Ideas in Antiquity Week 5
Firstly, I am still coming off of last weeks high yet dealing with a heartbreaking low. Reading and analyzing true female leadership by inspirational women like Lysistrata was truly a pleasure. I love seeing women lead and make change. So before I begin this week’s analyzation, I’d like to pay tribute and my respects to our fallen solider: Ruth Bader Ginsberg.
This woman has been my inspiration since I was a young girl. I wasn’t too sure about my career path but I knew that I wanted to be in the same league as the big boys as a strong female leader. She became my inspiration and idol when I truly found myself and my passion for law during my Junior year of high school. I remember sitting in that Judge’s chair and feeling right at home, an experience that I know she felt too when she first sat in her Supreme Court Justice chair.
It feels just like yesterday when I felt the thrill, the excitement, and the honor that came with sitting in a Judge’s chair. Due to this experience, and her inspring work that I monitored every day like clock work, I went on to become the first Student Judge in Hartford Public High School’s Student Court. I now dream of even bigger things but know that I have many dreams and will be Judge D’Ziyah Mitchell or as some will(and some currently still) know me as “Your Honor.”
It is because of that woman that I have and will continue to go on and make history for the ladies. So to all the women leaders who have come before me, I truly thank you for paving the way for women like me to carry the torch and uphold your legacy. Thank you for believing in yourself and allowing me to do the same for myself and the ones who will come after me.
This week is all about trifling friends and boy… have I got some things to say. Let’s begin shall we?
I dead feel bad for my boy Philoctetes. I already didn’t like Odysseus from my reading of the Odyssey last year but he really proved my point with this story. It’s like everytime he arrives somewhere, destruction and plain audacity follow right behind him. That man is the true embodiment of selfish and self-absorbency. And I thought my ex-boyfriends were bad but then again, maybe some guys just have to be like that. The world would be wayyy too god if we didn’t have bad people in it.
Speaking of bad people, I found it very funny that Odysseus was back on an island. Did he not learn his lessons from his many traumatic experiences on his way back home to Ithaca? After his arrival on the island on Lemnos, he first had to think back on the abadoned island and the horrible deed he did.
Odysseus defines the term fake friend. Homeboy dead saw Philoctetes get injured and was even able to describe his nasty oozing wound. But instead of being a real friend/leader by addressing this boy’s obvious needs, he made the decision to leave him. Why most people may or may not be asking. Simply because his cries of pain were too loud for the crew’s prayers to the gods. I get his frustration but like bro… really???? I could just hear Philoctes saying, “I’m sorry, is my pain too much for you Odysseus?”
Yet Odysseus he couldn’t even have the decency to finish the story on why he left him. He just cared that he was back and needed his new recruit, Neoptolemus, to help him. Seeing that he’s the son of the late Trojan war hero Achilles, he had a LOT to live up too and prove to his fellow soldiers in this new war. And all he had to do was tell the “truth”….
Truth serves as a strong irony in this play, mainly due to the fact that almost everyone was lying. It seems that the main issue in this play is everyone’s selfishness and need to cheat in order to get ahead. Thankfully, Neoptolemus served as a strong example of what a true leader was by not going against what he believed in just to fit in.
Odysseus, being the terrible leader he is, gave orders that involved telling lies in order to get back a weapon needed by the Greek leader. The nerve of this man is beyond me like how you gone abandon someone then have the nerve to come back and lie to get what you want? Would you like it if someone did that to you? Oh okay…
Back to the plot though, at least he was smart by sending a guy who didn’t abandon Philoctetes. But then again, he knew he himself or anyone else couldn’t waltz in there without risking an arrow right to their throat (which I’m not exactly mad about either). Hell, Odysseus most definitely deserves it. Revenge is a dish served nice and hot so trust me, Odysseus gone get exactly what he got coming for his trifiling ways.
Although…. Philoctetes ain’t so innocent either. Homeboy got left mainly due to some bad karma inflicted by the gods themselves. Philoctes pissed off the goddess Chyrse by being too curious and trespassing on her shrine. Due to this, he was forbidden to leave Lemnos until the gods gave him the okay to leave. When readers first meet him however, he’s a lot sweeter then most, including myself, initially thought.
His apperance scene literally described me every morning. Wild hair, tired eyes, and just plain mad since I am not a morning person. Catch me like mid-afternoon if you want me at my best self, if I’m not hungry then either. Now if I’m hangry, just get out my way unless you want your feelings hurt. All my ladies know, no food=attitude (fellas, please take notes, I’m trying to help).
Back to the story though, Philoctetes and Neoptolemus finally sat down and were able to relate to one another through one thing: their hatred of Odysseus. Even these two can spot this goofy (this is CT slang for someone that no one likes) from a mile away. Then to make matters worse, the messenger who was supposed to be Neoptolemus’ help showed up at the wrong time and dead killed the vibe. Odysseus needed Neoptolemus to hop back on the ship to Troy since it was prophesied that they can’t win the war without him. He then basically said “yeah… that’s a dub” and went to a cave to go chill with his new homeboy.
Things then got really weird and just plain gross when Philoctetes asked Neoptolemus to cut his foot off. He of course refused and they settled on just chilling until the pain in Philoctetes’ foot went away. Neoptolemus then got the bows but the decison he made really warmed my heart. Unlike Odysseus, yes I’m going to throw shade through this whole journal, he was a real friend who stayed while he slept and guarded his precious belongings. It’s so nice to read sweet stories like this since this generation of friends are trash. People nowadays are just selfish, jealous, and barely care about others unless it directly affects them. Even though it went against his nature, Neoptolemus practiced true leadership in this moment by putting and adressing the needs of others first. Although he didn’t ask for much, that small action truly changed Philoctetes’ life as all he needed was a true friend to help him through his rough times.
One thing that I’ve learned in my life so far is that you never know how the smallest things can change someone’s day. Whether it be a quick compliment or even a smile, I’ve seen and noticed a complete shift in people’s demeanor just by being kind. I only wish other people knew and practiced this. The world would truly be an amazing place if they did.
But of course, Dr. Kill Joy decided to show up and crash the party. Odysseus had the nerve to finally show up and address the issues and conflict HE started. It’s giving me scary but go off Odysseus… But anyways, he shows up to separate the boys and leave Philoctetes yet again.
But this time, Odysseus has someone standing up to him. Just like his father, Neoptolemus spoke up and said everything that he felt. He told Odysseus to give Philoctetes his bow and arrow back unless he wanted karma to come for him. He of couse didn’t listen and talked about how his army would back him up instead of standing up like the “man” he supposedly is. Sorry to greek army but y’all got a punk as a leader. I bet my two year old nephew is tougher than this dude.
And he totally proved my point when he ran back to tell the the army about Neoptolemus but not squaring up when he had the chance. Odysseus is scarier than half the girls I went to high school with. They can bark all day but we all know they’ll never truly bite. But you know who was about to bite?! Philoctotes.
When Odysseus came back trying to do something, homeboy pulled out that sword and had Odysseus “shaking in the knees” as my old cheer team would say. The two partners in crime then made a plan to head back to Greece but the gods were not going for that. They, being Heracles, told Zeus’ news that both boys were needed in Troy in order to win the war. Philoctetes then got his wound healed and got ready to end the war ,and Paris’ life, once and for all.
This story truly taught me some things. Not only how fake people can be but mainly to keep hope. School has been really stressful but at least I have some good readings and food to look forward to. So with that being said, what’s good with the next one??
