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| Bad timing... |
Thersites' arguments are completely valid, and his critique of King Agamemnon's actions are accurate. However, his delivery was mounted at the wrong time. I honestly don't know if there could've been a worse time to pipe up and deride the king with the intention of humiliating him. Remember Ulysses has just finished putting a stop to the fleeing and has already convinced everyone to stay. Everyone's minds are made up. That's when Thersites really decides to "lay it on thick" and openly and candidly ill-speak Agamemnon. What we see here is a lack of kairos. Had Thersites decided to criticize the king moments earlier when everyone was in favor of leaving, he might have gained support. He might have even solidified in the soldier's minds the foolishness of the fight and the necessity of returning home to their families. Instead of support, he is beaten until bloody and weeping, then all of his fellow Achæans mock him. In this case the timing and environment where more important than what was actually said.
First off, great picture! It goes well with your post. Second, you say that perhaps this would have been better timed if he had said it earlier, to which I ask what would have been the point of saying it earlier? There was no need to talk about going home because they were. I agree that it didn't have any effect on the people but what if that is because they didn't like who was delivering it rather than when it was being delivered?
ReplyDeleteImpressive insight on Thersites' poor timing! If he had been earlier to make his statement, it probably would have made Odysseus' task a lot more difficult to rally the soldiers for battle.
ReplyDeleteI agree that the timing was off for poor Thersites, but would also argue that it wasn't merely the timing. I think that he had no credibility since in the Greeks eyes beauty was a factor in credibility and respect. He was an outcast and therefore would never have been able to convince others who believed in the perfection of the body. So interesting insight but I think there was more to it.
ReplyDeleteThersites is an interesting character to think about, I agree that the place and timing was bad, and that Thersites himself wasn't the best instrument to translate any opposition towards the leadership. In fact, it seems to me like whoever is telling the story (Homer, or whoever would have been narrating the Epic thousands of years ago) might be addressing an audience who they don't want opposing an established hierarchy. I feel like rhetorical modes are being used in the work itself to ensure that the common man knows his place.
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