No one knows your story. No one sees the bedsores that your bedraggled psyche nurses. Anyone can form opinions based on the bits they see, but none will truly understand unless a few criteria are met. The criteria for understanding are painfully simple, and so often ignored. They must have had similar experiences, been by your side through your tribulations, or heard details of your story from a reputable source- preferably, your own mouth. There must be other requirements, but few as important as these.
It is an unfortunate trait of humanity that lives are judged and sentenced without trials. Orders are given on how each life should be lived by people who have no idea why these lives have become what they are. Men and women facing woes of all magnitudes are clawed and marred by those who have no knowledge of their conception. Each man's sorrow or success is an intricate temporal design that he has knocked into place with every sigh, touch and footstep. Were you there when his pillow was drenched in tears? Who made you judge, jury and executioner?
In Iphigenia, Jean Racine's telling of King Agamemnon's campaign against the Trojans, Achilles and Iphigenia are launched into a maelstrom by a similar misunderstanding. The gods require a substantial sacrifice if they are to provide wind for the sails of the Greek fleet. This sacrifice is to be the king's daughter, Iphigenia, who is meant to marry Achilles. To lure Iphigenia to the sacrificial altar, a doleful King Agamemnon crafts an elaborate ruse in which Achilles' love is brought into question and Iphigenia is convinced that she has agreed to marry a rogue. Naturally, this information is used to plot their demise.
The story of Iphigenia is a compendium of many elements of external judgement. Firstly, her life has been mapped and set on a fatal course without her knowledge. Her duty to family and country also demands that, should she discover the true purpose of this deceit, her ultimate choice is relegated to forsaking familial and patriotic duty or forsaking herself. Secondly, she very nearly walks away from the man she loves- a man who would possibly battle raging hordes for her in the dead of night- largely because of the advice of external entities. These entities judge him and inform her of the best course of action without regard for his true intentions, actions or emotions. To be quite honest, even she knows very little of them. Luckily, Achilles is able to clear himself and remind her of his love. Thirdly, the temporary rift that separates the couple becomes fodder for an enemy within their midst. This enemy masochistically wants Achilles for herself, and plots to destroy any union the two may share by turning the rift into a chasm. Tragedy and revelation will thwart these plans, but at this stage of the story that is yet to be seen.
Quite often, we are led to the sacrificial altar by the very people we trust to reserve judgement. Are we ever lucky enough to find such discerning people? Who have we judged when we, ourselves, were so wretchedly wanting? It would be cruel to say you are at fault to point out when a friend is running towards a fire. However, as a friend once asked me, what if the fire is good? What if it is a cleansing fire? What if your friend's soul is in need of a great conflagration to set itself right again after there has been so much wrong? It cannot hurt you to look at the whole painting before you try to advise the artist on what colours to use. It can, however, gradually tear the artist from humanity when everyone he meets criticizes a different splotch of paint on his canvas without even knowing what the picture was meant to be.
The Anger of Achilles, Jacques-Louis David, 1819
No comments:
Post a Comment