Sophocles wrote Ajax about 2,500 years ago. The first thing that comes to mind when hearing the word Ajax was isn’t that a household cleaning product? Yes, it is but Ajax was also a mighty figure in Ancient Greek literature.
The play begins sometime after the Trojan War has ended. Ajax is angry that he was not given the armor of Achilles which was instead given to Odysseus. The two are portrayed as enemies. Ajax also is angered by Menelaus and Agamemnon. In his rage Ajax kills a bunch of animals. In shame for his actions Ajax kill’s himself. Menelaus and Agamemnon demand that Ajax be denied burial. Odysseus shower argues that he should be buried.
I found the second half of this play far more compelling than the first half. Particularly the rationale behind the actions of Agamemnon, Menelaus, and Odysseus. As Odysseus said “it is not righteousness to outrage, a brave man dead not even though thou hate him.”
Agamemnon and Menelaus are consumed by anger or hate and they allow that to dictate their actions. On the other hand Odysseus can see what is just even when it was concerning his greatest foe. Overall this was a descent play.
William Wilberforce has been called an agitator for his commitment to ending the slave trade. One of his well known speeches on the subject was given on May 12, 1789.
Cardinal Richelieu has been hailed as a great statesman and as a subversive authoritarian. Depending on who you talk to he was a man needed to strengthen the monarchy in France, or he was a tyrant seeking personal power. Next week I will have a book review that may shed more light on Cardinal Richelieu.
When Lenin was working on his major writing projects he would often pace across the room formulating the ideas that he would write down by saying them out loud. Once he had the idea for what he wanted to write he would often repeat the idea to Nadezhda Krupskaya, who would provide feedback. Once this process was complete he would then write the ideas down.
Here is an AI rendering of what that might have looked like when he was drafting What is to be Done.
This month this community will focus on political subversion. What is subversion? When is it justified? What is the interplay between subversion and agitation? These are some of the topics to be discussed this month.
“You get used to the despot’s shortcomings, when they are not great vices, and the change of an autocratic ruler leads to involuntary fear.”
Sergei Trubetskoi
