Powerplay In Text
...veral times to comfort her, only to have Cleopatra interrupt him after only three or four words. This is an example of powerplay, showing how Cleopatra is dominating the conversation and also the relationship. She is exerting her influence over Antony and restricting what he has to say, playing the power firmly on her side of the ‘court’. The second major example of powerplay in Antony and Cleopatra appears in act II scene II, in the form of a political powerplay between Antony and Octavius Caesar. The first technique Shakespeare uses to show powerplay is the childish game of refusing to sit first. “Sit. Sit sir”. Both parties refuse to succumb to the others request, in fear that they will surrender a portion of power to the other. Shakespeare uses this to show the nature of politics. The technique is continued further into the scene, where the parties refuse to speak first on the topic, trying to entice the other into speaking out. “Will Caesar speak? Not until he hears how Antony is touched by what is spoke already”. This is used by Shakespeare to show how the balance of power between the two men at this stage is equal, and is an example of a powerplay, as each man struggles to gain the upper hand, and therefore power over the other. Coincidently in this same scene, Shakespeare uses manipulation to show the nature of politics. Caesar and his underling Agrippa are able to deceive Antony into marrying Cleopatra, securing the political relationship between Antony and Caesar. This little manipulation is used by Shakespeare to show how Caesar wrestles the power from Antony in this powerplay. It is also used by him to explore the nature of politics. Bryce Courtenay also examines powerplay within his novel The Power Of One. The entire plot of the novel is one large powerplay – the rise of a small frightened boy to one of the most influential people in all of South Africa. There are also many specific exams, and techniques used by Courtenay within the novel. One of these is the use of the character ‘the judge’. The word ‘judge’ is a power word, creating the image of a man sitting high up on a bench, with the power over life and death of those who stand before him. Courtenay places this character in a position of power, just by the use of his name. This powerplay is even more effective, when Courtenay contrasts it to “pisskop”, the derogatory term by which his main character is called at this stage in the novel. Immediately, without knowing anything about the characters, the judge is placed in a position of power over the other character, Peekay. Courtenay also uses physicality and age as a powerplay between the two characters. Courtenay constructs the judge to be a twelve year old boy; this is contrasted with Peekay who is only five. It is then obvious that the judge is physically dominant over Peekay. This is used as a powerplay by Courtenay, to show how the judge has the power in the relationship between the two boys. Physically, the judge wrestles the power from Peekay. Phallicy is also used by Courtenay as a powerplay between the two boys. “His ‘snake’ was monstrously large and hung around the level of my eyes”. Courtenay compares the two boy’s genitalia, and Peekay’s “tiny acorn” stood no chance against the older boy. This is used by Courtenay as a physical representation of power. The judge being superior in genitalia size, has the power over the smaller insignificant Peekay. It is also an insight into the male notion of phallic power. American History X, by Tony Kaye also deals with the notion of powerplay. The director uses many techniques to show how power is represented within the relationships of the characters. One of these is the powerplay within the basketball game. Kaye constructs a ‘winner takes all’ basketball game be...