The Bacchae
Euripides wrote the most terrifying play about what happens when a society represses the irrational.
“Dionysus: I am Dionysus, the son of Zeus, come back to Thebes, this land where I was born.”
Why It Matters
Euripides wrote the most terrifying play about what happens when a society represses the irrational. Dionysus arrives in Thebes, and the king who tries to ban him is literally torn apart by his own mother. It is the ultimate cautionary tale about the cost of denying the chaotic, primal forces in human nature.
The 
Take
Personal reviewFun little play about Dionysus brainwashing everyone and having the mother of the kings and a bunch of other ladies tear him to pieces, all because they don’t acknowledge the god of partying. Gotta love he got pentheus to dress up as a lady
Notable Quotes
“Cleverness is not wisdom. And not to think mortal thoughts is to see few days.”
“Do you want to see them sitting together on the mountainside? PENTHEUS: I'd give a lot of gold to see that sight.”