Power Is Depicted in William Shakespeare\'s King

¶ … power is depicted in William Shakespeare's "King Lear," Book I of John Milton's "Paradise Lost" and Francis Bacon's "Of Plantations" and "The Idols" from his "Novum Organum."

Shakespeare's depiction of power in King Lear shows how cunning, ruthless people come to gain political power at the expense of those that show qualities that one would desire in a leader: nobility, honesty and integrity. Shakespeare's key focus is the transition of power from one king or leader to his progeny. In King Lear, the title role decides to abdicate the throne and divide his kingdom equally between his three daughters: Goneril, Regan and Cordelia. Whereas the first two flatter him, Cordelia is honest and is ultimately punished for it: she loses her inheritance. In another part of the story, two brothers fight for control of a dukedom.

Here Shakespeare illustrates a contradiction between well-meaning, honest people and manipulative, power-hungry people. One of the themes of King Lear is that honest people, who we might desire as leaders, behave in a way that is limited by the parameters of their integrity. As with the case of Cordelia, this leads them to say some things that are met with reproach. On the other hand, the actions of power-hungry people are not limited, but rather they are structured in a way so as to achieve an optimal outcome, and to get power at any cost.

Paradise Lost" tells the biblical story of the fall from grace of Adam and Eve (and, by extension, all humanity) using language that is a supreme achievement of rhythm and sound. The main characters in the poem are God, Lucifer (Satan), Adam, and Eve. Much has been written about Milton's powerful and sympathetic characterization of Satan. Again, in Paradise Lost as in King Lear, a power structure is illustrated through the interactions between several key major characters. God is all-powerful and yet his actions are not unquestionable. It is a work that reflects a divine insurrection, taking themes familiar to all Milton's readers and using them to reveal the power struggle between aspects of human nature.

Rather than being a straightforward religious tract, "Paradise Lost" deals with the human's battle between his reason (Adam) and his senses (Eve). There is a large allegory/metaphor at work in the poem through which Milton is pointing to the power of the individual's use of both mind and soul to enact his own redemption through the saving powers granted by a just and powerful God. Satan should be regarded as something of the first lawyer in literature of any merit; as any good one, his client's guilt or innocence is not the issue; rather his ability to use words to sway reason and the senses to his point-of-view. Remember that Satan enters the serpent through its mouth and it is by beguiling the senses (Eve) that she in turn is able to seduce reason (Adam). His first and foremost concern is that we learn to take responsibility for our own choices and decisions; a particular way to "salvation" - a loaded term for him - has been indicated, but it is up to each of us to assume command of how we do it.

Sir Francis Bacon was considered a legal expert and an unrepentant monarchist under the reign of Elizabeth I, one of England's most popular queens. As such, he was an early advocate of enlightened rule. Essentially, Bacon believed that men should strive to reach a clarified knowledge of human nature, unhampered by preconceived notions. He placed a high degree of value in the fields of philosophy and natural science, and thought less of subjects such as history and literature. Bacon was a contemporary of Galileo and a precursor to the empiricists that were to define enlightenment thought in England.