I have a question. Now, it might not be a question that is easily answered and it may take some time to think over, but hear me out. Why do we fear that which is beyond our comfort zone? Why are we so set in our ways and beliefs that we freak out whenever someone comes along and tries to challenge them? I know what you’re thinking. “I’m not afraid or closed-minded. I let people challenge my beliefs.” Maybe that’s true, but that isn’t exactly what I’m talking about. We can’t deny that this rejection of education and change has occurred throughout history, and it happens to us as a society. Individuals come along to speak the truth, examine topics and issues that we normally ignore and brush aside. These individuals recite prophecies, sing songs, give speeches, show love when everyone else is showing hate, reveal Truth when everyone else is covering it up with artificiality. And what do we do? Well, different things: ignore them, laugh, brush them away, and in the most extreme case we shoot them down and shut them up. Ladies and gentlemen, this is a problem. This is a big problem.

Edda introduced you all to Plato's Allegory of the Cave, but I would like to elaborate. I want you to imagine a multitude of men fettered in a cave. They have been this way since infancy, with their feet, arms, and necks in shackles so that they cannot move nor turn their heads. They are perpetually forced to gaze at the wall in front of them and the shadows which dance upon it. This is what they know; this is their entire life, watching and evaluating the shadows of artificial objects. One day, a man is released from his chains and led out of the cave. But what happens when you are exposed to light after having been in the dark for a long time? You can’t see. The man walks into the light of the outdoors and is nearly blinded. He begins, slowly, to acclimate himself by observing things anyway he knows how, which is, for him, indirectly. Remember, he has only ever seen indirect views of objects, shadows. So the man learns first to look upon objects in the moonlight, which represents an indirect learning or viewing. With time, he is finally able to look at things directly in the sunlight. Where he once clung on to the belief that his life in the cave was far superior to the one outside, he now understands the importance of was he has learned and realizes how lucky he is in comparison to the men who remain in the cave; He sees real, tangible objects as opposed to their mere shadows. With his enlightened education he returns to the cave to share his knowledge with the others. Once again, he is submerged in darkness and unable to see. He stumbles around, feeling his way, all the while trying desperately to tell the men about his experiences and explain to them that what they are looking at is not real; it is merely an image, a projection of something real. Not only do they not believe him, but they call him an idiot and claim that the trip outside is not worth the trouble. And if they could get their hands on him, they would surely kill him.

It is an unfortunate story and its meaning has been interpreted in numerous ways, but nonetheless its main points show up in other places. Take, for instance, the scene you have just watched. Cassandra, the cursed prophet, sees visions of the future, visions which no one else can see and, tragically, no one believes. They tell her to be quiet, that her prophecies are not wanted, but she says them anyway. She can’t help it. Like the man from the cave, she has an enhanced knowledge and she feels compelled to share it. She speaks of deception, cruelty, revenge, and murder, things that people even in our society either don’t want to talk about or are ignorant of. The Argive people do not believe Cassandra because the thought of losing their beloved king after waiting ten years for his return fills them with horror. But then it is too late and Agamemnon is dead, Cassandra having been sacrificed as well.

As you saw in the first half of the show, the prophet in Antigone also had a hard time convincing people of the validity of his prophecies. Tiresias came to Creon bearing bad news. Creon had messed up and would see not only Antigone dead, but his son, Haemon, dead soon as well. Creon stood firm, however, and rejected what Tiresias said as untrue. Even after Tiresias had shared all the gory details of the deaths, Creon turned him away and called him selfish and scheming. This was useless, however. Calling a Tiresias a fake does not mean that his prophecies are any less valid. And turning him away with harsh words doesn’t make Creon any happier. The Truth still exists as true whether Creon believes it or not.

That is my point. These things, these truths and issues that we don’t like looking at because they make us uncomfortable and because they challenge our beliefs still exist whether we believe them or not. The atmosphere is still deteriorating and the ice caps still melting whether we want to believe it or not. Torture takes place in U.S. military detention camps whether we talk about it or not. And love is still the strongest, most mind-blowing emotion whether we choose to express it or not. Listening is the first step. The cave dwellers would not listen to one word the man had to say before they shut him up. The chorus just barely listened to Cassandra’s prophecies before the horrible event she predicted occurred. And Creon hardly listened to Tiresias’ advice before he discovered that it was too late. Tiresias, Cassandra and the man from the cave aren’t the only ones. Think about John F. Kennedy, Martin Luther King Jr., and John Lennon who came with words of wisdom and were murdered. This exhibits the worst case scenario, but societies have used other ways to silence dissenters. Nelson Mandela, for example, spoke out against the apartheid and was jailed for almost forty years. Thankfully, that did not prevent him from staying politically active. But imagine what else he could have done for his country had he not been in prison those four decades.

From its Latin roots, the word “educate” means literally “to lead out”. This is what those influential leaders attempt to do, to educate us, to lead us out of our caves. In other cases, we strive to lead ourselves out, to push our boundaries and step on the threshold of light. This is an extremely difficult thing to do because people become quite comfortable in their caves. They stretch out, put their feet up, and when someone comes knocking at their door it is with reluctance, if at all, that they go to answer it. It is rather unsettling to have our ways challenged.

In moments where we hear terrible news or shocking issues then we question the value of knowledge. Would it not be more agreeable to live happily ignorant of the truths that feel overwhelmingly powerful to us? On the other hand, happiness or no happiness, is it better to be free, intelligent, and insightful? There are different ways to approach the world and different ways to live in it, but one thing is for sure. We need to stop silencing and ignoring the people who arrive at our doorstep to shake things up. It is absolutely necessary that we listen and believe. Who knows what we will learn or the places to which we may be lead?

Posted at Jul 27/2006 10:49PM:
Evan: Hey Antonia... first of all, you didn't tell me you spent time in London !?! I spent a year at Oxford and dream about going back for my PhD. But that's neither here nor there... more importantly, I really like the changes you've made to your introduction. I think it does service to the strength of your work throughout. It's a wonderful piece and I really admire your ability to self-reflect and put your ideas into such eloquent prose. I wish I could be there on Saturday to watch you present it but I'm sure it will be fantastic... All the best, and it was a pleasure meeting you...