tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25206081.post7003587548338038151..comments2024-02-05T04:09:55.009-08:00Comments on Maya's corner: The problem with Islamophobic politiciansMaya Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10877457709995369246noreply@blogger.comBlogger7125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25206081.post-27685130834724933452015-02-04T23:21:07.097-08:002015-02-04T23:21:07.097-08:00I am perhaps not precise to say that Antigone wish...I am perhaps not precise to say that Antigone wishes to rule. She wishes her father's bloodline to rule, and her current trouble is that only she (and her sister Ismene, who doesn't count) have survived from this bloodline. In the world of Sophocles, Laodamas and Thersander are never born. We do not know whether the instutition of <i>epiclerate</i> existed in Sophocles' Thebes, and if it did, whether Antigone would qualify for it. Even if it does, however, Antigone does not think of it, at least not until her last lament.Maya Mhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10877457709995369246noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25206081.post-27179969514799930302015-02-04T23:04:20.413-08:002015-02-04T23:04:20.413-08:00"...If she desires to rule, burying her broth..."...If she desires to rule, burying her brother is not the way to do it."<br />You presume that Antigone thinks rationally. Don't forget, however, that she is a religious fundamentalist and, as is usual with fundamentalists, not too intelligent. The mental processes of such people cannot be understood by attempting to identify with them and ascribing rational thoughts and motives to them; we'd better observe their deeds, listen to their words and try to draw conclusions.<br />In the beginning of the play, Antigone says numerous times that she is miserable and she doesn't mind dying. The reader may even suspect that she just wishes to get out of her misery and all her claimed sisterly love and religious piety is just an excuse to bring about her own death in a more glorious way than simple suicide.<br />When, however, Creon orders her execution, Antigone changes her tune. It seems now that she wants to live after all. More importantly, her former confidence that she is following the will of gods is gone. Why is she doubting that the gods are at her side? Because they are letting her perish. So maybe she from the beginning expected the gods to come to her rescue like the 6th Ranger Battalion - because she had followed their will. So, from her point of view, burying her brother and so fulfilling the will of gods may have been a "rational" way to earthly success.Maya Mhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10877457709995369246noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25206081.post-29259605113080084122015-02-04T22:43:07.676-08:002015-02-04T22:43:07.676-08:00According to Wikipedia, Creon is a descendant of C...According to Wikipedia, Creon is a descendant of Cadmus. So, even if not among the first 10 in the line to the throne, he can hardly be considered a commoner. He says of his nephews and himself, "I, being their nearest next of kin, took over the throne". So Antigone's attitude seems quite intriquing to me. If Creon's claim to leadership was based solely on his relation to Jocasta, then Antigone's misogyny could explain her contempt.<br />Reigning queens did not (to my knowledge) exist in ancient Greece, and were regarded as highly anomalous in its mythological counterpart. Thebes was, from Athenian viewpoint, an anomalous place, but not to such a degree to allow a woman to rule. So Antigone cannot rule openly, she can only defy the ruler until she is executed or his rule is disintegrated, or both.<br />The other opportunity you mentioned - to marry Haemon, to wait until he becomes king and to pull strings from behind - could be used by another person but not by Antigone. Despite the slavish love of Haemon to her, such a plan would require some patience, cunning and hypocrisy, qualities totally absent in Antigone. Moreover, she absolutely rejects Haemon. She says herself who she wants to lay with, and this is her brother.Maya Mhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10877457709995369246noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25206081.post-38227074777991566362015-02-04T17:26:18.384-08:002015-02-04T17:26:18.384-08:00Maya,
Don't worry about the "neoanalysts...Maya,<br /><br />Don't worry about the "neoanalysts and oral theorists being Unitarians" I just thought it was a funny thing to see written. Not a sentence you'd come across too often.<br /><br />I disagree with Ozob, I see no royal ambitions in Antigone. But, I must agree with you that she treats Creon as a commoner; because he is. Creon is not of royal blood. No other source calls him "king" he is always the regent. Plus if she desires to rule, burying her brother is not the way to do it. If she wanted to rule all she had to do is wait until the spiritual pollution (and plague) overran Thebes then denounce Creon as a bad king, defyer of Zeus' will, defiler of the corpses and the cause of the calamity. She could put her husband on the throne when Creon when to Delphi like Laius did. How knows maybe her uncle would have an accident on the way there too?<br /><br />BillAnonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11216523923707900157noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25206081.post-82521914460100243452015-02-04T13:44:05.672-08:002015-02-04T13:44:05.672-08:00I am reading your blog, but do not feel competent ...I am reading your blog, but do not feel competent to distinguish between neoanalysts and oral theorists :-).<br />I am also reading with interest the discussion on Antigone's anger at Hour 25. To me, the royal ambitions of Antigone seem quite transparent. Before line 40, she says, "That’s what people say the noble Creon has announced to you and me — I mean to me..." She sees Creon as an inferior commoner and paranoically thinks that his decree, a desperate attempt to save the city, is targeting specifically her.<br />Maya Mhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10877457709995369246noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25206081.post-87891682072482025132015-02-04T13:31:52.463-08:002015-02-04T13:31:52.463-08:00Thank you!
You are quite correct that the left and...Thank you!<br />You are quite correct that the left and (selectively) polite elites of Europe consider Islamophobia a crime. When you don't like someone's opinion and have no arguments to refute it, you resort to oppressing it by name-calling and sheer force.<br />That Islamophobic author had a point. Just see the recent events: Islamist savages killed a single Jordanian and Jordan immediately hanged two of theirs, while in France, 17 people were massacred and nobody intends to do anything about it. Americans must keep an eye on Europe, learn from our mistakes and grow a healthy dose of Islamophobia before it's too late.Maya Mhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10877457709995369246noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25206081.post-79820514438365290012015-02-04T10:59:28.659-08:002015-02-04T10:59:28.659-08:00Maya,
I haven't heard from you lately, so I c...Maya,<br /><br />I haven't heard from you lately, so I came looking. Wow! Lots of great thinking and writing lately. I wanted to discuss with you the word Islamophobe. <br /><br />This morning a friend told me that here daughter was reading a French book, set in 2022 with France under Muslim law. She said "It is very controversial and the author is accused of Islamophobia." I find that work "accused" rather telling as thought the left and polite society has deemed it a crime. "Phobia" does not mean hate, it means fear. People who are afraid need compassion not accusation. <br /><br />The other thing I find sadly ironic about the book it that is is set in the future. Was there ever a prophet we didn't try to stone to death?<br /><br />BillAnonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11216523923707900157noreply@blogger.com