The Dual Nature of Dionysian Power in The Bacchae

The Bacchae is a parennially popular Greek tragedy that portrays the coming of Dionysus to Greece. The Dionysian strikes Hellas like a wave of madness, and the play is full of miracles, illusions and other violations of the natural order. Often interpreted as a play about the conflict between religious experience and established dogma, or between the old order and the new, The Bacchae continues to fascinate because of the many layers of meaning that belie any easy analysis. We'll briefly discuss Nietzsche's opinion of Euripedes, and the ways in which Euripedes innovated the tragic form. Then we'll dive into the text and analyze the themes of the play.