunter, happens to spy upon the Goddess Diana as she bathes within a River. He is punished by being turned into a stag and then hunted down by his own kinsmen. This story far more directly foreshadows the fate of Pentheus who is murdered by his own mother and other related, feminine kinsmen when Bacchus possesses their minds to have them believe that Pentheus is a wild beast. The similarities in text regarding the final moments of Actaeon and Pentheus are clear. In describing Actaeon's death Ovid writes, "his hounds have hemmed him in; they sink their muzzles into every limb- the flesh of their own master in false guise as stag. Diana was not satisfied until, so mangled, Actaeon died" (Metamorphoses 86). And then, in describing Pentheus' death he writes, "[Agave] tears off his head, and yells, as she lifts high his head: This, comrades, spells our victory- our work!'" (Metamorphoses 106). The similar deaths between these two family members exemplifies yet again Ovid's theme of Godly supremacy in both the aspects of fate and mans submission to them. The two interludes of Book three are the stories of Tiresias, and Narcissus and Echo, both further demonstrating the power of feminine wrath and foreshadowing Pentheus' fate.
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
Narcissus). Establishing the history of Cadmus' bloodline, Ovid relies on the mythology to justify the fate of Pentheus, steering the moral of his story to the favor of the Gods. Critical to understanding the differences between Ovid's and Euripides interpretations of the stories, one must observe the differences within the characters of Pentheus and Bacchus. Ovid makes no effort to present Pentheus as a hero- tragic or otherwise. If anything, the story is set up to make one perceive Pentheus as the antagonist of the story. His character stands as a culmination of all the flaws Ovid establishes within his families past. He holds the same stubbornness of Echo reflected in the way he denies the advice given to him by Tiresias. On that same wavelength, he stubbornly takes pride in his masculine heritage by constantly referring to his family's connection with Mars. It is his primary defense in justifying his right over the ways of Bacchus, as when he claims, "Mars' serpent was your parent: can you now succumb to the clanging cymbals, and flute of crooked horn, the cheap deceits of magic? How can you, who did not fear the swords of war now be defeated by this wine-incited madness?" (Metamorphoses 98). The reference to the past and violent denial of the gods further proves how Ovid seems to take the side of the absoluteness of the Gods. Along this line, the character Bacchus, while a major figure in the story, makes no physical appearance whatsoever. The distance of Bacchus from the rest of the human characters shows how Ovid is again trying to establish a superiority of the Gods. The history Bacchus is told by one of his followers, and his story takes up the majority of the chapter. The significance of having Bacchus' history being the crux of Pentheus' chapter further displays Ovid's concern for the mythology behind the moral of each story. The description of Bacchus by Acoetes, his follower, is that of a very effeminate male. Pentheus' offense towards the effeminate figure of Bacchus combined with the all female brigade of bacchante continues the theme of a masculine force denying the greater female power. Also very importantly, when Pentheus goes to observe the Bacchante he does so on his own free will, and furthermore, admits to his flaws when he is being torn apart as Ovid writes, "he's trembling, yes- he's trembling now, his speech is much less violent; he blames himself, admits that he has sinned" (Metamorphoses (105). These words reflect the ultimate message Ovid tries to establish- that one must not challenge the Gods. The fundamental narrowness and simplicities apparent within Ovid's characters are the main differences between Book three of the Metamorphoses and Euripides, The Bacchae. Euripides interpretation of The Bacchae takes a more human approach to the story because the characters hold complexities not present in Ovid's interpretation. The first key difference between the two readings is that Euripides does not bother to explain the history of Pentheus' family, except when he describes the birth of Bacchus through the story of Semele, his mother, in which case both Euripides and Ovid share the same story. The history of Cadmus is never explained, the origins of Tiresias' foresight is never explained, nor the story of Actaeon or Narcissus and Echo. Euripides chooses to present the story not as testament to mythology and the gods, but as a complex drama where the concept of humanity holds the most significance. All of the differences between the stories are those that in some way grant the characters more human traits. The most significant difference present in Euripides is the fact that Bacchus is an actual character, not some distant God-like entity. Even more importantly, Bacchus