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
1703 Views
Not the same at all really
- 10/12/2009 02:12:36 PM
957 Views
I agree.
- 10/12/2009 03:03:49 PM
851 Views
What crime? Accepting her unethical promotions? Being afraid of the Hall's injustice?
- 10/12/2009 03:51:05 PM
872 Views
But...
- 10/12/2009 05:54:39 PM
763 Views
She threatened, or made an implied threat, to reveal what they had done.
- 17/12/2009 12:11:43 PM
736 Views
Re: What crime? Accepting her unethical promotions? Being afraid of the Hall's injustice?
- 10/12/2009 09:08:08 PM
783 Views
It does NOT violate Tower Law, as Myrelle herself said, and Siuan admits.
- 17/12/2009 12:23:25 PM
794 Views
I can't decide if you just don't understand the books at all
- 13/12/2009 05:14:22 AM
686 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
744 Views
Let he who has no sin cast the first stone
- 10/12/2009 04:34:06 PM
790 Views
Not really
- 10/12/2009 03:06:30 PM
834 Views
But what the Amylin said is law, like how she raised those Accepted.
- 10/12/2009 04:42:51 PM
765 Views
Re: But what the Amylin said is law, like how she raised those Accepted.
- 10/12/2009 11:04:47 PM
794 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
925 Views
Actually, I agree.
- 10/12/2009 06:47:22 PM
734 Views
I like Egwene
- 10/12/2009 07:08:24 PM
774 Views
That really disappointed me.
- 10/12/2009 07:29:14 PM
816 Views
funny, I'm more of the mind set that both groups were right
- 11/12/2009 12:02:50 AM
726 Views
Not the problem.
- 11/12/2009 12:13:26 AM
688 Views
I do agree with DomA and the others on the point that
- 11/12/2009 07:13:31 AM
739 Views
Re: I do agree with DomA and the others on the point that
- 11/12/2009 08:20:19 AM
805 Views
*shrugs*
- 11/12/2009 02:06:47 PM
783 Views
You have no basis for that assertion.
- 11/12/2009 07:12:03 PM
757 Views
They refuse to reveal the Ajah Heads to Egwene, despite her express orders. Doubt Meidani could...
- 12/12/2009 09:44:23 AM
869 Views
Ah, true that.
- 12/12/2009 07:20:04 PM
767 Views
Who said she wasn't wrong?
- 12/12/2009 09:02:55 PM
701 Views
Re: Who said she wasn't wrong?
- 13/12/2009 04:16:56 AM
749 Views
Re: Who said she wasn't wrong?
- 13/12/2009 08:12:25 AM
793 Views
Re: Who said she wasn't wrong?
- 13/12/2009 07:35:10 PM
706 Views
I agree with most of your point
- 10/12/2009 09:49:18 PM
828 Views
Of course she is a hypocrite
- 11/12/2009 05:22:56 AM
768 Views
The same can be said of Nynaeve and Mat
- 11/12/2009 07:20:47 AM
776 Views

