Shyamala Aunty,
I will start with a disclaimer:
My comments here are mainly in the context of my thoughts and feelings regarding Alexander's character arc as portrayed in this show. I have not read enough "reliable" historical sources to compare and contrast in depth with what historians and others have written about his life.
Sisygambis - Would a mother by any another name be as loving?
Like many of my fellow viewers and forum members I was very much looking forward to seeing Alexander-Sisygambis interactions, not just because of what we know of their first meeting from history/legend but also because I wanted to see if my hypothesis about Alexander's soft corner for a maternal figure was on point.
Alexander is known to have been courteous towards Sisygambis right from the beginning. There is no doubt that his upbringing and noble lineage contributed to his respectful and charismatic approach to dealing with the royal family but I believe the shrewder side of Alexander did not want to get off on the wrong foot with his newly conquered Persian citizens.
Alexander did not expect cultural assimilation from his subjects, rather he revelled in the diversity of the peoples and lands he ruled over. What better way to harmonize this than to show them that his Persian-Macedonian subjects were, in his eyes, equal to the Macedonians from his birthplace, and that they had the right to be treated equally well?
As a lover of philosophy and culture, probably due to his education, he would have wanted to preserve the majesty of the Persian empire, which until then had been the biggest empire in the world. Why would a person as sensible as Alexander want to destroy such an exotic culture and disrupt their social practices by imposing his own?
Just as marriages were used to resolve or pre-empt political issues, the public acceptance and display of a filial bond between Alexander and the mother of the deserted royal family provided an extremely powerful image and reassurance to the fearful population. With the scene of Queen Ada declaring Alexander to be her son, my hopes of seeing Sisygambis were dashed, but I am glad the makers did not omit this important public display of affection altogether.
Alexander adopted his people and wanted them to do the same with him. He understood early on that in order to expand and conquer efficiently, he needed to avoid unnecessary bloodshed so that he could rule over people's hearts and not through fear. This would not only ensure their loyalty towards him in his absence and quell potential uprisings, but also increase his popularity amongst his subjects. As he says in Episode 113 - loyalty cannot be bought or forced. Persia appeared to be a patriarchal society so if the new "alpha male" in power who would control their fates were accepted as one of them, they would feel more at ease.
One of my favourite scenes in the show so far is in Episode 99 when Alexander bids his mother farewell, and says "to me you are above my life, dream, and goal" and then when he shakes his head imperceptibly asking his mother not to cry for him. He knows very well what it means for her to fear losing him forever while having the courage to let him spread his wings to leave the nest. They both know deep down that this may be their last meeting but on the outside we see their common trait: eternal optimism. Alexander's eyes simultaneously showed so much tenderness and determination to make his mother proud that I was spellbound by Rohit's performance in that scene.
They say children will always be a part of their mothers no matter how old they become, but in this case Olympias will always be a part of Alexander no matter how old and mature he becomes. As a result, Alexander would probably have a lot of respect for women and be appreciative of their intelligence and power. She was a tour de force that truly instilled in him the confidence and titanium (or perhaps Adamantium) will, so he was not bound by the traditional patriarchal mindset of women being inferior. It was telling that he comforted his sister when Philip wanted to marry her off forcefully as he did not agree to it either.
Back to my hypothesis, I had been wondering if seeing a mother figure so far from home, who was deserted by her son, softened him in a way that would be unexpected even by his aides. He would have never done that to his own mother. Sisygambis and Alexander must have made quite the impression on each other that resulted in the famous filial bond. As for Darius' mother disowning him and adopting Alexander, if this is ever shown I would not find it surprising at all. We've seen how little Darius cares for his own daughter and uses her as a pawn. Surely his mother would know of this trait but would not accept being humiliated by his cowardice when he deserted them. We are told repeatedly that Darius was a merchant and not a born ruler, so his escape was the result of his calculation of profit versus loss during the battle and not what a true leader would have done.
Alexander's treatment of women in general tells a lot about him, and the fact that he used to consider it important to control his desires rather than give in to hedonistic pleasures, unlike other rulers, explains why his single-minded pursuit of glory was so successful.
What I love is that Alexander is also able to appreciate that not all women are as formidable as his mother, and I feel his heart softened when he thought the soldier was trying to assassinate Darius's "helpless" family. In one moment he is driving the knife deeper into the soldier's chest because he "dared" to attack the three women Alexander had decided to take under his wing and in the next he turns to the scared ladies and asks them not to be concerned for their safety. How were they to know that a man with his reputation could exhibit behaviors at either end of the spectrum in this way?
