I do have to say, the more i read about agamemnon, the more my thoughts about him just constantly change. Part of me wants to think he really is a great person and wants honor, but then again, the way in which he tries to reach his goal of wanting honor isn't always the best way, when we speak morally. When Agamemnon is willing to sacrifice his own for the glory of honor , i think he takes it to far. But then i do agree to a point that he does this because he will lose his own child in order to gain more lives. In war, a man can kill one to save many. Sacrifice one in order to gain honor for his own country. It's the same with agamemnon. I believe he is put in a very hard place where he has to make very hard decisions. Your family versus your own men, country. That is very difficult. Who in his right mind would sacrifice his family? It really goes both ways though because being willing to sacrifice is something that honor sometimes may ask of us, but i believe there is a fine line between willing to sacrifice and just wanting self-glory and honor and a right way to discern the two.
p.s. I commented on alanamills post
There's definitely a bigger picture regardig this post. So often in literature we see a blur between good and evil, a gray smudge in the black and white drawing of the lives of men. Murder is wrong, especially that of a minor, but if it is to save hundreds more which is truly wrong? I think you're right in that justice is determined by our motives. To save a man's life just to betray and rob him I think we can both agree is wrong. Personally, I think we should use Jesus and the teachings of the Bible as the standard of justice, but that's just me.
ReplyDeleteWherein does true heroism lie? We say the man who allows his son to be run over by a train so as not to derail the whole train and kill hundreds of people is a terrible hero, but then we say people who sacrifice their children for what they believe is God's will are monsters. We love Abraham, but hate Agamemnon. Yes we know the difference between the only God and all the fake ones, but if someone truly believes that their God is real, is that a valid argument?
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