Hanna, Simon, 9
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McMaster University *
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2D03
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Arts Humanities
Date
Feb 20, 2024
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Uploaded by AgentDoveMaster418
Seminar 9 Worksheet: Euripides’
Bacchae
The goal of the seminar worksheets is to allow students to reflect and expand on concepts about
Greco-Roman mythology, while practicing writing skills and the ability to analyze and think
critically about a primary source. It is also an opportunity for students to demonstrate their
engagement with the course materials and their understanding of the course content for that
week.
In crafting your responses, you should draw upon lecture materials, seminar material and the
primary source readings for the week. You may also draw upon knowledge gained from other
courses, your own personal experiences and your own knowledge.
Please be sure to cite any
direct quotations or paraphrased information from the primary sources,
that you use in
your responses. Information about citations can be found under the Assignments tab in Contents.
During Week 10, we looked Dionysus and the
Bacchae
by Euripides.
Below are 4 questions
which deal with these topics. Please answer
one (1)
of the three (3) questions. If you choose to
answer all three (3) only the first will be marked.
Be sure to answer all part of the question
you choose.
_____________________________________________________________________________
1.
How would you describe the Dionysus seen in the
Bacchae
? What sort of God is he and
what are his attributes/characteristics? Why has he returned to Thebes? What is his
‘goal’?
The Dionysus seen in the
Bacchae
is represented as a two-sided deity. One side of him is
vengeful and brutal. The other side is represented with ecstasy and joyful celebrations. In
The Bacchae,
Dionysus returns to Thebes to assert his divine identity and demand
recognition and worship as a god. He seeks revenge against the city for denying his
divine parentage, as he is the son of Zeus and the mortal Semele. This prompts his return
to demonstrate his power for those who deserve punishment for doubting him. His
ultimate goal is to get respect from the people of Thebes and put fear into those who
oppose him. “I have come here, the first Greek city that I’ve entered, only after I started
the dances in those other places and established my rites of worship there, so that I would
be clearly revealed to everyone on earth for what I truly am – a god (Euripides,
Euripides, Bacchae
, 19-22). There is also vivid imagery associated with Dionysus’
presence, “
The earth is flowing with milk, it’s flowing all around with wine, and everywhere I
look I can see the nectar of bees. (Euripides,
Euripides, Bacchae,
141-143). This emphasizes
the god’s influence over nature and his mood surrounding his arrival in Thebes.
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