Untitled - Memorial University of Newfoundland

minute of his speech, he utters the word "order" five times. He wants Dion ysos and
the wome n "hunted down . Chained and caged behind bars of iron" (27) . He uses
political terms suc h as "campaigning to secure our national frontiers;" "state polici es ;"
"stamp of approval from the bead of state;" "break:the last barriers of restraint." He
wan ts to call in "heavy -armoured infantry;" troops of the cavalry" and order "a state
of emergency ." In his interrogatio n of Dion ysos, the latter says:
DIONYSOS : Will you reduce it all to a court
Of enquity? A fact-finding commissioo.such as
One might set up to decide the cause
Of a revolt in your salt-mines . or a slave uprisin g?
These matters are beyon d the routine machinery of state (41) .
Although Soyinka makes Dionysos' words relevant to the context of the play , he also
mirrors the contem porary Nigerian situation . one to which he himself was subject
between1965 and 1969; be waJ tried in a court of enquiry, released. and later.
bunted. chained and locked up behind bars . 42
Soyinka transforms the typical blood -thirsty politician into a ready and
prepared sacrifice. Unlike Euripides . who takes Penthcus off stage to dress him up as
a Bacchante, Soyinb makesthe tta.nsitioo. fro m King to scapegoatin the presence of
the community on stage and the audience . Dionysos , like a stage director, takes
Pentheus through the rehearsal.for the ritual performance. Having agreed to act the
part, Dionysos dresses him in what he thinks is his royal armour but in reality it is a
female Bacdtic costume. Although thed.ramati.zarioo of this scene is comi cal, it is also
pathetic and hasrelevance to ritual performances. The transformed, dressed-up
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