Is Fordola the monster Lyse says she is?

[Anonymoose]

It's really interesting to me that everyone has more or less divided into the two most fundamental positions in ethics and morality: Consequentialism (ie, the ends justifies the means) and categoricalism (ie, an action is categorically right or wrong, regardless of circumstances).

I think the fact that Fordola was obviously an antagonist at the beginning of the debate makes it's easier for us to fall into the pit of debating the degree to which motivations matter (coupled of course with the fact that the OP's specific question was "Is she a monster?" which leans on the scale), thus bringing out consequential and categorical ways of thinking - especially at first, as debate has yet to whittle down the obvious rough edges on each point of view.

Though as I was brushing up on the subject, this caught my eye.

Conrad
If the only way to forge the future we want is to cut down our own, then...

M'naago
Then what was it all for!? What will you say to the families of the fallen─to the mothers and the widows and the orphans? Will you tell them it was all for nothing!?

Raubhan
Listen to the girl. We dare not suffer our comrades' sacrifices to have been in vain. Now is the time to steel our resolve and press on, painful though it may be.

Is it so hard to believe this discussion was only happening on one side?

The question, then, is what should her sentence be? To what extent should her punishment be mitigated — not excused, not pardoned — by her upbringing and circumstances?

Ironically, I don't care much what hand she's dealt from the punishment deck (so long as it suits the greater narrative). I care that important points not be ignored (that the Skulls are the scions of Ala Mhigans of high status, indoctrinated as children, given Garlean education with promise of citizenship; that she signed on to Baelsar's "meritocracy" only to end up yoked to Zenos's "hunt"; ethical considerations of "who is the traitor" when the city's army is commanded by foreign conquerors; that her judges will represent the nascent soul of the liberated Ala Mhigo; et cetera). She also has a purpose if the writers kept her alive at all (if nothing else to speak for one interpretation of "loyalty").

On this topic, to fail to contemplate the character completely is to render pointless contemplating her at all.

Well, that and I just like throwing un-discussed facets of a topic at the wall and seeing what sticks. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

For all I care she could bust out to rejoin Gaius when he TOTALLY COMES BACK YOU GUYS <weeps into his drink>