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Why does a balance in power matter in creating dramatic characters?

Balance of power is a very common relationship dynamic that provides many opportunities for emotional tension and plot movement in dramatic literature. When one character is perceived to hold power over another, tension results, because characters try to attain their goals and desires, and these can be at odds because of power dynamics. Holding power is a desirable state of being that builds contentment and satisfaction for some people, as it can allow people to move freely and do what they want. In some cases having power over others feeds the ego of those who hold the greater amount of power. In this way, an imbalance of power can be used to show the relative integrity of characters in relation to one another.


The balance of power is very much a cultural issue, and one that has changed through the course of history. For example, in the Middle Ages, the various hierarchical roles assumed by knights, the monarchy and the peasants all fulfilled different roles within society. In some cultural eras, people born into slavery find it difficult to rise above their station; in some cultures, a class or caste system assumes people are born into a certain social position.


Traditionally, men tend to hold more power in society than women; but sometimes this is inverted, as in the Greek comedy Lysistrata (recently made into a contemporary film by Spike Lee), in which women held the greater power by withholding sexual activity from their husbands and lovers until their demands were fulfilled.


Balance of power can arise because of money and wealth; for example, in The Merchant of Venice by William Shakespeare, Antonio is left in a vulnerable position when he borrows money from Shylock. Beauty and attractiveness can be perceived as conferring more social power; in Richard III, Lady Anne is convinced by Richard that she holds power over him because of her beauty; but in reality, Richard flatters her and is able to manipulate her.


In other examples, balance of power occurs because one character may be older and hold more authority in a family or social situation, due to the customary respect granted to elders or family matriarchs or patriarchs. This is the case in Uncle Vanya by Anton Chekhov.

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