Sir Patrick Spence (Medieval Period)

In every society it is questioned the value of obedience and power; in fact, many people consider that the ones that have the power take advantage of their position, and says that the “weak” have the obligation to obey them. As consequence of this social construction of the way how people should behave according to their status, some people have had problems to decide what the acceptable behavior is and what is not, which make them doubt about their faith on their values. Indeed, Sir Patrick Spence clearly shows the problems with the concepts of obedience and power.

In fact, the first stanza depicts how people who have the power are at the comfort of their places. For instance, the king sits drinking wine and his only preoccupation is to find a sailor who will navigate in order to bring his daughter to the palace. Besides, he does not worry about the time of year, which is not appropriate to go on a voyage because he is not the one who will put his life in danger. Therefore, this image portrays people in power take advantage of their positions because this king will find someone who will do the “dirty,” difficult job, and he would be safe at his palace waiting for his daughter. Moreover, the second stanza emphasizes this notion of authority because a knight immediately answers to the king’s request, so this action affirms that the person who has the power will obtain whatever he wants in an easy way.

Moreover, the fourth stanza exemplifies that the relationship between the one that has the power and the one that has to obey is impersonal. Nevertheless, this stanza also depicts the idea that people under the power of others feel important when they receive recognition from their superiors. However, in this case, although at the beginning Sir Patrick feels happy because he realizes that the king knows about him, he also feels miserable because he questions what wrong has he done in order to obtain such a task, which will lead him to his dead. In fact, one of his men mentions an omen when he says that “Late late yestre’en I saw the new moon/Wi’ the auld moon in her arm,/And I fear, I fear my dear master,/That we will come to harm,” so this exemplifies that they are aware that although the weather conditions are not the appropriate to travel, they should follow the directions of their king because it is the way they should behave according to social rules.

Even though the issues depicted in the poem take place during the Middle Ages, they are present in our times. Indeed, we can see in our country how people in the government take advantage of their position as happens with the magistrates who want extra money only because they work for the country, but this is fallacy because every person in this country helps to built the nation not only those who work in governmental positions. Additionally, the notion that people are obedient is due to the fact that they are afraid of being fired, and not because they think that what they are told to do is the right action. Indeed, this kind of people are not obedient, they are submissive because they do not denounce what is abusive.

By Pamela Regidor