Drugged into Madness: The Illness of Dionysus

Dionysus, because he is the god of wine and debauchery, is often associated with drinking, dancing, and partying. The play, “The Bacchae,” exhibits him no differently. The general atmosphere of debauchery is described in the play by Dionysus stinging the women with “frenzy” and making them “crazed of mind.” (156) Moreover, the word “madness” repeats through the play. Teiresias pronounced “you [Pentheus] are mad, grievously mad, beyond the power of any drugs to cure, for you are drugged with madness.” (167) These words suggest the idea of being inflicted with an illness of madness that could have cure, but in the case of Pentheus he is so ill there is no cure for him. I found it interesting that he used the words “drugged with madness,” especially with Dionysus being the god of wine. Although alcohol is not normally considered a drug, it at the very least can have similar side effects to drugs. The idea that Pentheus could be drugged into a state of madness juxtaposes how the others ,including Teiresias, have been drinking wine and joining in the frenzy and craziness. The induced state of ecstasy created by Dionysus could be seen as an illness, as illustrated by the above example, and therefore should be able to be caught as if it were contagious. This idea is broached by Pentheus when he states, on page 168, “Take your hands off me! Go worship your Bacchus but do not wipe your madness off on me.” It begs the question can madness be passed off. Although Pentheus is not lured into the madness of Dionysus’ induced ecstasy by wine, he is by his curiosity. Dionysus gets Pentheus under his influence by inciting his curiosity to see the women on the mountain, which ultimately leads to his demise. Rather than wine Dionysus “drugs” Pentheus into the frenzy and madness by trickery.