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disfavor of a mediocre regime like the one which later condemned Socrates。 The Bacchae； however； is more than an expression of disillusionment with the failing democracy。 Its aim is precisely what Golding has declared to be his own： 〃to trace the defects of society back to the defects of human nature；〃 and so account for the failure of reason and the inevitable； blind ritual…hunt in which we seek to kill the 〃beast〃 within our own being。
4。 Quoted by E。 L。 Epstein in his 〃Notes on Lord of the Flies。〃 See below； p。 277。
5。 Ulysses （New York： The Modem Library； 1961）； p。34。
6。See Golding's remarks on these novels and Treasure Island in his review called 〃Islands；〃 Spectator； 204 （June 10； 1960）； 844…46。
7。Thus far； attempts to pare Golding and Conrad have been unsuccessful。 See Golding's remarks on Conrad （and Richard Hughes's High Wind in Jamaica） in the interview by James Keating on p。 194 in this volume。 See also William R。 Mueller's essay； p。 251。
The Bacchae is based on a legend of Dionysus wherein the god （a son of Zeus and the mortal Semele； daughter of Cadmus） descends upon Thebes in great wrath； determined to take revenge upon the young king； Pentheus； who has denied him recognition and prohibited his worship。 Dionysus wins as devotees the daughters of Cadmus and through his power of enchantment decrees that Agave； mother of Pentheus； shall lead the band in frenzied celebrations。 Pentheus bluntly opposes the god and tries by every means to preserve order against the rising tide of madness in his kingdom。 The folly of his proud resistance' is shown in the defeat of all that Pentheus represents： the bacchantes trample on his edicts and in wild marches through the land wreck everything in their path。 Thus prepared for his vengeance； Dionysus casts a spell over Pentheus。 With his judgment weakened and his identity obscured in the dress of a woman； the defeated prince sets out to spy upon the orgies。 In the excitement of their rituals the bacchantes live in illusion； and all that falls in their way undergoes a metamorphosis which brings it into accord with the natural images of their worship。 When Pentheus is seen he is taken for a lion9 and； led by Agave； the blind victims of the god tear him limb from limb。 The final humiliation of those who deny the godhead is to render them conscious of their crimes and to cast them out from their homeland as guilt…stricken exiles and wanderers upon the earth。
8。On several occasions Golding has stated that he has read deeply in Greek literature and history during the past twenty years。
For most modern readers the chief obstacle in the way of proper understanding of The Bacchae； and therefore Golding's use of it； is the popular notion that Dionysus is nothing more than a charming god of wine。 This image descends from 〃the Alexandrines； and above all the Romans… with their tidy functionalism and their cheerful obtuseness in all matters of the spirit…who departmentalized Dionysus as 'jolly Bacchus' 。 。 。 with his riotous crew of nymphs and satyrs。 As such he was taken over from the Romans by Renaissance painters and poets； and it was they in turn who shaped the image in which the modern world pictures him。〃 In reality the god was more important and 〃much more dangerous〃： he was 〃the principle of animal life 。 。 。 the hunted and the hunter…the unrestrained potency which man envies in the beasts and seeks to assimilate。〃 Thus the intention and chief effect of the bacchanal was 〃to liberate the instinctive life in man from the bondage imposed upon it by reason and social custom。 。。。〃 In his play Euripides also suggests 〃a further effect； a merging of the individual consciousness in a group consciousness' so that the participant is 〃at one not only with the Master of Life but his fellow…worshipers 。 。 。 and with the life of the earth。〃10 Dionysus was worshiped in various animal incarnations （snake； bull； lion； boar）； whatever form was appropriate to place； and all of these were incarnations of the impulses he evoked in his worshipers。 In The Bacchae a leader of the bacchanal summons him with the incantation； 〃O God； Beast； Mystery； e！〃 11 Agave's attack upon the lion〃 （her own son） conforms to the codes of Dionysic ritual： like other gods； this one is slain and devoured； his devotees sustained by his flesh and blood。 The terrible error of the bacchantes is a punishment brought upon the land by the lord of beasts： 〃To resist Dionysus is to repress the elemental in one's own nature； the punishment is the sudden collapse of the inward dykes when the elemental breaks through perforce and civilization vanishes。〃12
9。 In Ovid's Metamorphoses the bacchantes see Pentheus in the form of a boar。
10。 E。 R。 Dodds； Euripides Bacchae； Second Edition （Oxford： The Clarendon Press； 1960）； p。 xii and p。 xx。 Dodds also finds evidence that some Dionysian rites called for human sacrifice。
11。 From the verse translation by Gilbert Murray。
This same humiliation falls upon the innocents of Lord of the Flies。 In their childish pride they attempt to impose an order or pattern upon the vital chaos of their own nature； and so they mit the error and 〃sin〃 of Pentheus； the 〃man of many sorrows。〃 The penalties； as in the play； are bloodshed； guilt； utter defeat of reason。 Finally； they stand before the officer； 〃a semicircle of little boys； their bodies streaked with colored clay； sharp sticks in their hands。〃13 Facing that purblind mander （with his revolver and peaked cap）； Ralph cries 〃for the end of innocence； the darkness of man's heart〃 （186…87）； and the tribe of vicious hunters joins him in spontaneous choral lament But even Ralph could not trace the arc of their descent； could not explain why it's no go； why things are as they are； for in the course of events he was at times among the hunters； one of them； and he grieves in part for the appalling ambiguities he has discovered in his own nature。 He remembers those strange； interims of blindness and despair when a 〃shutter〃 clicked down over his mind and left him at the mercy of his own dark heart。 In Ralph's experience； then； the essence of the fable is spelled out： he suffers the dialectic we must all endure； and his failure to resolve it as we would wish demonstrates the limitations which have always plagued the species。
In the first hours on the island Ralph sports untroubled in the twilight of childhood and innocence； but after he sounds the conch he must confront the forces he has summoned to the granite platform beside the sunny lagoon。 During that first assembly he seems to arbitrate with the grace of a young god （his natural bearing is dignified； princely） and； for the time being； a balance is maintained。 The difficulties begin with the dream…revelation of the child distinguished by the birthmark。 The boy tells of a snakelike monster prowling the woods by night； and at this moment the seed of fear is planted。 Out of it will grow the mythic beast destined to bee lord of the island。 Rumors of his presence grow。 There is a plague of haunting dreams…the first symptom of the irrational fear which is 〃mankind's essential illness。〃
12。Dodds； p。xvi
13。 Lord of the Flies； p。 185。 All quotations are