Description
Written by Euripides at the end of the 5th century while in exile in Macedonia, The Bacchae is one of the most dramatic and troubling of all Greek tragedies. It tells of how the god Dionysus introduces his religion into Greece – and of the terrifying consequences suffered by any who oppose him.
This collection of seven essays by some of Britain’s foremost academics examines different aspects of the play, its historical, socio-political and dramatic context, and the issues which it raises.
The book is not only an ideal introduction to The Bacchae but an excellent overview of reactions to the play at the beginning of the 21st century.
Contributors
Sir Kenneth Dover – A Versatile God
Carmel McCallum Barry – Vox Populi, Vox Dei
David Raeburn – Bacchae: The Revelation of Dionysus
Alan Sommerstein – What Ought the Thebans to Have Done?
Richard Seaford – Individualism, the Community and the Lost Words of Dionysus
Pat Easterling – Putting Together the Pieces: A Passage in The Bacchae
Alex Garvie – The Paradox of The Bacchae