The lesson he learned in Episodes 17-19 about the importance of one's name always plays a significant role in how he wants to be perceived. Word of mouth would help spread equally well how ferocious a warrior he was and how chivalrous and merciful he could be towards the conquered. He was one of the world's earliest known superstars and the impact of his name and fame were ever-present in his strategies. I expect and really hope the makers show us more of this facet of his life in future episodes.
Perhaps I read too much into that scene, but was seeing the three women fear him a disconcerting experience? It was clear in his mind that he would protect them, but his name and fame worked against him in this instant and he knew he had to put them at ease immediately. How were they to know that the man known for his brutality and ruthlessness could be sensitive towards their plight? Rohit was unbelievable in this scene too as Alexander showed a myriad of emotions (with that awful arrow stuck in his thigh).
The Battle of Issus - Day 2
Rohit was spectacular again in all the battle scenes and I think his eyes are his greatest assets in portraying a ferocious warrior with an incredibly high IQ. It was ironic that Alexander referred to himself as aaj ka khuda because eventually he was not able to decide Darius' fate on that day. Hence his wrath at being unable to stop Darius fleeing. This dialog reminded me of the scene in Episode 108 where after Alexander puts on Achilles' armor, he tells the priest that Achilles is the past and he is today's god of war, today being the operative word because his reign ended with his early death and someone else taking power.
Darius disdainfully referred to Alexander as a bachha, Alexander actually was one - a young boy in comparison to the many rulers he defeated. Over time Alexander probably believed too much in his being all powerful as a god and became a victim of his own success. He did not know when to stop - youth often fools man into thinking he is invincible and in Alexander's case his mortal body could not cope with the long periods of exertion. It is said that at one point, he became homesick and just wanted to see his mother, the original source of his strength. In the show, and possibly in real life, Alexander chooses a short life and eternal glory over long-term strategy and passing on his legacy, leading to his early death.
Harry Potter Stunt
I hope you will excuse me for not wanting to talk about the 4.5 musketeers.
Alexander and Hephaestion
I am not even sure how to describe this scene that Rohit and Akash have managed to pull off exceedingly well. Only these two could have made it this poignant and meaningful because there is a thin line that may have otherwise been crossed that could have made the whole scene appear cheesy.
I went back and watched previous interactions between the two, especially the head massage and hammam poisoning scenes, and there were definitely over and undertones all throughout, though done very subtly keeping viewers' sensibilities in mind. I think the makers have so far refrained from explicitly defining their relationship because it is still a source of many debates on the real Alexander and Hephaestion's lives.
In this particular scene though, we see a vulnerable side to Alexander that only Hephaestion is privy to. The only other person in the world who would have seen this side of him and still believed in him would be his mother. So I found the dialog fitting that after his mother, Hephaestion is the only one he can really trust and who really trusts him. Alexander is in a foreign land, with his army hugely outnumbered, leading his biggest military effort to date and on the cusp of taking control of the biggest empire in the world at that time. Had his mother been physically present, she would have stood by him and shown her undying support, and this is what he is asking of Hephaestion. Alexander's eyes beseech his companion and confidant to stand by him as they go through uncharted territory and to be there for him during moments of uncertainty.
Hephaestion, like Olympias, is living and breathing Alexander's ambitions and dreams with him, and there is no doubt that Alexander's glory would be incomplete if Hephaestion weren't at his side. Despite his childhood friendship and official commitment to Alexander's military campaigns, we see that their bond is strong enough for Hephaestion to be comfortable telling Alexander that even he didn't know what his friend was capable of until this battle. He sounded surprised himself and Alexander, being the astute and observant person that he is, picks up on this. He acknowledges the fact that they are both venturing into the unknown where they may end up in many unpredictable and difficult circumstances and wants to hear Hephaestion's pledge and support to be by Alexander's side no matter what. This kind of bond is only possible between two people who really know each other, and I am impressed that these two actors (and the makers) are not afraid to show the feminine side of two very "manly" warriors. It is in line with what we know of Greek cultural norms of that time, but to be able to appropriate it to today's audience is no mean feat. Knowing that they both left Macedonia and never came back, I am very glad and thankful that Alexander had Hephaestion by his side all throughout - one could not ask for a better companion, almost soulmate.
I hope you've managed to stay awake this far. It took me a little longer to reply than I had expected, but collecting my thoughts doesn't come easy.
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