The Bacchae

The Bacchae Summary | Prologue Summary

Dionysus, son of the god, Zeus, and the mortal, Semele, is at the palace of Pentheus, King of Thebes. Dionysus addresses the audience to announce himself and his reason for coming. He has taken the form of a human leader of the Dionysian cult, so that he may punish those of Thebes who do not worship him as a god. He also intends by this to vindicate his mother, Semele.

When Zeus had his affair with Semele, Hera found out and caused Semele to question whether the one she loved was really Zeus. Semele secured a promise from Zeus to grant her any wish, and her wish was that he reveal himself as a god. The lightening flash from his god-self destroyed Semele. Zeus took Dionysus from her womb and sewed the unborn Dionysus into his own thigh until the baby was full term. To this day, smoke still rises from the site of Semele's death, and is visible from Thebes.

Although Semele's father, Cadmus, honors her burial site, no one in Thebes honors her or her son by believing that Zeus is Dionysus' father. This is why he has come to teach the whole city a lesson. Dionysus has already caused madness to confuse the women of Thebes, starting with his aunts. They are outside the city now, dressed in the manner of his cult. Dionysus threatens to use these women, his bacchants, to fight any who would try to remove them from the mountain by military force.

One of these women is Agave, the mother of Pentheus. Pentheus, besides being king, is Dionysus' cousin. Pentheus does not know Dionysus and does not believe him to be the son of Zeus. Therefore, he has left Dionysus out of his prayers and worship. Because of this, Dionysus has come to reveal himself to all of Thebes. He has brought a chorus of believers with him.