In the Bacchae, what king's first threat to the god Dionysus ends with him beheaded at the end of the play?
Answer and explanation
Correct answer: A. Pentheus
- Step 1: Likewise, in the Bacchae, Pentheus's first threat to the god Dionysus is that if Pentheus catches him in his city, he will 'chop off his head', whereas it is Pentheus who is beheaded at the end of the play. Answer: Pentheus. Why not the others: "Creon" was Pentheus's uncle who later ruled Thebes in the Oedipus tragedy cycle; "Laius" was the father of Oedipus killed at a crossroads in Phocis according to the oracle; "Cadmus" was the founder of Thebes and grandfather of Pentheus who accepts Dionysus's divinity.
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