The Chorus Character Analysis in The Bacchae

The chorus is a group of Bacchae that Dionysus accumulated during his journeying through Asia. They don’t get involved in the action, but serve as a way of heightening the drama. For example, they invoke the “hounds of madness” in anticipation of Pentheus’ murder. In general, the chorus acts as a kind of commentary in the action—but in this case, they’re undoubtedly biased towards Dionysus.

The Chorus Quotes in The Bacchae

The The Bacchae quotes below are all either spoken by The Chorus or refer to The Chorus. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:

Disguise, Deception, and Identity Theme Icon

). Note: all page numbers and citation info for the quotes below refer to the Ecco edition of The Bacchae published in 2015.

Blessèd are those who know the mysteries of the god.
Blessèd are those who consecrate their lives to worship.
Blessèd are those who give themselves up to the dance,
to the mysteries, to purification on the holy mountain
where the dance and the mysteries take place.

Related Characters: (speaker),

Page Number and Citation: Lines 72-76

Explanation and Analysis:

CHORUS
Look: the stone lintels gape from their columns!
The Roaring One is pulling down the palace from inside!

DIONYSUS
Spark the lightning bolt!
Let the flames feed on the house of Pentheus!

Related Characters: (speaker), (speaker),

Related Symbols:

Page Number and Citation: Lines 591-594

Explanation and Analysis:

The gods take many shapes,
accomplish many things beyond our expectations.
What we look for does not happen;
what we least expect is fashioned by the gods.
And that is what has happened here today.

Related Characters: (speaker),

Page Number and Citation: Lines 1388-1392

Explanation and Analysis:

The Chorus Character Timeline in The Bacchae

The timeline below shows where the character The Chorus appears in The Bacchae. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.

The chorus sings Dionysus’ praises, charting their journey from Asia to Greece. They say those who give... (full context)

...Dionysus so he can make money on the side from burnt offerings and prophecies. The chorus accuses Pentheus of “blasphemy.” (full context)

...respects to the god, and Tiresias predicts that Pentheus’ actions will “end in folly.” The chorus sings further praises of Dionysus, warning that “over-reaching mortals simply shorten their lives.” (full context)

The chorus sings about Dionysus’ birth and Pentheus’ betrayal of his origins. The singers call on Dionysus... (full context)

Dionysus calls to the chorus and his other followers from within the palace. He brings about a great earthquake to... (full context)

Dionysus explains to the chorus how he escaped from the palace. Apparently, he had deceived Pentheus throughout their interaction. Pentheus... (full context)

The leader of the chorus tells Pentheus that there is no god greater than Dionysus. Pentheus tells his servant to... (full context)

...the palace to think about what he should do. Dionysus makes it clear to the chorus that he intends to drive Pentheus mad and embarrass him. Then, Pentheus will “finally know... (full context)

The chorus sings about gods and honor: “the greatest gift of the gods is honor: to reach... (full context)

The chorus invokes the “hounds of madness” to run to the mountains and send the Bacchae into... (full context)

The second messenger arrives, bearing “mournful” news—Pentheus is dead. The leader of the chorus celebrates. When chastised by the messenger, the chorus leader says: “I am no Greek, and... (full context)

The chorus celebrates what’s happened to Pentheus. Agave enters, carrying her thyrsus with the head of Pentheus... (full context)

...dishonoring the god. They bid farewell to each other and leave in different directions. The chorus closes the play: “what we look for does not come to pass; what we least... (full context)