serves as a foil to Pentheus' character rather than simply having the two serve as very different characters in oppositions to one another. Because of the intricacy within the characters of Bacchus and Pentheus, there is no clear cut good guy or bad guy. Pentheus is still a stubborn, ignorant fool, but the reader is in some ways meant to sympathize with him. Bacchus is still a god-like character, but he holds human flaws that places some blame to his character. Following this idea, one should observe the negative side to Bacchus' charming persona. Instead of Pentheus interrogating the servant of Bacchus as is what happens in the Metamorphoses, Pentheus has an actual dialogue with the God himself, though he is disguised as a servant. There is no talk of Bacchus' past. The conversation serves as essentially a childlike duel of wits between the two main characters. Right away the conflict is not presented so much as a God punishing a man for insurrection, but more as a cat toying with a mouse- a stronger man belittling and emasculating a weaker one. Where Euripides presents Bacchus in a somewhat negative light, he also presents Pentheus as a figure deserving some sympathy. Pentheus' character in Euripides play may still hold the same negative character traits that Ovid gives him, but Euripides also emphasizes the fact that Pentheus is a victim of ignorance beyond his control. While the age of Pentheus is never given, his character is presented as a youth- arrogant, defiant, and proud. The only words expressing his physical nature come from his mother after she has realized she has murdered him where she claims, "See, the whelp is young and tender. / Beneath the soft mane of his hair, the down is blooming on the cheeks" (The Bacchae (lines 1185-1187). In this way the reader is meant to sympathize with his character, much unlike the Pentheus of the Metamorphoses, who shows no redeeming or forgivable character traits other than his last minute plea for life. The figures Cadmus and Tiresias also serve as examples for how Euripides interprets the story in a humane nature rather than one of sheer revelry for the Gods. Both of the figures act as the male supporters of Bacchus, though the reasoning for their support is not that of divine admiration, it is because of rationality and opportunity. Tiresias claims to Pentheus that, "this god whom you ridicule shall someday have / enormous power and prestige throughout Hellas" (The Bacchae 274-275), and Cadmus to Pentheus that "even if this Dionysus is no god, / as you assert, persuade yourself that he is. / The fiction is a noble one, for Semele will seem / to be the mother of a god, and this confers / no small distinction on our family" (The Bacchae 333-337). Neither Tiresias nor Cadmus engages in the ecstasy and revelry that the rest of the female Bacchante experience- their praise of the God is for practical purposes. Tiresias realizes that Bacchus is a threat to those who do not follow him so he wisely does so. Cadmus knows that Bacchus holds relations to his family and realizes the potential benefits his position may hold if he supports him. Both are very human and rational reactions to this greater, invading foreign power. If anything, Pentheus, despite his ignorance and weakness, is the only honest figure in the play, allowing more sympathy to be felt for his character. Another significant fact that further shows a distinction from Euripides Pentheus to Ovid's as well as inducing the feeling of pity for him is how Pentheus is needed to be tricked and possessed by Bacchus for him to observe the rites of the Bacchante. As Ovid's Pentheus goes off to be murdered by the Bacchante his masculinity and reason remains intact. Bacchus, rather cruelly, strips him of his pride by tricking him to dress as a woman and make him think he can infiltrate the Bacchante. This is another instance of the cat and mouse relationship between Bacchus and Pentheus. He is not simply punishing him, he is humiliating him. Following this instance is the actual murder of Pentheus by his mother, and the most significant act of human nature in the story where his mother realizes what she has done and is punished by Bacchus. In Ovid's account, the murder of Pentheus is followed by a festival within Thebes. His death serves purely as a moral that the power of the gods is absolute. What follows in Euripides play, however, is vastly different. With Pentheus' death comes the realization of Agave for what she has done, as she mournfully states, "I am in anguish now, / tormented, who walked in triumph minutes past, / exulting in my kill. And that prize I carried home / with such great pride was my own curse. Upon these hands I bear the curse of my son's blood" (The Bacchae 1332-1335). The moral presented by Agave's escape from her ecstatic fury is that the will of Bacchus, albeit absolute, is immoral and inhumane. With her realization also comes the scorn of Bacchus, again presenting him as an evil figure and with a contradiction in his character as he claims to