It can be said that under the influence of the wine god, Agaue would not have attacked Pentheus. Since it is she who betrays her own son and kills him, we see that she is sick. So much like an animal with rabies, she cannot hear he son’s pleas for his life. Under the control of Dionysus, her sense are gone and no longer is she Pentheus’ mother than a wild animal on a killing spree. “not by strength but by ease of hand that was the gift of the god.” This quote also tells us that she does not have the power over her own actions at this point. It is Dionysus himself that is doing this deed with his own power.
Relating this to Greek culture, we see uncivilized behavior from Agave who is under the spell of Dionysus. This goes to show us that Dionysus is not acting godlike at all but rather using his powers to take advantage and seek revenge on the people.
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
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I agree with Alexandra on this one. It wasn't at all a fault of Agaue that she butchered her son. Yet, portraying women in this way only helped generalize the stereotype that was given to women of ancient Greece.
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