summary

Summary

The tragedy "The Bacchae" by Euripides tells the story of the god Dionysus returning to Thebes to establish his cult and avenge the insult to his mother, Semele. Dionysus punishes King Pentheus, who refuses to acknowledge his divinity and bans worship of him. The Bacchae, women possessed by Dionysus, fall into a frenzy and commit mad acts. Pentheus, attempting to spy on the Bacchae, disguises himself as a woman but is discovered and torn apart, including by his own mother Agave, who is in a state of madness. At the end of the tragedy, Agave comes to her senses and realizes the horror of her deed, while Dionysus asserts his power and departs, leaving Thebes in chaos.