This paper discusses the different ways 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".
Written in 2004; 1,205 words; 3 sources; $ 41.95
Paper Summary:
This paper explains that, whereas Shakespeare sought to depict power struggles in terms of personal conflicts and the differing methodologies of self-interested individuals who held conflicting principles, Bacon saw man as a perfectible creature that was capable of shedding dogmatic hindrances and becoming the progenitor of a utopian community. The author points out that Milton dealt not with men at all, but portrayed divine characters in a human manner that illustrated a political context for the power struggle that was, in his time, internalized by many Christians. The paper stresses the one thing that all these writers share is that they were seldom out of favor with the political apparatus of Britain; Shakespeare and Bacon were often apologists for the monarchy, and Milton was a favorite of Cromwell's Puritan regime.
From the Paper:
"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."
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