Power Relations within Blackadder

The power we previously discussed isn’t always present, and as Thomas Hobbes wrote, “The Power of a Man, (to take it Universally,) is his present means, to obtain some future apparent Good.” (1651/2005, p. 360, their emphasis). This provides a motive for a person to take power, with that motive being that it may come in handy or pay-off to have it in the future. Examples of people attempting to gain power over their equals are numerous throughout history, as well as in Blackadder, such as when Blackadder tries to obtain evidence that his brother is a bastard in “Born to Be King” (Curtis, Atkinson & Shardlow, 1983), or when he claims George’s paintings as his own in “Captain Cook” (Curtis, Elton & Boden, 1989).

However, James Read critically examines Hobbes’ concepts, suggesting that:

Read continues with “in cases where that good is such that one can only enjoy it at another’s expense, the power of one comes at the expense of the power of another.” (p. 509). In these examples, the power is not physical, rather institutionally surrounding class. Be it Blackadder’s status as the “true” bastard, or his status as a talented artist, they can all be categorised as either a step up or down the metaphorical social ladder. Read poses an interesting scenario surrounding how a person’s power can influence another’s actions, and it can be assessed against the character of Blackadder and his so-called position on the class ladder:

Blackadder’s position on this scale is determined by his surroundings and company. When he is in the company of his equals, it is far more likely that he becomes “person A”, whereas when he is in the company of people of a higher class, for example Queen Elizabeth I or General Melchett, he is knocked down a few places. However, in Blackadder the Third this example falls apart, as the Prince Regent is portrayed as a particularly unintelligent person in comparison to Blackadder, with Blackadder often holding the power over the Prince Regent. Read concludes their examination of Hobbes’ views on power by comparing them to Robert Dahl and Felix Oppenheim’s, which fall closer in-line with the power relations portrayed in Blackadder.

This description best represents Blackadder, as although the Prince is literally royalty and Blackadder is his servant, Blackadder often holds the power over the Prince, rectifying (or attempting to rectify) various situations the Prince has found himself in, or setting the Prince up to certain situations so he may benefit from the outcome. Power is a fundamental aspect of Blackadder, whether it be Blackadder’s attempts to gain more of it from those above him, or the depiction of what power he already has over his peers.