Euripides was one of the most controversial of the Greek tragedians, whose ideas and themes were often modern in the context of their time. The Bacchae was one of his last works, depicting the savagery of the insulted God Dionysus as he seeks revenge upon the non-believer Pentheus. By casting the women of Hellas under something of a spell, they join him and become his worshipers, for the most part acting as gentle and pure Maenads on the mountain. However, once provoked, the Maenads descend into unruly barbarism. As a result, the play descends into a dark triumph of such barbarism over the reason of humanity depicted in Pentheus during the beginning of the play.
The play itself studies religious skepticism regarding the Greek religions, along with the behavior and expectations of women within Greek society. As a result, the play is wholly fascinating, if at times repulsive. The tragedy not only captivates from the beginning, but in the short space becomes so wholly real that the ending stays with the watcher long after the end has been reached.
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