Morals/Morality on XWP (spoilers)

Hi All! <>>

Islander27's post on what draws us to the show inspired me to
start this topic. One of the things, besides the relationship, that draws me to the show is that every episode (even the silly ones) deal
with a moral issue. Sometimes very complicated moral issues.

I didn't watch the first two seasons, because I was turned off by
the violence in the show. I finally decided to give it a chance. The
first episode I saw was "A Solstice Carol." Wow. Appropriate for me
to see.

One of the things I love most about the show is how it examines
itself. What I discovered from the Solstice Carol and thereafter is
that XWP is violent, but it addresses its own use of violence. I LOVE that. Very intellegent. AND the show has challenged my own views
of violence and when it is appropriate.

Xena comes from a violent past. The only solution she knows to
most problems is to use violence. But she is trying to change.
Primarily, she is trying to change the world and stop the fighting and
senseless killing and violence. Often she uses violence to achieve
her goals. Enter Gabrielle. The innocent. Gabrielle lives by her own
code. She does not believe in killing. Gabrielle tempers Xena's use
of violence. She stops Xena from killing all the time and using certain
"unneccessary force." (i.e. letting people X. puts the pinch on live).

I identified most with Gabrielle. But Gabrielle's beliefs in nonviolence and not killing are challenged. And so were mine.

Clearly, Gab needed to learn defense. She is attacked all the time.
She learns the staff. Violent. Necessary. But doens't kill. But then,
this season, come some really good situations where Gab has to
question when is killing justified? Is it possible that it could ever be
justified?

First, Gab kills to protect her ideals. (We actually get the message
that this kind of killing is bad. Look what happens to GAb,
impregnated by Dahok for this deed.) Gab is completely shattered
by this experience. Her code is threatened.

Next, Gab goes to the extreme. No killing is EVER justified. She
betrays her best friend to save the life of a despot king (Chin). This
raises the question of when is killing justified? Political assassination?
(Sadam Hussien?) Is it justified when killing one person, would save
the lives of many?? In the same episode, Gab gets to know this evil
king, and wonders if she has done wrong, saving the Kings life,
knowing that so many thousands of his subjects will die. And was
the price of betraying her best friend worth it. This episode really
made me question my own beliefs. Maybe, just maybe killing could
be justified.

Then comes the second episode with Ceasar (When in Rome?).
ONce again, the show wrestles with the question of violence and
justified killing. Gab has the life of a killer in her hand. She winds up
playing judge, jury and executioner. She doesn't give him the ring
to save his life.

Of course, the Soltice Carol episode was a great exploration of
the use of violence vs. other means to solve problems.

Then , well, there were many examples this season.

I would LOVE to hear from other fans your thoughts on different
moral topics raised on this show, or more comments on this topic of
violence. Thanks for reading through to the end of this!

- Sanjen

Morals/Morality on XWP (spoilers)

Hello Sanjen,

Once again you have hit the mark. You should post more often, it's nice
to have some intelligent conversation. I just hope you get a chance to
read what I have to write before it scrolls off. On to the subject at
hand.

Personally I'm against violence, I understand the motivation, we all
feel it. But if we give into it then we have already lost. There are
always options and to resort to violence shows lack of imagination and
limited thinking. Circumstances may alter the situation a little.

Violence in self defense is acceptable. Anyone willing to attack you
should be put down by any means nessecary. I liked Gabrielle choice of
the staff, I think it fit well within her character.

Killing as a means to save lives is acceptable to me. I believe in the
greater good. The needs of the many out weigh the needs of the few. Gabrielle
made a mistake in Chin, a mistake so horrible that she actually repressed
her motivations and means for doing it. The killing of natinal leaders is
an intresting question though. Who decides when someone has crossed the
line. I'm sorry to say I'm very suspicous of any governments motivations
and I could see them making such decisions for less than noble purposes.

The last example you described didn't sit well with me. For me that was
killing for revenge and I don't subscribe to that, I was surprised that
Gabrielle did. Seeing that man die was going to do nothing to bring back the
people he had slaughtered. The argument could be used that he would kill
again, but there are other ways. Gabrielle is a work of art in progress,
and I love the character, but I miss her innocence and the hope she gave
that maybe the world doesn't have to be the way it is.

Take Care,
Peasant
not a pacifist or anything, just feels that everyone has a right to live
and not pass judgement on others

Morals/Morality on XWP (spoilers)

Hi Sanjen,
Great Topic!!!!!!! I think the violence is sometimes necessary
lesson that Gabby has been learning was another step in the
evolving Xena & Gabrielle relationship process. Which is one of the
things I like best about the show.
When they first met Xena needed to learn how to be a better
person - enter Gabrielle, who's ideals and moral fibre were completely
opposite those of the Warrior Princess. As a result Xena has
discovered things about herself, she'd never deemed possible.
On the other side of the coin, Gabrielle has learned warrior &
survival & life skills from Xena, slowly shedding her naivete. One of these life skills is that everything isn't a black & white issue, there's
always a little grey area to challenge our beliefs.
At the beginning of this series there were two characters -
one white and one black, and the fun part has been watching each
explore the grey areas in between.

Adieu,
KingOThieves <2nd best to Autolocus>