Agave, "I pronounce this doom: / you shall leave this city in expiation / of the murder you have done. You are unclean, / and it would be a sacrilege that murderers / should remain at peace beside the graves of those / whom they have killed" (The Bacchae 1424-1429). It is cruel and petty of Bacchus to provoke and manipulate the entire situation surrounding the murder of Pentheus and then childishly place judgment on the tools he used to enact the slaughter. Cadmus himself points out to Bacchus the maliciously human way he handled the situation when he tells him that "Gods should be exempt from human passions" (The Bacchae 1347). Bacchus' final display of passion and Agave's realization of her murder ultimately indicate that Euripides aim of the play is to humanize the story of Pentheus, rather than have it be in praise of the Gods and the mythology surrounding the story. The interpretation Ovid's Metamorphoses and Euripides' The Bacchae presented in this essay is not to be left without question. It cannot be confidently said that Ovid held complete and unbending praise for the gods over men because there are other stories existing within where the actions of the gods are presented with far less praise than the humans they interact with. Why does Actaeon deserve pity where Pentheus does not? It is left unclear in his writing. Euripides play is so complex that when enacted it could take on many different interpretations left up to the director either in positive versions of a negative character or vice versa. But, simply given the text without context of what the writer's intentions were in creating these pieces, I am left with the feeling that Ovid wrote his chapter regarding Pentheus as a testament to the Roman Gods and its mythology, whereas Euripides took his interpretation in the direction of a more human approach to the story.
and therefore it too needs to be interpreted from that standpoint. As such, the two writers also show a very different focus in how the character of Pentheus ultimately reaches his fate. Ovid uses the mythology, history, and mysticism of the Gods to justify the punishment and denigration of Pentheus, while Euripides, though granting him the same fate, humanizes the story to offer some defense to Pentheus' character. Ovid presents the tale of Pentheus as a doomed figure for continuing his family's long tradition of offending the feminine aspects of the gods. Book three within the metamorphoses not only holds the story of Pentheus and his conflict with Bacchus, but also the entire history of the line of Cadmus. The history of Pentheus' bloodline is both crucial to his fate and displays how Ovid steers the morals of his stories towards religious superstition. Pentheus was doomed from the moment the first in his line, Cadmus, abandoned his journey to find Europa to establish the city of Thebes. Doing this, Ovid right away establishes the theme of Cadmus's line denying some aspect of feminine power or responsibility for some form of personal gain. The city Cadmus establishes is born from the seeds of Ares upon slaying his serpentine beast and planting his teeth where Thebes is to be established, further pressing the idea that he, and those who come from Thebes, stand as a symbolic masculine representative. His doom is sealed by an unseen godly figure uttering the words, "You, too, will be a snake at whom men gaze" (Metamorphoses pg. 80). By keeping the voice unrepresented by a physical entity, it establishes another theme within the Metamorphoses of raising the undeniable power of the Gods to a level far beyond humans. It is a trait that will echo within Pentheus' tale. Continuing along the bloodline of Cadmus, the tale of Actaeon represents another instance of insult towards a greater feminine power. Actaeon, the masculine hunter, happens to spy upon the Goddess Diana as she bathes within a River. He is punished by being turned into a stag and then hunted down by his own kinsmen. This story far more directly foreshadows the fate of Pentheus who is murdered by his own mother and other related, feminine kinsmen when Bacchus possesses their minds to have them believe that Pentheus is a wild beast. The similarities in text regarding the final moments of Actaeon and Pentheus are clear. In describing Actaeon's death Ovid writes, "his hounds have hemmed him in; they sink their muzzles into every limb- the flesh of their own master in false guise as stag. Diana was not satisfied until, so mangled, Actaeon died" (Metamorphoses 86). And then, in describing Pentheus' death he writes, "[Agave] tears off his head, and yells, as she lifts high his head: This, comrades, spells our victory- our work!'" (Metamorphoses 106). The similar deaths between these two family members exemplifies yet again Ovid's theme of Godly supremacy in both the aspects of fate and mans submission to them. The two interludes of Book three are the stories of Tiresias, and Narcissus and Echo, both further demonstrating the power of feminine wrath and foreshadowing Pentheus' fate.
