Obedience (Shakespeare and Machiavelli)
Obedience is a thing that we encounter daily. It is critical for something as large as a country to function but can be found in something as small as the family unit. Disobedience is equally evident in society; past and present. One could even argue that history is made by the choices of either obedience or disobedience. So what is our attitude towards obedience? As mentioned before it comes on many different levels. When we have the choice between obeying the request of a parent, we might not put any weight on our decision. However, in regards to a ruler of a nation, I believe that we see obedience as an absolute. You cannot disobey a president, or king. These attitudes were the same hundreds of years ago. Shakespeare and Machiavelli were both great writers of their times. Their works have passed the test of the years and are still viewed as valuable today. Machiavelli believed that obedience to a ruler was only called for when the ruler’s interests were in tune with those of the people as well. Shakespeare, on the other hand, had a different view. He saw that obedience to a king was an absolute. This meant that even if the ruler was wrong, or doing evil, it was the duty of the subjects to obey that ruler.
“Hamlet: Never make known what you have seen tonight. Shakespeare lived in a time of spreading Christianity. Often times in the Bible, Jesus, or God are referred to as a King. Many examples of this can be found in Jesus’ parables where he uses the image of a King to represent God. “The kingdom of heaven is like a king who prepared a wedding banquet for his son.” (Matthew 22:2) And again, “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his throne in heaven in heavenly glory…. Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed…” (Matthew 25:31-34) Having established that Christ or God can be viewed as a King, we can fit this into our statement of absolute obedience to that King. God, like any other king, has laws and rules for his people. If those laws aren’t followed, the people are punished. I believe that Shakespeare often wrote about evil people and actions to show how these have consequences and punishments. In Othello, Othello commits the sin of murder. “I kissed thee ere I killed thee. No way but this, killing myself, to die upon a kiss.” (Bevington p.127) Having killed his wife and himself, Othello faces severe judgment in the afterlife. After killing his wife, Othello’s whole world was taken from him. The respect of other’s was gone, his position was taken from him, his wife destroyed, and his friends feared him. It can be argued that God was punishing Othello for his evil ways. The presence of God and heaven in the play is evident. Emilia, as she begins to realize what has led Othello to murder his wife, exclaims, “O God! O heavenly God!” (Bevington p.121) When accused of lying about Iago’s actions against Othello, Emilia screams, “By heaven, I do not, I do no
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Approximate Word count = 1196
Approximate Pages = 5 (250 words per page double spaced)
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