Manipulation, are there forces strong enough change a person in such a way that they might even forget about the people that they love? Well, in modern society this question has been answered in many different ways. In our everyday lives we hear about drugs manipulating people to the point of nearly insanity. Another great example is religion. Although it might not drive people to the point of insanity, it can definitely manipulate anyone who strongly abides by their religion's beliefs to the point that all of their views have been altered in order to accommodate this particular religious system. Modern day society is not the only place where manipulation has taken place. After reading Euripides's Bacchae, although not all in the same form, I noticed more than one occasion where manipulation took place throughout the play. In my opinion, there has always been some kind of higher force containing the power to change people's views toward anything.
In the beginning of the story there is a classic example, Dionysus uses his powers, as a god, to somehow manipulate all of the women in this town of Thebes to go out in to the mountains. They have been given the impression that all of the creatures that enter these mountains are wild beasts and must be torn limb from limb. Of course this is fictional but it still resembles Greek lifestyle throughout the B.C.E. Relating to religion, this example from the text proves how gods had the strength to do whatever they wished, whether it be good or bad. Being gods, people felt like they had no say in what was happening or, as in the play, couldn't realize it until it was too late. .
Later in the text there is another instance where manipulation takes place. This instance may also be viewed as trickery. The king of the town, Pentheus, feels as though it is his place to go into these mountains to somehow stop this madness. Dionysus comes back to this town disguised as a normal person and advises Pentheus to go in to the mountains dressed as a woman giving him the confidence that there is no way that this plan can go wrong.