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
Narcissus). Establishing the history of Cadmus' bloodline, Ovid relies on the mythology to justify the fate of Pentheus, steering the moral of his story to the favor of the Gods. Critical to understanding the differences between Ovid's and Euripides interpretations of the stories, one must observe the differences within the characters of Pentheus and Bacchus. Ovid makes no effort to present Pentheus as a hero- tragic or otherwise. If anything, the story is set up to make one perceive Pentheus as the antagonist of the story. His character stands as a culmination of all the flaws Ovid establishes within his families past. He holds the same stubbornness of Echo reflected in the way he denies the advice given to him by Tiresias. On that same wavelength, he stubbornly takes pride in his masculine heritage by constantly referring to his family's connection with Mars. It is his primary defense in justifying his right over the ways of Bacchus, as when he claims, "Mars' serpent was your parent: can you now succumb to the clanging cymbals, and flute of crooked horn, the cheap deceits of magic? How can you, who did not fear the swords of war now be defeated by this wine-incited madness?" (Metamorphoses 98). The reference to the past and violent denial of the gods further proves how Ovid seems to take the side of the absoluteness of the Gods. Along this line, the character Bacchus, while a major figure in the story, makes no physical appearance whatsoever. The distance of Bacchus from the rest of the human characters shows how Ovid is again trying to establish a superiority of the Gods. The history Bacchus is told by one of his followers, and his story takes up the majority of the chapter. The significance of having Bacchus' history being the crux of Pentheus' chapter further displays Ovid's concern for the mythology behind the moral of each story. The description of Bacchus by Acoetes, his follower, is that of a very effeminate male. Pentheus' offense towards the effeminate figure of Bacchus combined with the all female brigade of bacchante continues the theme of a masculine force denying the greater female power. Also very importantly, when Pentheus goes to observe the Bacchante he does so on his own free will, and furthermore, admits to his flaws when he is being torn apart as Ovid writes, "he's trembling, yes- he's trembling now, his speech is much less violent; he blames himself, admits that he has sinned" (Metamorphoses (105). These words reflect the ultimate message Ovid tries to establish- that one must not challenge the Gods. The fundamental narrowness and simplicities apparent within Ovid's characters are the main differences between Book three of the Metamorphoses and Euripides, The Bacchae. Euripides interpretation of The Bacchae takes a more human approach to the story because the characters hold complexities not present in Ovid's interpretation. The first key difference between the two readings is that Euripides does not bother to explain the history of Pentheus' family, except when he describes the birth of Bacchus through the story of Semele, his mother, in which case both Euripides and Ovid share the same story. The history of Cadmus is never explained, the origins of Tiresias' foresight is never explained, nor the story of Actaeon or Narcissus and Echo. Euripides chooses to present the story not as testament to mythology and the gods, but as a complex drama where the concept of humanity holds the most significance. All of the differences between the stories are those that in some way grant the characters more human traits. The most significant difference present in Euripides is the fact that Bacchus is an actual character, not some distant God-like entity. Even more importantly, Bacchus serves as a foil to Pentheus' character rather than simply having the two serve as very different characters in oppositions to one another. Because of the intricacy within the characters of Bacchus and Pentheus, there is no clear cut good guy or bad guy. Pentheus is still a stubborn, ignorant fool, but the reader is in some ways meant to sympathize with him. Bacchus is still a god-like character, but he holds human flaws that places some blame to his character. Following this idea, one should observe the negative side to Bacchus' charming persona. Instead of Pentheus interrogating the servant of Bacchus as is what happens in the Metamorphoses, Pentheus has an actual dialogue with the God himself, though he is disguised as a servant. There is no talk of Bacchus' past. The conversation serves as essentially a childlike duel of wits between the two main characters. Right away the conflict is not presented so much as a God punishing a man for insurrection, but more as a cat toying with a mouse- a stronger man belittling and emasculating a weaker one. Where Euripides presents Bacchus in a somewhat negative light, he also presents Pentheus as a figure deserving some sympathy. Pentheus' character in Euripides play may still hold the same negative character traits that Ovid gives him, but Euripides also emphasizes the fact that Pentheus is a victim of ignorance beyond his control. While the age of Pentheus is never given, his character is presented as a youth- arrogant, defiant, and proud. The only words expressing his physical nature