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Successful Treachery in Art and Life

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DoctorSequoia
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The document discusses different examples of treachery in myths, history, and stories. It describes a woodblock print showing a demon escaping after tricking a samurai into opening a box containing its severed arm. Later examples discuss Delilah's successful betrayal of Samson without consequences for her, and Jacob deceiving his brother with his mother's help. The document also notes that while betrayal is usually condemned, there are cases where it is rewarded or serves a greater good, such as undercover police work against criminal groups.

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Successful Treachery in Art and Life
In Yoshitoshis woodblock series, the Samurai Watanabe no Tsuna cuts off the demon Ibrakis arm at the Rashomon Gate in Kyoto.
The samurai places the demons arm in a box. A priest blesses the container, but warns Watanabe not to show its contents to anyone. However, Ibaraki disguises himself as Watanabes aunt, and persuades him to let her see the severed arm. When the samurai opens the box, Ibaraki seizes the limb and flies away with her prize.
At first, I could think of no other stories in which traitors successfully duped their victims and then escaped to enjoy their rewards. The act of treachery has been so thoroughly reviled over the centuries that all the stories that came to mind resulted in the humiliating exposure of the betrayer and subsequent punishment for the treasonable act. Satan in the Ninth Circle of Hell, reserved for traitors Satan pictured gnawing the arch-traitors Judas Iscariot, Brutus and Cassius
Rembrandt, The Blinding of Samson The story of Delilah and Samson, however, is a clear case of treachery successfully perpetrated with no repercussions for the traitor. After three failed attempts to deprive her lover Samson of his strength, Delilah succeeds after he reveals to her that his hair is the source of his strength. She has a servant cut his hair, then conveys the news of her to the Philistine chieftains, who capture and blind Samson, then lead him into slavery. There is no mention in the Bible that she suffered any retribution for Delilahs acts. Her treachery succeeds, and we hear no more of her life after her betrayal of Samson.
However, there are instances in myth and history in which the act of treachery is condoned, and even rewarded. Jacob cheats his brother out of his birthright by an act of complicit treachery with the boys mother, as seen in this panel from the Gates of Paradise by Ghiberti.
Even those who employ the services of the betrayer, according to Plutarch. revile both the act and the person: Antigonus said he loved men who offered to betray, but hated those who had betrayed; and Caesar, in saying of the Thracian Rhoemetalces, that he loved treachery but hated a traitor. This is a very general feeling towards base people on the part of those who need their services, just as they need certain wild creatures for their venom and gall; for while they feel the need of them, they put up with them, but abhor their vileness when they have obtained from them what they want. Plutarch Tarpeia betrays Rome to the Sabine invaders. The legend tells that while Rome was besieged by the Sabine king , Tarpeia, daughter of the commander of the Roman citadel, approached the Sabine camp and offered them entry to the city in exchange for "what they bore on their left arms. Greedy for gold, she had meant their bracelets, but instead the Sabines threw their shieldscarried on the left armupon her, crushing her to death. Her body was then hurled from a steep cliff of the southern summit of the Capitoline Hill.
Furthermore, according to one school of thought, sometimes treachery serves a good cause: Treachery is noble when aimed at tyranny. Pierre Corneille Not only tyranny, but any act against a power deemed evil can serve to raise the betrayer to the level of a hero, as we have recently seen in the supporters of the whistleblower Julian Assange, who allegedly released sensitive government information through Wikileaks, an organization that publishes secret information, news leaks, and classified media provided by anonymous sources." Julian Assange: Traitor or Hero? Whistleblower: a person who publicly exposes corruption or wrongdoing
In police work, an undercover agent a mole is planted in an organization in order to collect incriminating evidence about its members and so bring them to justice. Legal Treachery From the Blue Bloods series: Police officer Jamie Reagan as an undercover agent infiltrating the Mafia
Quotations, a Story, and a Role-Playing Game involving Treachery: Old age and treachery will always beat youth and exuberance. David Mamet (also attributed to Fausto Coppi: "Age and treachery will overcome youth and skill.") *** Ah, treachery! the General murmured, his voice soft yet curiously orotund. One of history's favorite shortcuts. Ross Thomas, Ah, Treachery! *** Treachery is noble when aimed at tyranny. Pierre Corneille *** I also recall an incident maybe apocryphal, but quoted with a kind of backhanded admiration about Louisiana Governor Huey Long: Huey Long made a number of promises to voters in order to get himself elected governor of Louisiana. When it became apparent that he would not honor those promises, a crowd gathered before the governors office and demanded that he keep his word. Governor Long, exclaimed his worried assistant. Those people said you made promises to the people of Louisiana and you havent done anything about what you said youd do. What do I tell them? Governor Long smiled, and said: Tell them I lied. *** And finally, there is a roll-playing game component module, Feats of Treachery, in which the player assumes the role of betrayer in order to triumph over opponents.
Further Thoughts on Successful Treachery 1) There are unsuccessful acts of treachery. The most famous might be Delilahs three failed attempts to bring down Samson. 2) Then there is treachery that succeeds, but is punished Judas Iscariot being the most egregious example. 3) There are acts of treachery in which the employers turn on the traitor by repaying the debt in such a way that the traitor suffers from the payment (Tarpeia). 4) Then there are the treacherous acts that succeed; the vice is not punished, nor virtue rewarded (Yoshitoshis demon Ibaraki) 5) Finally: according to Pierre Corneille, treachery is not a vice at all if the act is in the service of virtue (a police mole infiltrating the Mafia in Blue Bloods)
Thanks to my colleagues Rodger Birt and Marvin Nathan for their help with this project

