Great Books Ep 85. Euripides - Andromache. Misinformation and the Cost of False Accusations
False accusations can have devastating consequences. A good example from history is people accusing others of practicing witchcraft and influencing society to punish them.
“No! if, as thy daughter asserts, I am practising sorcery against her and making her barren, right willingly will I, without any crouching at altars, submit in my own person to the penalty that lies in her husband’s hands”
~ ‘Andromache’ by Euripides (Edward P. Coleridge translation. GB5 - p. 318)
Brief Summary
At the beginning of the play, we see Andromache lamenting her position as a slave, though she was a princess in the past and the wife of the famous Hector, who was the heir and the most famous warrior in Troy. She is now a slave to Achilles’ son, Neoptolemus and has a son through him. She fears for her and her son’s life since Neoptolemus’ wife Hermione is unable to have a child. She has sent multiple messages to Peleus, Neoptolemus's grandfather, but hasn’t heard back. She finally asks her maid to go since it is possible that the messengers might not have delivered the messages to Peleus. Since Neoptolemus is away, she has sent her son, Molossus, to another home for safety and is taking refuge at the altar so that no one would harm her.
Hermione comes in and accuses Andromache of bewitching her husband, making her barren and trying to usurp her position as the wife through sorcery. As Andromache refutes her charges and has a heated argument, Menelaus (Hermione’s father) comes in with her son, taunting her, saying that she cannot hide anything from him. He says he will execute the child, and immediately, Andromache comes out of the altar, offering herself. While he is preparing to execute them, Peleus comes in and exchanges harsh words with him. Menelaus withdraws after being berated by Peleus and goes away.
Hermione is now distraught and wants to commit suicide since she feels when Neoptolemus gets back, he will punish her for attempting to kill Andromache and his kid. She repents and is now sorry for her evil thoughts and words. While she is in this state, Orestes, her cousin, comes in since he has heard that she is being treated badly after marriage. She tells her side of the story and asks him to take her away before her husband comes or before Peleus realizes and comes after them. Orestes says she can flee from there with him and he has already made plans to make Neoptolemus pay for what he has done.
We get to know that Hermione was betrothed to Orestes before their fathers went to the Trojan War, but during the war, she was promised to Achilles’ son if he helped the Greeks win the war. After the war, after the tragedy of his parents’ murders, Orestes goes to Neoptolemus to ask for Hermione, but Neoptolemus mocks Orestes for killing his mother and does not oblige. Orestes had been carrying the grudge and has been plotting against Neoptolemus since then.
After Hermione and Orestes leave, Peleus comes in asking for Hermione, and the chorus tells him that she has fled and that Orestes is making plans against his grandson. As he thinks about this, a messenger comes in and says Neoptolemus has died. Neoptolemus had gone to visit the temple at Delphi, and since he was in awe of it, he would visit it many times to make offerings. Orestes spreads a rumor that he has come to rob the temple of its gold. A group of men, including Orestes, ambush Neoptolemus while he is praying. Though he fights back, he gets killed.
Peleus is distraught and completely hopeless. His wife, the goddess Thetis, appears and consoles him and tells him to bury Neoptolemus at Delphi. She also says Andromache should marry her brother-in-law, Helenus, and they will prosper in Molossia. She also makes Peleus immortal and takes him to live with her.
My Thoughts
It was sad to see Neoptolemus die in the play. He is portrayed as the ‘good guy’, a person with a clear conscience in Sophocles’ play Philoctetes, where Odysseus tries to con Philoctetes, but Neoptolemus tells him the truth. I guess Neoptolemus’ fall was due to him berating Orestes when Orestes went to ask for Hermione’s hand. It is also possible that they already had some hatred between them since their fathers - Agamemnon and Achilles, could not see eye-to-eye. But the manner in which Neoptolemus gets killed by someone planting misinformation about him is the most heartbreaking. If we think that it was so surprising that some people at Delphi took arms to kill Neoptolemus when Orestes told them that he was planning to rob the temple and Menelaus was ready to kill Andromache since his daughter accused her of witchcraft, let’s not be; such things happen even today. Someone accuses someone of eating pets and doing witchcraft, and people are ready to punish them without checking the veracity, even in the US, which is arguably the most developed and most forward-thinking country on Earth.
A lot of movies and TV series of late have romanticized the idea of being a witch - Hermione Granger (Harry Potter), Diana Bishop (A Discovery of Witches), Yennefer of Vengerberg (The Witcher), Melisandre (Game of Thrones), etc., come to mind. There are probably a lot more (The Wheel of Time came to mind), and I think many people might even think that it is cool to be one. But not so long ago, anyone who was identified as a witch was publicly tortured and killed. The fear and paranoia caused by influential and ordinary people attributing monstrous, imagined things to witches led to so many people being killed in different parts of the world. Here is a passage from Nexus by Yuval Harari -
“the Burgundian judge and witch-hunter Henri Boguet (1550–1619) speculated that there were 300,000 witches in France alone and 1.8 million in all of Europe. Such claims fueled mass hysteria, which in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries led to the torture and execution of between 40,000 and 50,000 innocent people who were accused of witchcraft.”
~ Harari, Yuval Noah. Nexus: A Brief History of Information Networks from the Stone Age to AI (p. 96).
