What is the definition of real power?
“Information is power”. These were the words of Petyr Baelish as he tried to exercise his influence on the queen regent Cercei Lannister. Without batting an eyelid, she had her personal guards seize him and ordered one of them to slit his throat, only to stop him right before he landed the killing blow. To remind the self-styled lord of his place in the realm, Cercei gives him a small taste of her influence and power. Her words (with a slight chuckle), “Information is not power, Lord Baelish. Power is power”.
Since time immemorial, the idea of power and the subsequent influence of that power has been one of the most potent motivators for action. Of Kings and Queens. Of Sultans and Viziers. Of Emperors and Ministers. Of Generals and Captains. The power associated with a rank in a society driven by labels and monikers, is not just immense. It can be all that one requires to lead a life of comfort and luxury. But it is definitely not the definition of real power.
Real power is a stellar combination of status and personality. The status, defined by rank, wealth and official title, is of course an indispensable part of the power equation. Without it, the strongest of personalities cannot wield influence (or terror) on their chosen targets. Once the rank is secured, a strong personality completes the equation of power. Personality and rank are the alpha and the omega. Yin and the yang. Without a strong personality, no power can be expected to last beyond the short term.
In the series “Game of Thrones”, there are many characters who fight each other to reach the pinnacle of power i.e. the Iron Throne. Out of the many contenders, there are only two women. One of those women is Cercei Lannister. While the other contender’s claim to the throne is supported by her bloodline, her pet dragons and a horde of terrifying warriors, Cercei’s claim to the throne comes down to her political cunning and the ability to manipulate the real decision makers.
Like Wu Zetian of the short-lived Zhou dynasty in Imperial China, Cercei climbs the ladder to the top by using her knowledge and personality to the most devastating and profitable effect. She was never supposed to ascend to the throne as a queen. But through the deaths of her many children (legitimate and bastards), she eventually found herself at the top, seated on the Iron Throne. As a tyrant, she exercised her power to order purges, create an image of an iron-fist ruler and negotiate trade agreements with the other kingdoms that would benefit the coffers of King’s landing, her home and home of the Iron Throne.
Even when she made mistakes, she corrected them with one act: Indiscriminate Purging. As she was attacked by several other kingdoms, she held the fort perfectly and those who showed dissent within her ranks were swiftly purged and forgotten. Finally, on the day of reckoning, Cercei is given the option of surrendering. But Cercei doesn’t surrender. It is against her values, her ego and the lessons her father had taught her, even though she is hopelessly outgunned and outnumbered. Because of her reluctance to yield power, the entire populace of King’s Landing suffer brutal deaths at the hands of the foreign intruders.
While looking at this situation as a viewer, it seems almost illogical why would the army and citizens support the will of such a tyrant queen (even calling it a gaping hole in the otherwise tight plot). Even in death, the soldiers of the Lannister army would not abandon her. Many called this illogical and daft. But history is replete with evidence those who swear an oath to protect, treat it higher than any personal interest or disposition.
Mankind has certain characteristics that cannot be done away with, no mater how much it evolves. One of those characteristics is loyalty. Once an oath has been sworn, it is understood that the oath must be lived up to or else the breaker of the oath is cursed to suffer. The reinforcement of this idea has been so widespread that till today, loyalty is considered the characteristic of any good human being.
Cercei Lannister is the perfect example of how a leader can manipulate such values and beliefs to shore up the commitment of one’s troops and ministers. Apart from ensuring the commitment of her armed forces, she also secured herself on a personal level. Her tactics included securing a maester who would stop at nothing from protecting his queen, having a near-immortal personal bodyguard and obliterating anyone who dared to rise up, defy or say a word against her (including ordering the murder of both her brothers).
In the end, she chose how she would die and did so in the arms of the one man who loved her always (no matter how crazy she seemed to everyone else). In that relationship as well, she wielded her power to use her forever lover in whatever way she pleased. In essence, from her bed chamber to the Iron Throne, she used her rank and personality to become the queen she was never meant to be and reigned longer than every other Lannister who had been King.
If that is not real power, its hard to say what is!
