Tears of Themis: Symbolism
After reading this thread on twitter, I expanded on some of the symbolism in my discord server, and figured folks out here might like to see it too ^-^
Themis - Personification of Divine Law
The Ancient Greeks were very fond of their personification of abstract concepts, many of whom remain famed to this day - Chronos of time, Eros of desire, Gaia of the Earth, Nemesis of retribution, Nike of victory, and many more.
Themis is perhaps a lesser known name, but only because her modern incarnation is Lady Justice. Her figure stands outside courthouses and important government buildings across the world, representing fairness in law - though in truth many fail to live up to these simple standards.
The loading screen of Tears of Themis shows the classical depiction - the scales on which she balances evidence has always been a key feature of her symbolism. The other elements came later -
• a sword to show that her judgement was to be respected, that there was power behind her justice. It is unsheathed to show transparency, that it is not a tactic of intimidation.
• the snake taken from the sister of Roman counterpart Justitia, Prudentia, which represents courageous wisdom and the importance of overcoming judgements made from fear rather than caution. In the modern Lady Justice, the snake represents evil.
• and the blindfold, a far later addition to represent the impartiality of Lady Justice's judgement.
Now let's take a look at the pic where MC is in the role of Themis, with her four love interests participating in the symbology.
Artem is indeed holding the scales still, but he is also assisting MC in finding balance. His touch is guiding, not forceful, and he is positioned as standing much higher than MC. He looks down upon her not with hostility or domination, but with a gentle, reverant expression.
He is the guiding force at her right hand side, helping her weigh the evidence without exerting too much of his own influence in her judgements.
Artem is invested in assisting the growth of MC and her own journey, and he is there to give counsel and the benefit of his own experience to help her.
However, with his eyes only on her, he may well be neglecting his own self, and is perhaps prone to pushing himself far too hard as he doesn't treat himself with the same respect he gives MC.
With such a strong focus on weighing the evidence, Artem is someone who struggles with emotions, preferring to sound rational rather than express feelings he struggles with. This is purely down to inexperience, and a lack of prioritising his own happiness 😭
Vyn may well be removing the blindfold here, but he could equally be presenting it, offering MC the choice of whether to take true impartiality, or to take her own personal opinions into account when making judgements.
Do we yet know which is preferable, to be objectively impartial or subjectively informed? Themis herself was objectively impartial, but her rulings while always fair were not necessarily to the benefit of all.
For a human to attempt such impartiality, they would be cold indeed, and ultimately fail. Vyn is there to help MC see the truth of matters, to know when to be objective, and when to trust in her own instincts.
Additionally however, the blindfold can represent trickery, in which case he is again offering her the truth, or intending to keep such machinations from her view.
With such a strong focus on the blindfold, Vyn is someone who is hiding a lot, but who will willingly reveal these things to someone he trusts. He relies heavily on his intuition.
Alas, he also expects the same as others, so getting to know him may be rather frustrating at times 🥺
Luke is bleeding upon the sword, cut by the power behind MC's judgement, and her unsheathed transparency and honesty.
And yet, he remains on one knee, his other hand in a fist upon his chest, in a pose of knightly subservience.
He is showing upfront that he will sacrifice his own happiness and feelings for MC, his loyalty unshakeable no matter what befalls him. He is also, perhaps, of more frail mortality than the others, and his disregard for his own blood leaving his body is a worrying trait.
With such a strong focus on the sword, to the extent he bleeds, Luke is someone who has strong emotions and is liable to let his heart rule his head. He is not naturally deceptive, but does act to protect MC first and foremost.
He is in empathy overdrive, which is, no pun intended, a double edged sword 🥺
Marius wears an ouroborus on his neck, true, the snake eating its own tail in a symbol of eternity and inevitability.
But it is his right hand that shows us his true intents, a golden snake wrapped around his wrist and hand, dripping down and held at a safe distance from MC.
He is drenched in the symbology of courageous wisdom, of the importance of being cautious, not fearful, and he has placed himself as willing sacrifice to the symbol of evil, so that it doesn't even get a chance to be seen by MC let alone attack her.
The snake however is of gold, a display of ostentatious wealth, and a sign that Marius hides his noble actions behind a smokescreen of playboy aesthetic. It is a misdirection, the dazzle of wealth used to distract the viewer from his suffering in silence, his struggles hidden from those around him.
And yet, he holds the snake, his eyes fixed upon it, intent on protecting MC at a cost only to himself.
With such a strong focus on the snake, Marius is someone who doesn't wish to burden others, to the extent he is content to damage himself, hiding that alongside everything else.
He is also willing to be perceived in a negative light, and has a tendency to see himself as the snake, rather than the one who is keeping the snakes at bay.
He is a difficult man to unravel, and may appear to have a shifting personality. Ultimately however, he is a noble soul with a good heart 🥺
You can check out my Obey Me theories, including symbolism stuff, here:
• OM! Theories Masterpost
And I'm always up for doing symbolism posts for games I have at least some playing time in ^-^
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