Power is the ability of a person to influence the behavior of others. This is usually evident in political situations where one person tries all means to rule a certain class of people. The person in desire of power will always exploit all the available means to acquire it. Power normally is a contest between several parties and the most favored party or person in a society gets a chance to rule. In political scenarios, acquisition of power occurs when the civilians vote in favor of their preferred candidates. In other scenarios, acquisition of power occurs through appointments of the person or party who has the qualities of leadership or by other merits. When a person or party contests for a power and he or she faces rejection from the people, in some situation the person may resort to other means of acquiring such power. The person may resort to violence and riots. This is where the person mobilizes the people or civilians to go against the party in power. Most politicians resort to such to this means after defeat by their rivals. Other leaders after they go into power they start revenging other leaders or parties who rule before them. They may revenge against other parties through extrajudicial killings and mistreating of other parties. William Shakespeare through his play Hamlet and Michael Winter bottom through the film A Cock and Bull Story depict the idea of power. These artists use different characters and themes to bring the power idea.
The late King Hamlet receives high placement as a strong ruler thus powerful in his actions, being a forthright leader his guard is in good health. On the other hand, Claudius connotation is that he is a weak leader politically and he is on an attempt to satisfy his desires, he has compromised and corrupted Denmark (Shakespeare, 2002). Power is an associate of good health and it is clear that strength in political power comes with good things and all that which is right and appealing to the people at the service of those in power.
However, weak political power is an associate of issues like corruption and other wrongful acts. Despite being a leader, Claudius political weakness in terms of political power makes him and Denmark weaker. Claudius political weakness is the source of his economic weakness that he tries to regain by corrupting at the expense of Denmark. This believe of linkage between political and economic is what brings hopes to Denmark after the rise to power of the upright Fortinbras as at the end of the play, the suggestion is that Denmark will be once again be strengthened (Shakespeare, 2002).
The general concern in this is the unfolding amid political intrigue within and outside the court. Even if Denmark is, portrayed to have suffered under the leadership of Claudius the domination of the Court at Elsinore connotes him to be a powerful figure thus having to sides of him as both being powerless in terms economic war but personally powerful in terms of wits. Claudius is cool-headed, clever and diplomatic, this makes him get what he wants, and this is total portrayal of power since it is only through power that one can get what he or she wants. The threatening concerns of the young hotheaded Fortinbras in the neighboring Norway after the death of Claudius brother seemed to be nothing to Claudius (Shakespeare, 2002). Claudius expresses his powers of the mind by not rushing to battle up but sends ambassadors to lay negotiations that were successful.
Juxtaposition is in use to show the factual difference between the old Hamlet and Claudius. The true King of Denmark, Hamlet’s father is Hyperion-the Titan god of light to represents regality, virtue and honor.
The ideas of power are in display through the aspect that women are powerless. Ophelia is at the clemency of the men. This is made clear by her merciful acts towards her lover Hamlet, her brother Laertes and her father Polonius. This is evident in an occasion where she was advice by her brother on how to conduct herself, this happens when Laertes was on his way to France. He tells her “Best safety lies in fear”. However, when she points out to him about this advice he is not positive about going by the same advice. The double standard is quite clear to Ophelia “Lord Hamletis young, and with a larger tedder may he walk than may be given you”. Despite his age, Ophelia seems to have accepted the fate of her supervised narrow life. In addition, Ophelia is powerless to change anything affecting her life. Following Hamlet’s advice Ophelia is obedient to Hamlet and makes agreements of participating to his schemes, “I shall obey, my Lord” (Shakespeare, 2002). Struggle for power is the vital issue that brings out the whole issues depicted in the play.
William Shakespeare brings the idea of power through the theme of revenge. The artists put across the theme of revenge when the Prince Hamlet comes back home after the death of his father King Hamlet. Upon arriving home, he finds that Claudius his brother has taken power of their death King’s place. Claudius has taken the power in two ways. He has become the ruler of Denmark and inherited Hamlet’s mother Gertrude as his wife. This happened within a span of time after the death of King Hamlet. Prince Hamlet becomes disturbed and wants to know the reason behind all this. The ghost of the death King tells Hamlet that Claudius murdered him and this prompts him to go for revenge. He plans to kill Claudius. When the band of actors visits him, he seizes that opportunity and asks them to act the death of King Hamlet in front of King Claudius once more. When Claudius reacts violently on the act, Hamlet realizes the truth. Later when he acts the play again in his mother’s home, Claudius vows to eliminate him after mistakenly Killing Polonius instead of Claudius (Shakespeare, 2002). Revenge is seen also, when Laetrtes vows to kill Hamlet for the death of his father and sister. Later King Claudius, Hamlets and Laertes die and Fortinbras takes the Kingship. Here the artists bring the fact that revenge does not benefit those who go for revenge.
In the novel, the conversations and the upcoming conflicts between Coogan and Brydon on the set up ring truly while on the other hand, it slowly and slyly satirizes the entire population involved. Naomie Harris emerges to be a particularly amusing character by being the only individual in the movie with a true cinema passion. She reveals her favorite filmmakers as Fassbinder and Bresson. Coogan acts as the pivotal presence making it hard to tell where actual being ends exact acting starts. The movie has an excellent plot under which the audience is flabbergasted to experience its captivating features (Heart, 2007).
Winterbottom has great passion of his work while directing this film experienced on how the scenes are organized. We get to follow the integrative arranged sections cautiously as this makes the movie more interesting since the audience tries to capture what is to happen in the next episode of the film.
The director applies special effects to add more taste to the movie and maintain the audiences focus. We experience this from scenes where Brydon and Coogan intensely conflict and the director brings in sound effects to highlight the environments’ mood of contradiction between the two antagonists.
Michael sets up this movie in a manner that makes the audience feel attached to the actors. When he himself faces extraordinary challenges of which most are beyond his strength in life, he manipulatively uses them as experience and form of training ground to prepare for the fore coming tougher ones. This makes the audience relate to the feeling he has as he experiences these hardships (Heart, 2007).
The Cock and bull story clearly portrays the idea of leadership when Rob Brydon, who plays in Uncle Toby’s position, sees himself as if he is more than Coogan as he and he brands himself “co-lead” (Heart, 2007). Uncle Tobby is experience in the fight of Namur and Tristrams’ unexpected circumcision when he is only three years old as compared to the Hamlets story, Uncle Tobby woos Wadnam, the widow. The two stories struggle to reveal the extreme use of power. Brydon feels to be more powerful which makes him use his power extravagantly on others.
References
Shakespeare, W. (2002). The tragedy of Hamlet, prince of Denmark. DC Heath & Company.
Heart, A. M., Shandy, T., Cock, A., Story, B., You, I. W., & Kiss, B. (2007). Michael Winterbottom. USA/UK.
