Euripides

Dionysus, disguised as a mortal, arrives in Thebes to establish his worship and avenge his mother Semele. He recounts his journey from Asia, the reasons for his wrath against the Theban women, and his plan to prove his divinity to King Pentheus.

Medea delivers a powerful indictment of the social and domestic constraints placed upon women in her society. Her objective is to garner sympathy and solidarity from the women of Corinth by highlighting the vulnerability and lack of agency inherent in marriage and exile.

Agamemnon grapples with the agonizing decision to sacrifice his daughter, Iphigenia, to appease the gods and ensure military victory. He expresses profound despair over the burden of leadership and the impossible choice between his duty as a king and his love as a father. The emotional stakes are life and death, centered on the betrayal of his family for political and divine necessity.

Two elderly men, Teiresias and Cadmus, prepare to join the Bacchic revels. Despite their age, they are enthusiastic about honoring Dionysus and express a renewed sense of youth and vitality as they embark on their journey to the mountain.

Cassandra, the cursed prophetess, addresses her mother Hecuba while brandishing a torch. She foretells that her impending forced marriage to Agamemnon will lead to his total destruction and the ultimate vengeance for Troy.

Pentheus, the young king of Thebes, expresses his outrage at the Bacchic rituals sweeping his city, led by a mysterious stranger. He confronts the elderly prophet Tiresias, who has embraced the new god Dionysus, accusing him of profiting from the new religion and dismissing its legitimacy.