recognize her son and tears him apart, limb from limb.

Julian Morrow’s classics group refer to The Bacchae during a tutorial. Richard secretly feels “uneasy” about the play’s “violence and savagery.” The rest of the group, however, are gripped by the description of a ritual where the civilized self gives way to a primitive state of being. As a result, Henry becomes obsessed with the idea of recreating a Dionysian ritual. Pentheus’s violent death is echoed in The Secret History when Henry mutilates a farmer in the throes of a Dionysian ecstasy. The murder leads to further senseless violence when Henry goes on to kill Bunny.

Why does Henry kill himself?

Henry’s reasons for shooting himself are never explained. Nevertheless, the author hints at some reasons for his actions.

Throughout the novel, Henry maintains close control over events and the actions of his friends. Once Bunny’s body is discovered, however, Henry begins to lose this godlike control. Faced with questioning by the police and FBI, he finds he is unable to fool them. He also begins to lose control over the behavior of the group as guilt takes its toll. As Richard, Francis and Charles become increasingly agitated, they begin to question the authority of Henry’s leadership. The final straw for Henry is when his mentor, Julian Morrow, betrays him. By abandoning the group, Julian makes a mockery of all the high-minded ideals he has taught his pupils.

As his life falls apart, Henry sees an opportunity to die in a way that is true to his ideals. In his eyes, shooting himself is a noble act, consistent with his love of aesthetics and Greek tragedy. This is indicated by Henry’s triumphant expression when he pulls the trigger. Observing this, Richard concludes that his suicide was inspired by Julian Morrow’s motto, “Duty, piety, loyalty, sacrifice.”

Significantly, Henry clings on to life for twelve hours after shooting himself. This causes Richard to wonder if he changed his mind about wanting to die for his ideals.

What is the meaning of Richard’s dream at the end of the novel?

In Richard’s dream, he is wandering through a futuristic metropolis and goes into a museum. Here he sees a machine which creates images of ancient buildings. When Henry appears at his side with a gunshot wound in his temple, Richard tells Henry that everyone thinks he is dead. Henry denies being dead but says he is having trouble with his passport and cannot travel freely. After revealing that he is not really happy in his new surroundings, Henry excuses himself saying he is late for an appointment.

The mysterious location of Richard’s dream suggests that Henry is in a kind of limbo between the ancient Greek civilizations that he loved and the future. On one level, Henry’s appearance suggests that he has transcended death and attained a godlike status. This interpretation is consistent with the idea that Henry was transformed by the power of bacchanalian ritual.

Another interpretation of the dream is that it demonstrates Henry’s powerful grip on Richard’s imagination—even after death. Although Richard disapproved of many of Henry’s actions, he inexplicably still loves him and misses him. Henry’s powerful charisma also seems to retain its hold on Francis, who sees Henry as a “ghost.”

Henry’s elusive nature is reflected in his refusal to divulge where he is in the dream, and his claim that he has an “appointment.” Throughout the novel, he is a mysterious and secretive figure (symbolized in his padlocked bedroom closet). Richard remains intrigued by Henry, as he is a mystery which will never be solved.

Henry’s admission that he is not happy in the dream, and cannot travel freely, is also significant. It suggests that his relentless pursuit of aesthetics and beauty has not achieved the result he desired.