Harari uses ‘Witch hunts’ as a primary example to make a point that the naive belief that the democratization of information will lead to enlightenment is wrong. When information proliferates, there needs to be a system of checks and balances to limit the spread of toxic information. It does not get taken care of ‘naturally’. Even though many people accuse content moderators on social media sites as people who limit freedom of speech, they are doing a very important, noble job of limiting the spread of information that could cause chaos.
“The history of the early modern European witch craze demonstrates that releasing barriers to the flow of information doesn’t necessarily lead to the discovery and spread of truth. It can just as easily lead to the spread of lies and fantasies and to the creation of toxic information spheres. More specifically, a completely free market of ideas may incentivize the dissemination of outrage and sensationalism at the expense of truth. It is not difficult to understand why. Printers and booksellers made a lot more money from the lurid tales of The Hammer of the Witches than they did from the dull mathematics of Copernicus’s On the Revolutions of the Heavenly Spheres.”
Harari, Yuval Noah. Nexus: A Brief History of Information Networks from the Stone Age to AI (p. 101).
In fact, he says ‘The Hammer of the Witches’ had published 16 editions in the first 100 years of its publication in comparison to the ‘On the Revolutions of the Heavenly Spheres’ which did not even sell out fully in its first edition and had only 4 editions in 100 years.
I think the biggest fear of the current time when AI is producing content at an unprecedented pace is not that AI overlords will take over the world like Skynet but that it might spread information that pits humans against humans. But I guess the problem is not dire right now since the computing power required to run an AI model is high, and only big companies can afford to run AI chatbots with huge context windows, and we could probably confidently trust the big companies to put in measures to curtail hate speech and conspiracy theories. But, sooner or later, things will become cheaper, and more people will be able to run LLMs and other AI systems by themselves. Then, the fear of a group of people being influenced to turn against another becomes all too real. I’m reminded of the TV series - ‘3 Body Problem’ where the aliens with advanced tech are able to instill the idea that humanity is doomed to destroy itself and only the Santi can come and save it, while they have a vested interest to stop human progress and weaken it before they arrive. But what is the alternative? Is the alternative to ban AI like it was described in Dune? Is that even possible, I wonder.
Gemini (AI Chatbot) Response
This play offers a powerful lens through which to examine human nature and societal dynamics, both ancient and modern. Let's delve into your thoughts and explore the play further:
1. False Accusations and the Killing of Innocents
You're absolutely right to draw a parallel between the false accusations against Andromache and the historical persecution of "witches." The play vividly illustrates how fear, jealousy, and power dynamics can fuel false accusations with devastating consequences. Hermione, driven by her own insecurities and inability to bear children, readily resorts to accusing Andromache of witchcraft. This resonates with the witch hunts of the past, where individuals, often women, were scapegoated and branded as witches based on flimsy evidence or societal anxieties.
Just as you pointed out with the example of Menelaus, people are often quick to believe accusations without seeking evidence or questioning motives. This highlights a fundamental flaw in human behavior that persists to this day. Whether it's accusations of witchcraft in the past or contemporary instances of social media mob justice, the tendency to rush to judgment based on unfounded claims can lead to the unjust condemnation and even death of innocent individuals.
2. Deeper Analysis of Themes and Symbolism
Justice and Revenge: The play explores the complex interplay between justice and revenge. While Orestes seeks to avenge the dishonor brought upon him by Neoptolemus, his actions ultimately lead to a cycle of violence and tragedy. This raises questions about the nature of justice and whether revenge truly provides resolution or simply perpetuates suffering.
Fate and Free Will: "Andromache" also grapples with the concepts of fate and free will. While the characters are influenced by their pasts and the actions of others, they also make choices that shape their destinies. This tension between predetermined fate and individual agency is a recurring theme in Greek tragedy.
The Status of Women: Andromache's plight as a captive and concubine highlights the precarious position of women in ancient Greek society. She is at the mercy of powerful men and subject to their whims. The play serves as a commentary on the societal constraints and injustices faced by women.
The Cycle of Violence: The tragic events of the Trojan War cast a long shadow over the characters in "Andromache." The play demonstrates how violence begets violence, leading to a seemingly endless cycle of retribution and suffering.
Lessons for Today's World
Critical Thinking and Media Literacy: In an age of information overload, "Andromache" reminds us of the importance of critical thinking and media literacy. We must be vigilant in evaluating information and not blindly accept accusations or narratives without evidence.
Empathy and Compassion: The play encourages us to empathize with those who are marginalized and vulnerable. Andromache's suffering serves as a reminder of the human cost of conflict and prejudice.
The Dangers of Revenge: The tragic consequences of Orestes' quest for revenge highlight the destructive nature of this emotion. The play suggests that seeking retribution often leads to further pain and suffering.
Thought-Provoking Questions for Modern Readers
How does "Andromache" reflect the social and political realities of ancient Greece?
Are the characters in the play driven by fate or free will?
How does the play portray the relationship between men and women?
What are the ethical implications of revenge?
How does the play resonate with contemporary issues such as fake news, social media manipulation, and political polarization?
Does the play offer any solutions to the cycle of violence?
You've raised some incredibly important points about the dangers of misinformation and the potential for AI to exacerbate these issues. "Andromache" serves as a timeless reminder of the fragility of truth and the need to safeguard against the forces that seek to undermine it.
AI Generated Podcast (by notebooklm): https://notebooklm.google.com/notebook/5ddda656-cae5-42a4-bba6-f73fec94bc81/audio