Artistic Theme of The Bacchae of Euripides - 453 Words

My artistic theme is about the play â€Å"The Bacchae of Euripides† and how the god Dionysusis irrational behavior is in accord with that of Alcibiades in Plato’s Symposium. In both books the above named character’s behavior was reactive to their situations rather than proactive. In the Symposium, Alcibiade’s unrequited love, or rather lust for Socrates drives him to make a fool of himself at the â€Å"dinner party†. During his speech Alcibiades speaks of Socrates as if he were a superior being; he has a special hold or power over emotions of others. He mentions that â€Å"(Socrates) presents himself as your lover, and before you know it, you’re in love with him yourself! Therefore, justifying to himself that he is not in control of his body or†¦show more content†¦In conjunction with this is the concept of love. According to Socrates lust or sexual desire is on of the lowest forms of love; thus does always need to be obtained. Rather wisdom, the highest form of love according to Diotima and Socrates should be sought and revered. The concept of honoring life and love as it is, exemplified in the Handbook of Epictetus. In the Handbook Epictetus specifies â€Å"not to seek to have events happen as you want them to, but instead want them to happen as they do happen†. This concept Dionysus in the Bacchae of Euripides did not comprehend. He was embittered the Milles-Dave 2 people of Thedes did not believe that the God Zeus impregnated his mother, thereby making him half God, that he took revenge on the women of the city including his aunt. Dionysus, the God of ecstasy removes the women from their daily work schedule and leads them to the forest where they make a world of continuos play.nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp; Even though Dionysus is the God of ecstasy according to myth, a world filled with pleasure does not ensure a fruitful existence. To honor Dionysus would be to follow Epictetus’s handbook to a certain extent. Epictetus would like his followers to live life without any emotional attachments, or standards-with standards come disappointment. On the other hand, Dionysus would except his followers to live life freely. These are two extremes and productive lives can not be lived on either end ofShow MoreRelatedGreek Tragedy And The Morality Of Greek Culture Essay2193 Words   |  9 Pagesfor a play to be performed at The City Dionysia festival; tragic playwrights would first have to appeal to the state official that was organizing the festival by submitting ideas to him and his committee. The ideas submitted were outlines of main themes and points of interest to be performed in the play. If a playwright was selected by the state official and his committee, then they received a finan cial backer and a chance to compete in the drama competition of the festival. The state official, orRead More Euripides Support of Women’s Rights Essay4032 Words   |  17 PagesEuripides Support of Women’s Rights      Ã‚  Ã‚   One can hardly deny that in Euripides’ plays women are often portrayed as weak, uncertain, and torn between what they must do and what they can bring themselves to do.   Other women appear to be the root of grave evils, or simply perpetrators of heinous crimes.   In a day when analysis of characters and plot had yet to be invented, it is easy to see why he might have been thought to be very much against women.   However, when looking back with currentRead MoreEssay on African theatre1586 Words   |  7 Pagesinfluences. This resulted in an imaginative presence in literary and popular theatre that was to be influential throughout Africa. Yoruba Opera companies, also known as traveling theatres, had hit the road. Ladipo produced spectacular productions based on themes from Yoruba mythology and history. His series on the kingdom of Oyo was published in 1964 as Three Yoruba Productions (Oba Koso [â€Å"The King Did Not Hang†], Oba Moro [â€Å"The King o f Ghosts†], and Oba Waja [â€Å"The King Is Dead†]), had the power and mythologyRead MoreDionyysus Character Analysis1803 Words   |  8 Pagespleasure, festivity, and vegetation are hinted at in his origin story and become a foundation of his overall personality after he encounters Pentheus in an intense tale. The evolution of his representation and characteristics can also be seen through artistic rendition, from the subject of Ancient Greek pottery to book subjects and the name for wine cellars around the globe, proving that Greek gods and goddesses still play a role in modern humanity. Dionysus has various origin stories, but the most prominent