Medea And Bacchae

Medea and The Bacchae agitate the definitions of Greek tragedy. They both contain the basic devices of a tragedy: a chorus, a flaw, a catastrophe, and an intervention of fate or free will. However, they lack the feeling of moral purpose found in the works of Aeschylus or Sophocles. The senselessly violent endings and ambiguous character development in Medea and The Bacchae are purposeful to the overall theme of confusion. In terms of a theatrical spectacle, the uncertainty of what is happening on stage forces the audience to interpret the meaning themselves, rather than rely on a strong protagonist to dish out a moral sentiment. In The Bacchae, Pentheus and Dionysus both have a certain level of appeal, and yet they are both limited by their arrogance. An analysis of the language and characters is critical to untangling the mysteries of The Bacchae. Pentheus is simultaneously sympathetic and unsympathetic. On one hand, he has a duty as King of Thebes to uphold the law and order of the city, and so he must rid Thebes of the Bacchic chaos. At the same time, he is insecure,
This leads the audience into the hands of the chorus, the real heroes of the story. Although the chorus does pick a side, their authority is symbolic of a more democratic, equal, and forgiving system. The people of the chorus transcend the laws of the state and laws of the divine by choosing their own path. The path they choose allows for a more flexible interpretation of language and law dictated by the city-state. Their statement is that we are all people under the same gods and should not adhere to political boundaries. By doing so, they deconstruct notions of alienation and xenophobia that are inherent in a walled and guarded world. This helps resolve the political conflict and confusion that arrises from the fear of the foreign in