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The second messenger arrives near the end of the play to bring news of Pentheus’ grisly death at the hands of his mother, Agave, who is one of the Bacchae. The second messenger delivers his “lesson” before departing, declaring that “moderation and reverence for the gods are a mortal’s best possession.”
The Second Messenger Quotes in The Bacchae
The The Bacchae quotes below are all either spoken by The Second Messenger or refer to The Second Messenger. 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:
).
Lines 1023 - 1392 Quotes
His own mother,
like a priestess with her sacrifice, fell on him first.
But he snatched off his headdress and wig
so she could see who he was.
He reached out his hand to touch her cheek
and cried out: "Mother! Mother! Look!
It's me, Pentheus, Your own son!
The son you bore to Echion!
Spare me, Mother, I beg You!
I have done wrong, Perhaps,
but you cannot kill your own son!"
But Agave's eyes were rolling,
and her mouth filling with foam.
In the grip of the god and the god's frenzy,
it was as if she couldn't see him, couldn't hear.
Grabbing his left hand at the wrist,
she planted her foot against his flank and wrenched,
pulling his arm straight out of his shoulder—
not with her own strength but the strength of the god.
Related Characters:
Related Themes:
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Explanation and Analysis:
Soon after Dionysus and Pentheus depart to see the Bacchae, Euripides uses the sudden arrival of a messenger once again, this time forcing the audience to actively imagine Pentheus’ violent death rather than perform it on stage. This quote is important for many reasons. Firstly, it demonstrates the extent to which Agave has given herself—or been forced to give her self—to the way of the Bacchae. She is so firmly entrenched in Dionysian ritual that she can’t recognize her own son, who should be the clearest reminder of her normal life. She is “like a priestess” because she is leading Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis
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The Second Messenger Character Timeline in The Bacchae
The timeline below shows where the character The Second Messenger appears in The Bacchae. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Lines 1023 - 1392
The second messenger arrives, bearing “mournful” news—Pentheus is dead. The leader of the chorus celebrates. When chastised by...
(full context)
The second messenger recounts what happened to Pentheus. He went with Pentheus and Dionysus to Mt. Cithaeron. They...
(full context)
Pentheus wanted to get a closer look, continues the second messenger , and asked Dionysus if it would be a good idea to climb up a...
(full context)
The Bacchae then spotted Pentheus at the top of the tree. The second messenger relates how the voice of Dionysus came from the sky and told the “Bacchae” that...
(full context)
...of the ground, sending Pentheus crashing to the floor. Agave pounced on him, continues the second messenger . Pentheus took off his wig and headdress and cried out, “Mother! Mother! It’s Me,...
(full context)
Agave picked up Pentheus’ head and mounted it on the top of her thyrsus. The second messenger says he heard her calling out to Dionysus, her “fellow huntsman” and “companion in the...
(full context)
