Antronius, the walking Oxymoron // Ezra Kennedy

In The abbot and the Learned Lady, Antronius meets opposition in a form he’d least expected it to appear— in the form of Magdalia, a learned woman. He makes several points, all of which he believes to be valid, as to why women should not concern themselves with gaining wisdom in any other form than to perform basic “societal duties”. Each point that he makes Magdalia meets with a point of her own, trumping his and triggering a slight frustration each time. Aside from asserting that women are fools, he states that gaining wisdom is not something that is fun or can be a factor of a good life. Which is quite idiotic because, as the learned lady says, “what if I read because I enjoy it?” What if I find pleasure in learning new things and becoming better?

He also says that one can’t live well and have a good life, as ifcthe twoare mutually exclusive. When you think about how he’d rather spend his time and who he’d rather spend it with, his beliefs aren’t that shocking.

THE MAN IS AN OXYMORON. He says that wisdom is not for women but for men, but too late after he says that he’d rather spend his time in the company of drunks, and that he’d rather his monks not know more than him or question him or anything in the slightest. What is wisdom or learning if it’s not challenging every thought that intrudes your mind? If the thought withstands the tests it’s wirth further thought, if not why waste time?? And even at that, he says himself that to work harder, to become wiser so that the very thing he is repulsed by has no chance of manifesting, would be a pain to make time for. It must not be as important to him as he pretends it is.

Although he disagrees with Magdalia, his words liken him to comfortable swine, satisfied in its own filth so long as those around him are on a lower level. He actually says that as long as he is human it doesn’t matter what animal his monks are, when asked. His reason being because he’s “wise enough” so far as he is concerned. The Well learned Lady’s response is one of my many favourites of hers, “swine are wise enough so far as they’re concerned.” I love it because it’s still applicable today, because the idiocy of man doesn’t really change. Only a fool thinks himself wise when he knows nothing, as far as the fool is concerned he could very well be one of the literary giants that the world looks to. A truly wise person, knows when their wrong, when to admit it, and is willing to acknowledge that he truly knows nothing and acknowledges his limitations.

PS. I commented on Zane’s and Hannah’s Posts