The Bacchae

by Sirish Rao (Adaptor), Gita Wolf (Adaptor), Indrapramit Roy (Illustrator)

This contemporary retelling of Euripides' The Bacchae - the last extant Greek tragedy - relates the classic myth of the god Dionysus wrecking vengeance on Thebes, the city of his birth and site of his mortal mother Semele's horrible death. Dionysus brings an army of women into the mountains surrounding the city and casts a spell over the city's own female population, leading them to abandon their husbands, sons, and fathers and to follow the god into the countryside and engage in his forbidden revels. Pentheus, king of Thebes, leads an army against the god, only to be defeated in battle and, as he secretly watches the revels, to be torn limb from limb by the frenzied Bacchae. Original illustrations silk-screened on handmade paper accompany the story. This unique handcrafted book will be a treasured addition to the libraries of those who love the arts of ancient Greece and the art of fine, contemporary bookmaking. J. PAUL GETTY MUSEUM

Genres: Plays, Classics, Literature

28 pages, Hardcover

Published July 25, 2005

Reviews

[Jasmine · Rating 4 out of 5]

top ten why Dionysus is better than jesus.

10. he is the god of wine

9. he prefers night time.

8. his groupies are ladies.

7. He steals all the town's ladies

6. old dudes think he's awesome

5. when they arrest him he makes an earthquake, who needs to turn the other cheek.

4. he has his cousin torn to pieces by his followers

3. He convinces his cousin's mother she is carrying a mountain lion head and she parades her son's head through the village

2. He doesn't need 10 reasons he beat jesus at reason one.

1. because people haven't suffered enough he makes everybody get exiled.

[Catherine Woodman · Rating 4 out of 5]

and despite a life long avoidance of learning anything to do with mythology, I am enjoying myself.


The story here is a brutal one, but then the Greek gods were not really known for their benifience. Hardly. Smoting was more common than not. This is the story of the god Dionysus taking revenge on his mother's family for not believing that the father of her baby was Zeus. Semele, Dionysus' mother was the victim of Hera's revenge (since she wasn't powerful enough to take out physical revenge on Zeus, she made do with eithering cursing, killing, or tricking his consorts in ways that hurt Zeus emotionally). Her family ruled Thebes, and at the time that Dionysus returns, his cousin Pentheus is the king. Pentheus' sin is impiety--he refuses to see the writing on the wall, that Dionysus is indeed a god, and that Semele was telling the truth. His mother and aunts go off to join the bacchants, as does his grandfather, but no amount of family pressure or miracles moves him, and he is tragically killed by his mother as a result. I am telling you, these Greek gods show no mercy. Cadmus, who is Dionysus' grandfather as well as Pentheus', says it best--Pentheus had to be punished, but the punishment fell to the whole family, and that was a bit over the top. Dionysus was not known for his sense of proportion--afterall, he is the god of wine and enjoyment, but he was not an easy going god--do not piss him off.

[Fabiola Fulco Salazar · Rating 4 out of 5]

Aunque Eurípides se está convirtiendo en mi tragediógrafo menos querido (por esos finales tan inesperados y fuera de lugar), debo decir que me encantó esta tragedia. Es una historia brutal, primitiva, intensa; las Bacantes se presentan como verdaderos demonios, como la real representación de las emociones desbordadas. Puede que una de las pocas donde se vea tan poco decoro e inhibición en cuanto a personajes y acciones.

De la forma que sea, es una tragedia que hay que leer porque posee uno de los mejores coros -mi favorito, debo admitir- y escenas verdaderamente maravillosas como el descuartizamiento de Penteo (que fue mi episodio favorito y removió muchas cosas dentro de mí) y el incomparable episodio donde Ágave se percata de lo que ha hecho con su hijo.

¿Qué buscaba demostrar con ella Eurípides? No termina de quedarme claro. Solo puedo pensar que el mensaje se remite a la facilidad que tenemos de entregarnos a la locura y qué tipo de consecuencias puede tener esta; incluso podría obligarnos a reflexionar dónde reside la sensatez del ser humano: en la perpetuación de la tradición, en las leyes, en los dirigentes o en nosotros, en nuestra ética y lo que sentimos que es correcto.

[Mr. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Euripedes is one of the greatest dramatists in the history of the west, and the Bacchae is one of his most powerful and violent tragedies. It is the tale of Dionysus, the Greek god of wine and intoxication, and of his betrayal on earth by Pentheus, the disbeliever. Despite the apparent revenge play that unfolds, the content and meaning of the work is not as clear as it seems. As the chorus declares: "The gods have many shapes. The gods bring many things to their accomplishment. And what was most expected has not been accomplished. But god has found his way for what man expected." It is Dionysus that suffers in the form of Pentheus. Dinoysus is the god of suffering, of excrement and moisture. The Bacchae is a major work of tragedy, and it established a lasting cult of Dionysus in the west, all the way up to Nietzsche and the Birth of Tragedy.

[Patrick · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really like Dionysus so I was excited to read this. I guess what I took from the play was that there is good and bad in everything. The god of wine brings us happiness, dancing, drunkeness,and nature. But he can also be terrible as we all know of the addicts and the violence alcohol brings out in some, these too would be the responsibility of this god Dionysus.

[Ben · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought it was a quite interesting read, and really interesting to think about what the modern parallels would be. Like what would happen if someone walked up to you and said something along the lines of "Yo, I'm the Christ." What would you do?

[KhepiAri · Rating 5 out of 5]

So there was this acute desire to buy myself something special with my first salary. Clothes I don't buy, I steal. Shoes, I practically detest and stick to three pair rule. Bags, people gift me. Food, I spend on it all the time.

So book it is! So I ended buying something classic, something new as well but something different.

I have heard the story of The Bacchae in my Classical Literature lecture. I have read the play out of love for Greek Mythology. I have read about the cult of Maenads. Read about them in The Sandman as well. Bacchae is also the chorus of women who prayed to Dionysus during the Dionysus festival.

Here its abridged prose, and does away with the chorus which presents the happy god of wine. It begins with the vengeful Dionysus and ends with his wrath. Is filled with illustrations that is inspired from the Greek Poetry and Urn design. I mean look at the art! Just look!

The story boils down to rationalism (through Pentheus) versus instinct (through Bacchus). One shouldn't suppress instincts, because when it overflows, it creates chaos. When mediation and pious routine life fails to gain a path of Spirituality, it becomes accessible through madness and chaos.

Or as I read it, never make your kingdom a dry state, bootlegging and public anger will kill you and your own drunk mother will rip you limb by limb.

The Bacchae is one of the greatest tragedies of all time. This book maintains it's authenticity.