著者

西村 賀子

出版者

日本西洋古典学会

雑誌

西洋古典学研究 (ISSN:04479114)

巻号頁・発行日

vol.33, pp.9-18, 1985

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The Bacchae is Euripides' tragic masterpiece based on the long tradition of Dionysiac plays. As is well known, the poet never fails to add his own original elements even when he treats a traditional subject. In the Bacchae such an innovation can be recognized in what is often called the Cadmus-Teiresias-scene in the first episode. It is almost certain that Euripides was the first to add the two old men. He combined the new element to enhance the tragedy; he made it indispensable to the development of the main plot by making effective use of parallel sequences and words. The purpose of this paper is to analyse Euripides' dramatic technique by examining these parallel relationships. First as to the parallel sequences, it is quite usual in drama for some motifs in the first scene to be repeated in later ones, but in the fourth episode of the Bacchae we find a whole concentration of recurrences. This episode shares the same motifs and emotional tone as the first one. Two characters, Cadmus and Teiresias in the first scene, and Pentheus and the Stranger in the fourth one, walk to Mt. Cithaeron in Bacchic dress. Both pairs have the same kind of attitudes and their dialogues have something in common. In addition, the magic of the god has great influence upon both pairs; the old men are filled with a mysterious strength and exaltation. On the other hand Pentheus feels supernatural power in his body. The emotional tone pervading both scenes is the indissoluble blending of the tragic and the comic. In all of these ways, from the viewpoint of motifs and emotional tone the fourth episode is parallel to the first one. But at the same time the relation is completely reversed when we consider who is laughing at whom. In the first scene it is Pentheus who sneers at the god, the old proselytes, and Dionysus' birth myth. He is afraid of becoming the laughingstock of Thebes; nevertheless, in the fourth episode he in turn is mocked by Dionysus. Thus both scenes are placed in symmetrical opposition. Secondly we should discuss the parallel use of words, in particular in the god's birth myth which Teiresias explains. The core of the myth lies in the story that Zeus concealed Dionysus within his thigh. The verb "conceal" appears many times in the Bacchae and constitutes an important motif. Hiding always occurs just before the miracles showing the absolute force of Dionysus. The motif of concealment is closely related with the final epiphany of the god, which brings a miserable destruction to his oponent. Therefore concealment and epiphany compose a paired motif. On the other hand this paired motif is parallel to another, the god's double birth and the antagonist's double death. It is clear from the context that Dionysus was born twice, but it may be necessary to explain in what sense Pentheus experiences double death. When he reappears on stage at v. 918, he is wearing Bacchic dress instead of the armour he called for in the preceding scene. He is suffering from Dionysiac delusions and has lost normal consciousness. In this sense his first death is mental, whereas the second one is physical, executed by his own mother. Seen against the background of these parallel motifs, Teiresias' words describing the birth of the god have a deeper meaning. They express not only Dionysus' birth but also give a hint of the coming destruction of Pentheus and his family in the last scene. V. 290 predicts the king's falling to his death from a high tree and the exile of Cadmus and Agave from their homeland. And v. 292 suggests that Pentheus will be torn to pieces.