Did anyone else react with surprise to Egwene's strong reaction to a 4th oath of fealty, when she herself extracted a similar oath (albeit not on the oath rod) from Theodrin, Faolain, and others?
Theodrin and Faolain offered their oath of fealty freely, so they don't count.
Nisao, Myrelle and the circle were offered by Egwene to overlook what they had done and keep her silence about their misdeeds (which at the time was politically dangerous to Egwene if the Hall found out) if in return they swore fealty so she could know they were loyal and not trying to usurp her authority and scheming in her back. They were supposed to be loyal, especially Sheriam as Keeper, but the women did what they wished and saw the Amyrlin as their personal puppet. They mistepped, Egwene/Siuan found out and took the opportunity. It's manipulative, but not tyranical. Egwene merely gained a bit of the ground she was supposed to have as Amyrlin. She left the women no choice but to see her as the Amyrlin.
What Egwene asked of the circle was no more than what rulers expect of their advisors and nobles. It gave Egwene political power as Amyrlin over the women only - the power an Amyrlin should have but Egwene didn't, but not absolute power. It was up to every woman who swore to decide when what Egwene asked fell under her authority and she went beyond these boundaries (they refused to tell her who the AH were notably - and she could not compel them to reveal it). Under Tower Law, Aes Sedai are already supposed to obey the orders of the Amyrlin, if they are lawful.
This is quite different from the fourth Oath Elaida had in mind, of complete obedience to herself, more or less the same oath the BA hunters used, which is essentially compulsion. All the AS could do would have been what Elaida didn't expressely forbid and what the three oaths don't stop. All she ordered they would have been bound to obey, however crazy, however unlawful, however disastrous. What Elaida had in mind would have destroyed the system of checks and balances of the Tower.
This message last edited by DomA on 10/12/2009 at 03:12:16 PM
Egwene - hypocrite
- 10/12/2009 01:20:24 PM
1632 Views
Not the same at all really
- 10/12/2009 02:12:36 PM
889 Views
I agree.
- 10/12/2009 03:03:49 PM
785 Views
What crime? Accepting her unethical promotions? Being afraid of the Hall's injustice?
- 10/12/2009 03:51:05 PM
799 Views
But...
- 10/12/2009 05:54:39 PM
687 Views
She threatened, or made an implied threat, to reveal what they had done.
- 17/12/2009 12:11:43 PM
670 Views
Re: What crime? Accepting her unethical promotions? Being afraid of the Hall's injustice?
- 10/12/2009 09:08:08 PM
712 Views
It does NOT violate Tower Law, as Myrelle herself said, and Siuan admits.
- 17/12/2009 12:23:25 PM
726 Views
I can't decide if you just don't understand the books at all
- 13/12/2009 05:14:22 AM
617 Views
I have doubts about RJ's brain if he actually believed some of the crap he has characters spew
- 17/12/2009 12:26:52 PM
665 Views
Let he who has no sin cast the first stone
- 10/12/2009 04:34:06 PM
728 Views
Not really
- 10/12/2009 03:06:30 PM
769 Views
But what the Amylin said is law, like how she raised those Accepted.
- 10/12/2009 04:42:51 PM
700 Views
Re: But what the Amylin said is law, like how she raised those Accepted.
- 10/12/2009 11:04:47 PM
731 Views
No she was right, and even her blackmail, as reprehensible as that was, was not an act of tyranny
- 10/12/2009 03:56:41 PM
845 Views
Actually, I agree.
- 10/12/2009 06:47:22 PM
666 Views
I like Egwene
- 10/12/2009 07:08:24 PM
713 Views
That really disappointed me.
- 10/12/2009 07:29:14 PM
749 Views
funny, I'm more of the mind set that both groups were right
- 11/12/2009 12:02:50 AM
666 Views
Not the problem.
- 11/12/2009 12:13:26 AM
612 Views
I do agree with DomA and the others on the point that
- 11/12/2009 07:13:31 AM
677 Views
Re: I do agree with DomA and the others on the point that
- 11/12/2009 08:20:19 AM
751 Views
*shrugs*
- 11/12/2009 02:06:47 PM
707 Views
You have no basis for that assertion.
- 11/12/2009 07:12:03 PM
691 Views
They refuse to reveal the Ajah Heads to Egwene, despite her express orders. Doubt Meidani could...
- 12/12/2009 09:44:23 AM
793 Views
Ah, true that.
- 12/12/2009 07:20:04 PM
693 Views
Who said she wasn't wrong?
- 12/12/2009 09:02:55 PM
641 Views
Re: Who said she wasn't wrong?
- 13/12/2009 04:16:56 AM
683 Views
Re: Who said she wasn't wrong?
- 13/12/2009 08:12:25 AM
732 Views
Re: Who said she wasn't wrong?
- 13/12/2009 07:35:10 PM
641 Views
I agree with most of your point
- 10/12/2009 09:49:18 PM
754 Views
Of course she is a hypocrite
- 11/12/2009 05:22:56 AM
697 Views
The same can be said of Nynaeve and Mat
- 11/12/2009 07:20:47 AM
699 Views

