chikara

Power is more than a word; in all areas of life power is able to shift the balance between good and evil. When we look at written works it is able to make and break heroes, open doors for the wicked and advance their intentions or squash them where they stand. In works like Shakespeare’s Measure for Measure we see that the word power is the deciding factor in whether a play can be a tragedy or comedy. The villain and heroes in this play each have their own power but throughout the story it shifts. As a villain’s power amasses we see the heroes’ power diminish over time leaving them in situations where they can seem almost powerless. However the opposite can happen as well in which we see towards the end of the play when the heroes have all the power while the villain is left powerless. Although the balance shifting was a side effect of the word power it also came at a cost to both the heroes and the villain. Some of the heroes’ morals were lessened while the villain became corrupt and obsessed regretting his poor choices in the end.

In examining the word power we have look at its origins during the time of Shakespeare to see definitive meanings of the word. According to the Oxford English Dictionary in the 1300s power meant “Ability to act or affect something strongly; physical or mental strength; might; vigour, energy; effectiveness.” (OED, power). This seems to be the most common definition that comes to mind when we imagine power and this definition is seen within the confines of Measure for Measure. Yet that is not the only form of power defined in Measure for Measure another meaning to it is “Control or authority over others; dominion, rule; government, command, sway.” (OED, power). This definition like the first...

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...tle in this quote hints can still be seen. The power of persuasion is something that is always relayed through religion and it is a prized power usually used for good. The book is one of Topsell’s best as seen in the biography saying “Insistence upon a spiritual reading of the book of nature is to be found prominently in the prefatory material, and less prominently in the text, of Topsell's most celebrated publications, The History of Four-Footed Beasts (London, W. Jaggard, 1607)” (G. Lewis, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography). This information from the article is something that I believe has very important meaning to all authors. Topsell had an insistence upon a spiritual reading of the book meaning that he wanted people to look at it in a certain way. It makes you consider what other authors wanted in the way that we read their text as some did not leave