come from his mother after she has realized she has murdered him where she claims, "See, the whelp is young and tender. / Beneath the soft mane of his hair, the down is blooming on the cheeks" (The Bacchae (lines 1185-1187). In this way the reader is meant to sympathize with his character, much unlike the Pentheus of the Metamorphoses, who shows no redeeming or forgivable character traits other than his last minute plea for life. The figures Cadmus and Tiresias also serve as examples for how Euripides interprets the story in a humane nature rather than one of sheer revelry for the Gods. Both of the figures act as the male supporters of Bacchus, though the reasoning for their support is not that of divine admiration, it is because of rationality and opportunity. Tiresias claims to Pentheus that, "this god whom you ridicule shall someday have / enormous power and prestige throughout Hellas" (The Bacchae 274-275), and Cadmus to Pentheus that "even if this Dionysus is no god, / as you assert, persuade yourself that he is. / The fiction is a noble one, for Semele will seem / to be the mother of a god, and this confers / no small distinction on our family" (The Bacchae 333-337). Neither Tiresias nor Cadmus engages in the ecstasy and revelry that the rest of the female Bacchante experience- their praise of the God is for practical purposes. Tiresias realizes that Bacchus is a threat to those who do not follow him so he wisely does so. Cadmus knows that Bacchus holds relations to his family and realizes the potential benefits his position may hold if he supports him. Both are very human and rational reactions to this greater, invading foreign power. If anything, Pentheus, despite his ignorance and weakness, is the only honest figure in the play, allowing more sympathy to be felt for his character. Another significant fact that further shows a distinction from Euripides Pentheus to Ovid's as well as inducing the feeling of pity for him is how Pentheus is needed to be tricked and possessed by Bacchus for him to observe the rites of the Bacchante. As Ovid's Pentheus goes off to be murdered by the Bacchante his masculinity and reason remains intact. Bacchus, rather cruelly, strips him of his pride by tricking him to dress as a woman and make him think he can infiltrate the Bacchante. This is another instance of the cat and mouse relationship between Bacchus and Pentheus. He is not simply punishing him, he is humiliating him. Following this instance is the actual murder of Pentheus by his mother, and the most significant act of human nature in the story where his mother realizes what she has done and is punished by Bacchus. In Ovid's account, the murder of Pentheus is followed by a festival within Thebes. His death serves purely as a moral that the power of the gods is absolute. What follows in Euripides play, however, is vastly different. With Pentheus' death comes the realization of Agave for what she has done, as she mournfully states, "I am in anguish now, / tormented, who walked in triumph minutes past, / exulting in my kill. And that prize I carried home / with such great pride was my own curse. Upon these hands I bear the curse of my son's blood" (The Bacchae 1332-1335). The moral presented by Agave's escape from her ecstatic fury is that the will of Bacchus, albeit absolute, is immoral and inhumane. With her realization also comes the scorn of Bacchus, again presenting him as an evil figure and with a contradiction in his character as he claims to Agave, "I pronounce this doom: / you shall leave this city in expiation / of the murder you have done. You are unclean, / and it would be a sacrilege that murderers / should remain at peace beside the graves of those / whom they have killed" (The Bacchae 1424-1429). It is cruel and petty of Bacchus to provoke and manipulate the entire situation surrounding the murder of Pentheus and then childishly place judgment on the tools he used to enact the slaughter. Cadmus himself points out to Bacchus the maliciously human way he handled the situation when he tells him that "Gods should be exempt from human passions" (The Bacchae 1347). Bacchus' final display of passion and Agave's realization of her murder ultimately indicate that Euripides aim of the play is to humanize the story of Pentheus, rather than have it be in praise of the Gods and the mythology surrounding the story. The interpretation Ovid's Metamorphoses and Euripides' The Bacchae presented in this essay is not to be left without question. It cannot be confidently said that Ovid held complete and unbending praise for the gods over men because there are other stories existing within where the actions of the gods are presented with far less praise than the humans they interact with. Why does Actaeon deserve pity where Pentheus does not? It is left unclear in his writing. Euripides play is so complex that when enacted it could take on many different interpretations left up to the director either in positive versions of a negative character or vice versa. But, simply given the text without context of what the writer's intentions were in creating these pieces, I am left with the feeling that Ovid wrote his chapter regarding Pentheus as a testament to the Roman Gods and its mythology, whereas Euripides took his interpretation in the direction of a more human approach to the story.