King Lear And Moll Flanders

6 Pages 1433 Words

The definition of power used in literature can be interpreted as a character employing their ability to act or produce an effect on a particular physical or emotional faculty. Power is ambiguous, and the different ways a person can exercise power are infinite. However, particular kinds of power can only be brought into action by a person of the legitimate authority, for example, the Prime Minister of Great Britain. Literature does not only focus on people of this certain authoritative power because average people play an important role in society. A Prime Minister must be voted into government power by individuals with different levels of power; recognised and unrecognised. This reality gives any human being extreme power in itself and proves ultimately that, to some extent, each person holds the power to influence their lives and the lives of others.

The play King Lear was written and performed in 1605, during the first years of the reign of King James I. King James succeeded Queen Elizabeth so the public had striven to accept a Queen and felt the dramatic change in the monarchy similar to the disruption in King Lear. Edward Spenser’s allegorical poem The Faire Queene (1590 – 1596) was a celebration of the Queen. King James watched a performance of King Lear at Whitehall on 26 December 1606. To a certain extent King Lear was a warning to King James, telling him how not to rule and how to wisely distribute power.

In Renaissance drama, especially Shakespearean tragedy, the authoritative rulers are typically placed at the centre of stage. As a King, King Lear must represent established, hierarchy power, initially he embodies this, basking in the realm of flattery and the feeling of absolute power. However, he abhors the underlying power of opposition and the challenges against him and therefore decides to divide his kingdom between his three daughters. Essentially he still wishes to be treated as a king, retain his title but ...