Techincally, That is The Right Answer.
Breanna Poole
My absolute favorite quote in this reading was "For it is hard to speak properly about a subject, where it is even difficult to convince your hearers of the truth", because despite being harshly directed to his listeners, it isn't something that is necessarily wrong.
Pericles is speaking to a crowd during a funeral procession, and gives the above quote while the bodies are being brought in, preforming the first eulogy of the ceremony. He several times comments on how he is nervous about giving this speech and uses the quote above as an excuse. While it's very clearly meant to be used derogatorily, his point does hold water. How can someone properly convince someone of a truth, if the listener of the truth simply doesn't want to believe it?
What especially made this stand out to me was how applicable it was not only to this reading (given how Pericles uses this later in the passage to talk about why they do not listen), but also to the past readings as well. In The Oresteia and The Epic of Gilgamesh, several characters are lead by the gods or mortal guides to do something but their warnings fall on deaf ears -- Gilgamesh still goes after the flower and Clytemnestra still kills her husband. This one line from the text is one that has such a variety of applications in both modern and ancient stories that it was hard to ignore examples that came.
Pericles uses this line to admonish the crowd in a way, to say almost that they are not respectful enough and are not listening, which in many ways is in a fact true statement. Though harsh and cold in delivery, it is a truth that can't be ignored in life and fiction.
P.S. I commented on Anna Kate and Moriah's posts.
My absolute favorite quote in this reading was "For it is hard to speak properly about a subject, where it is even difficult to convince your hearers of the truth", because despite being harshly directed to his listeners, it isn't something that is necessarily wrong.
Pericles is speaking to a crowd during a funeral procession, and gives the above quote while the bodies are being brought in, preforming the first eulogy of the ceremony. He several times comments on how he is nervous about giving this speech and uses the quote above as an excuse. While it's very clearly meant to be used derogatorily, his point does hold water. How can someone properly convince someone of a truth, if the listener of the truth simply doesn't want to believe it?
What especially made this stand out to me was how applicable it was not only to this reading (given how Pericles uses this later in the passage to talk about why they do not listen), but also to the past readings as well. In The Oresteia and The Epic of Gilgamesh, several characters are lead by the gods or mortal guides to do something but their warnings fall on deaf ears -- Gilgamesh still goes after the flower and Clytemnestra still kills her husband. This one line from the text is one that has such a variety of applications in both modern and ancient stories that it was hard to ignore examples that came.
Pericles uses this line to admonish the crowd in a way, to say almost that they are not respectful enough and are not listening, which in many ways is in a fact true statement. Though harsh and cold in delivery, it is a truth that can't be ignored in life and fiction.
P.S. I commented on Anna Kate and Moriah's posts.
This statement by Pericles was a bit risky but necessary in my opinion. Heartbroken crowds can be ignorant and viscous simply because they are overwhelmed by grief. My observation was that although his statement would be unpopular in that moment, it was monumental in establishing a firm foundation for every following word that came out of his mouth to have important meaning. The initial shock that likely ensued among the listeners was almost certainly joined with greatly increased attention to him, and therefore may even have fulfilled itself: stating the difficulty in convincing the listeners the truth in the midst of their grief.
ReplyDeleteThe big issue is that most people are content to decide beforehand that they are always correct in all things and that any opposing fact is objectively false simply because it runs contrary to their preconceived suppositions. The simple ability to listen openly and unbiasedly to an opposing idea is a superhuman talent. I imagine that's why Pericles spent the majority of his time expounding on why Athens is so great instead of giving his real funeral oration; he probably wanted to avoid that bullet as much as possible. If Athenian law didn't mandate the speech, I should wonder whether he would give one at all, and if so, whether it would be open to the public.
ReplyDeletetl;dr: Mankind is stupid.