How we cite our quotes: Citations follow this format: (Line). Every time a character talks counts as one line, even if what they say turns into a long monologue. We used Paul Roche's translation.
Quote #4
Herdsman:
"Oh sir, I've seen the raving ladies--
those who streamed out from their homes stung mad,
their white limbs flashing." (117)
What is sanity? What is madness? What's the difference between the two? When we read The Bacchae we really start to question.
Quote #5
Pentheus:
"So,
like a wildfire it already hurries here,
outrageously, this mass hysteria,
disgracing us before the whole of Thebes." (121)
By trying to repress the madness of Dionysus's rituals, Pentheus has allowed the entire land to erupt with hysteria. Once again we see demonstrated in the play the dangers of totally suppressing rationality. If you try to bury that part of the human mind it all might just explode in your face.
Quote #6
Dionysus:
"Sane, he [Pentheus] will never consent
to put women's clothing on,
but once deranged he will." (119)
This seem a little inconsistent to us. Dionysus says this after Pentheus has already left the stage to dress like a woman. Does this mean that the god already put the spell of Pentheus before he left, or is it a glitch in the logic of the script?