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Successful Treachery in Art and Life

  • 2. In Yoshitoshis woodblock series, the Samurai Watanabe no Tsuna cuts off the demon Ibrakis arm at the Rashomon Gate in Kyoto.
  • 3. The samurai places the demons arm in a box. A priest blesses the container, but warns Watanabe not to show its contents to anyone. However, Ibaraki disguises himself as Watanabes aunt, and persuades him to let her see the severed arm. When the samurai opens the box, Ibaraki seizes the limb and flies away with her prize.
  • 4. At first, I could think of no other stories in which traitors successfully duped their victims and then escaped to enjoy their rewards. The act of treachery has been so thoroughly reviled over the centuries that all the stories that came to mind resulted in the humiliating exposure of the betrayer and subsequent punishment for the treasonable act. Satan in the Ninth Circle of Hell, reserved for traitors Satan pictured gnawing the arch-traitors Judas Iscariot, Brutus and Cassius
  • 5. Rembrandt, The Blinding of Samson The story of Delilah and Samson, however, is a clear case of treachery successfully perpetrated with no repercussions for the traitor. After three failed attempts to deprive her lover Samson of his strength, Delilah succeeds after he reveals to her that his hair is the source of his strength. She has a servant cut his hair, then conveys the news of her to the Philistine chieftains, who capture and blind Samson, then lead him into slavery. There is no mention in the Bible that she suffered any retribution for Delilahs acts. Her treachery succeeds, and we hear no more of her life after her betrayal of Samson.
  • 6. However, there are instances in myth and history in which the act of treachery is condoned, and even rewarded. Jacob cheats his brother out of his birthright by an act of complicit treachery with the boys mother, as seen in this panel from the Gates of Paradise by Ghiberti.
  • 7. Even those who employ the services of the betrayer, according to Plutarch. revile both the act and the person: Antigonus said he loved men who offered to betray, but hated those who had betrayed; and Caesar, in saying of the Thracian Rhoemetalces, that he loved treachery but hated a traitor. This is a very general feeling towards base people on the part of those who need their services, just as they need certain wild creatures for their venom and gall; for while they feel the need of them, they put up with them, but abhor their vileness when they have obtained from them what they want. Plutarch Tarpeia betrays Rome to the Sabine invaders. The legend tells that while Rome was besieged by the Sabine king , Tarpeia, daughter of the commander of the Roman citadel, approached the Sabine camp and offered them entry to the city in exchange for "what they bore on their left arms. Greedy for gold, she had meant their bracelets, but instead the Sabines threw their shieldscarried on the left armupon her, crushing her to death. Her body was then hurled from a steep cliff of the southern summit of the Capitoline Hill.
  • 8. Furthermore, according to one school of thought, sometimes treachery serves a good cause: Treachery is noble when aimed at tyranny. Pierre Corneille Not only tyranny, but any act against a power deemed evil can serve to raise the betrayer to the level of a hero, as we have recently seen in the supporters of the whistleblower Julian Assange, who allegedly released sensitive government information through Wikileaks, an organization that publishes secret information, news leaks, and classified media provided by anonymous sources." Julian Assange: Traitor or Hero? Whistleblower: a person who publicly exposes corruption or wrongdoing
  • 9. In police work, an undercover agent a mole is planted in an organization in order to collect incriminating evidence about its members and so bring them to justice. Legal Treachery From the Blue Bloods series: Police officer Jamie Reagan as an undercover agent infiltrating the Mafia
  • 10. Quotations, a Story, and a Role-Playing Game involving Treachery: Old age and treachery will always beat youth and exuberance. David Mamet (also attributed to Fausto Coppi: "Age and treachery will overcome youth and skill.") *** Ah, treachery! the General murmured, his voice soft yet curiously orotund. One of history's favorite shortcuts. Ross Thomas, Ah, Treachery! *** Treachery is noble when aimed at tyranny. Pierre Corneille *** I also recall an incident maybe apocryphal, but quoted with a kind of backhanded admiration about Louisiana Governor Huey Long: Huey Long made a number of promises to voters in order to get himself elected governor of Louisiana. When it became apparent that he would not honor those promises, a crowd gathered before the governors office and demanded that he keep his word. Governor Long, exclaimed his worried assistant. Those people said you made promises to the people of Louisiana and you havent done anything about what you said youd do. What do I tell them? Governor Long smiled, and said: Tell them I lied. *** And finally, there is a roll-playing game component module, Feats of Treachery, in which the player assumes the role of betrayer in order to triumph over opponents.
  • 11. Further Thoughts on Successful Treachery 1) There are unsuccessful acts of treachery. The most famous might be Delilahs three failed attempts to bring down Samson. 2) Then there is treachery that succeeds, but is punished Judas Iscariot being the most egregious example. 3) There are acts of treachery in which the employers turn on the traitor by repaying the debt in such a way that the traitor suffers from the payment (Tarpeia). 4) Then there are the treacherous acts that succeed; the vice is not punished, nor virtue rewarded (Yoshitoshis demon Ibaraki) 5) Finally: according to Pierre Corneille, treachery is not a vice at all if the act is in the service of virtue (a police mole infiltrating the Mafia in Blue Bloods)
  • 12. Thanks to my colleagues Rodger Birt and Marvin Nathan for their help with this project