Interdisciplinary Examination of Improvisation of Power, Tyranny and Chaos in William Shakespeare’s King John and Henry VIII
Subject Areas :Azita Zamani 1 , Zahra Bordbari 2 , Javad Yaghoobi Derabi 3
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Keywords: Chaos/Chaotics, Empathy, Improvisation of Power, Tyrant/Tyranny,
Abstract :
The present study examines Stephen Greenblatt's theories on the Improvisation of Power and Tyranny in the light of Chaos Theory in William Shakespeare's King John and Henry VIII to investigate the complex web of nonviolent psychological dominance over the human mind based on empathy through displacement and absorption, modifying the symbolic order to generate or restrict chaos. The vicissitudes of a tyrant and the underlying factors that make up the infrastructure of the various tyranny in King John and Henry VIII are investigated and how tyrants take advantage of the improvisation of power to exercise power and carry out their mostly tyrannical and Machiavellian plans to create a new desired order out of the stimulated chaos. When the initial order is disturbed deliberately by the improvisors, entropy maximizes to the level of a secondary order, ensued from disorder and trivial fluctuations end up in significant changes. Controlling the chaotic situation to acquire the desired outcomes is the goal of improvisors, however, different results are due to multiple contributing factors such as their ability on manipulating reality, as it is seen in the divergent paths, to which each play is drawn. Both monarchs defy the prevailing religious narrative, yet it is Henry VIII's ability to improvise ensures his victory, whereas King John's failure stems from his inability to strategically exploit the tumultuous circumstances to his advantage. Pandulph’s triumph over King John proves how the improvisation of power deconstructs traditional hierarchical power relations and can make them horizontal, vertical, diagonal, or ascending.
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