Bourdieu's Power

society and the goal of The Prince is to instruct a prince, or ruler, on how to maintain his state.

Often time power can be understood as control of material resources and wealth, control of politics and the institutions that make up society (Hutchison,2015). It is important to recognize and identify the core concepts of power or lack of power with individuals in society. The conflict theory allows examination within the text of those who hold power and lack power. The end result of power to hold dominance over another person, group, or society. As a result of the control and power is causes those who lack power to be devalued or alienated from a setting or even society (Hutchinson, 2015).

Power is defined as the possession of control or command over people and events. In Shakespeare’s play ‘King Richard III’, the centrality of power is communicated through characters and their pursuit for power while in ‘Looking for Richard’, Al Pacino’s docudrama exploring Richard as a character, his struggle for power is portrayed as well as Pacino’s struggle as he produces

Of course, one may just as easily argue that the Duke's newfound 'morality' is a direct result of the realisation that he, like the "rod" of the law, is perhaps "more mocked than feared" (I.iii.28). This interpretation is given credence when we consider the possibility that Lucio's remarks regarding the Duke may to some degree be representative of a general spirit of disdain rather than just a humorous product of his bawdy and irreverent nature. Neither must we forget the Duke's own avowal which is couched in very negative (and martial) terms:

Modern day power originates from the mind in that we give certain figures power based upon man-made forms of value or worth like money. The definition of power has fluctuated throughout time, and while the past may have emphasized the more violent aspects, today, we have shifted towards a more control based interpretation. Both Michael Foucault and John Berger delve into the idea of power and its functionality. Based on their texts, in our current socio-cultural setting, power is best exploited when the concept behind the power is deindividualized for many purposes, internalized by the people, and integrated throughout society to the point that its origins is mystified.

      In ‘Measure for Measure’, Shakespeare demonstrates that there is an innate immorality and corruption in the heart of man. Shakespeare illustrates that power does not cause corruption.  This is achieved by presenting the Duke, who has the most power in Vienna, as a moral hero, and conversely revealing the corruption of the powerless class through characters including Pompey, Mistress Overdone, and Barnadine.  Through all this, Shakespeare uses Lord Angelo in Measure for Measure to show that immorality and corruption is innate in mankind.

An individual who’s influenced by power, control and corruption is often the king that chooses how the game is played. In Marele Day’s novel, The life and Crimes of Harry Lavender uses a variety of plots, settings and characteristic features that display how power and corruption can influence an individual’s superiority over an entire city.

In this essay I shall compare James Scott’s theory of power and resistance with Michel Foucault’s, as in what similarities do they share in their structure of theories; and contrast the difference as in their understanding of power, position they take to look for/into power, exercise of power and resistance in response. By contrasting the two approaches on the subject of power and resistance, I shall argue, if one wish to look for the powerful and the weak, Scott’s approach is the go to. But for now, I find Foucault’s idea more plausible that we are surrounded by or inescapable from power, and that by any means, are not necessarily forced to submission; rather as freedom the same time.

power. A prince had to be tricky and should harm people to own his legacy and to

This article focus on the definition of power what is power, examining the phenomenon of powerful and the powerless. This will help my essay in explaining that power is not owned, one can’t simply own power but it is rather given.

Some theorists believe that ‘power is everywhere: not because it embraces everything, but because it comes from everywhere… power is not an institution, nor a structure, nor possession. It is the name we give to a complex strategic situation in a particular society. (Foucault, 1990: 93) This is because power is present in each individual and in every relationship. It is defined as the ability of a group to get another group to take some form of desired action, usually by consensual power and sometimes by force. (Holmes, Hughes &Julian, 2007) There have been a number of differing views on ‘power over’ the many years in which it has been studied. Theorist such as Anthony Gidden in his works on structuration theory attempts to integrate basic

Duke is portrayed as being a very controlling gentleman. He thinks that no one but himself has the authority to

Barnardine’s character demonstrates the change in the Duke’s severity through his years as a ruler by highlighting how clueless the Duke actually is regarding Barnardine’s situation. In the first scene of act one, the Duke is portrayed as the embodiment of responsibility. As he leaves for his fake vacation, he makes certain to leave someone to fill his position in his absence. Moreover, Angelo seems like the right choice. The Duke’s praises, Angelo’s gracefulness, even his angelic name, provide the reader with a sense of trust. Although the Duke is

Prowess refers to an individual’s talents, while fortune implies chance or luck. A prince who manages to gain power by relying on his own prowess will succeed at maintaining power because his prowess will have built him a firm foundation for ruling. Princes who succeed due to the sway of fortune or the goodwill of others lack a basis from which to rule and will have difficulty building it quickly enough to prevent power from slipping out of their hands. Thus, although princes who rely on fortune reach their position easily, maintaining that position is extremely difficult. Therefore it is commendable that a prince succeeds on their own prowess, which will help build stronger fundamentals for themselves. He will have the loyalty of his army, which is analogous to the allegiance of the boss’ employees and the respect of leaders of surrounding principalities, which is also comparable to the esteem of other companies. Overall, the more self-reliant this authority figure is, the more he will prove capable of success as he will be better equipped to deal with problems and

In any given society power and greed are often noted as societal factors that tend to exist together such that one of them influences the other. In William Shakespeare 's play, "Measure for Measure" the two concepts have been clearly depicted through Lord Angelo and the Duke 's action of using their power to win the love of Claudio 's sister, Isabella. Based on the theme of this play, one can argue that leaders sometimes use their power to influence the lives of others or control a particular agenda. It is represented through Lord Angelo who uses his manipulative nature for personal gratification with Isabella, revealing the positive and negative characteristics of his character and exposing the truth of human nature. The paper discusses the concept of authority and greed to understand how people in authority use their power to fulfill their personal desires by taking advantage of their position or authority.