Who was Pentheus? Why was he doomed by Dionysus? What fate did he suffer?

Pentheus was the king of Thebes. When he took the throne, he banned the worship of Dionysus, the god of wine and revelry. In doing this, Pentheus incited the anger of the Bacchae, the women who worshipped Dionysus (Bacchus).

Dionysus and Pentheus were cousins. Dionysus lured Pentheus into the forest to spy on the women who were engaging in forbidden worship. The women, including Pentheus's own mother, thought that Pentheus was a wild animal and tore him into pieces.