Discerning and Turning the Tides
Are there ever moments in a civilization when it is
necessary to take a step back before advancing with all vigor? In his address to his troops, Agamemnon
teases their minds with thoughts of home and family, telling them that after
these many years of fruitless efforts against an inferior enemy, maybe it was
time to go back home. In so doing, the
spirit and morale of the army is revealed as the congregation swells and
retreats to the ships. The tides are then
turned by Ulysses, who sparks in them the emotions that only a love of God (or
Gods in this case) and country can give.
Was Agamemnon’s speech intentional and was retreat his ultimate desire? Not
only did his speech “prove the spirit of the army,” but it provoked thought. What
if we give up? What if
we turn back? The son of Atreus must have had full confidence in his Elders “to
restore their courage,” knowing that they could convince the multitudes to suit
up and to ready themselves for battle. I
believe that his speech implicitly mobilized the troops into attack mode by
helping them see all the options, and then to buy into the idea of a resurgence
whole-heartedly. Agamemnon effectively empowers
his troops and wins their hearts by using this creative form of logos.
-Kelly Bickham
Kelly you make a good point about the plan of Agamemnon, I hadn't considered his place too much. I shall need to read about him again. One question I have though is if Agamemnon's success was dependent on Ulysses doing what he did? After all Ulysses only started talking that way after he was visited by a goddess. Would it all have unraveled without that divine intervention?
ReplyDeleteI had never considered that Agamemnon's speech in which he basically tells his army to give up, could be intended to do the opposite. It's an interesting thought & considering at the time he was convinced by the false dream to continue, it may have merit.
ReplyDeleteKelly, I agree with your thoughts. With them in mind, I wonder how often we fall into this same idea or even trap. How often are we asked questions, or proposed opportunities placed before us in ways that we do not fully comprehend and as a result choose to do the opposite when in reality that was the intended outcome. Its a scary thought in some sense. To think that man can be manipulated (a kinder word would be persuaded) into doing something. Often times, to get a people to act, the pendulum must be swung to extremes. Just like Agamemnon does here, he proposes to head for home (a big pendulum swing in one direction) but with the help of Ulysses the exact opposite is the final outcome (pendulum swing to the other extreme). Thanks for your thoughts!
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