Of Great Place
Essay
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Francis Bacon
Of Great Place Main Text
Of Great Place
MEN in great place are thrice servants: servants of the sovereign or state; servants of fame; and servants of business. So as they have no freedom; neither in their persons, nor in their actions, nor in their times. It is a strange desire, to seek power and to lose liberty: or to seek power over others, and to lose power over a man’s self. The rising unto place is laborious; and by...
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Of Great Place key Facts
Full Title: Of Great Place
Author: Francis Bacon (1561–1626)
Language: English
Written Date: Around 1597 ✪✪✪
First Published: 1597 (in Essays or Counsels, Civil and Moral)
Revised and Expanded Editions: 1612 and 1625 (final and fullest version)
Genre: Moral and Philosophical Essay ✪✪✪
Form: Prose Essay (didactic, reflective, and aphoristic)
Type of Work: Essay on Ethics and Human Behavior in Publi...
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Of Great Place Summary
Background
Francis Bacon’s essay “Of Great Place” was first published in 1597 as part of his famous collection Essays or Counsels, Civil and Moral. Later, it was revised and expanded in the editions of 1612 and 1625. The inspiration for this essay came from real experiences of politics, power, and administration. Bacon himself was a high-ranking official in the royal court and government of Engla...
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Of Great Place characters
Tacitus: Tacitus was a famous historian of ancient Rome. Bacon quotes Tacitus in this essay to explain the nature of rulers and leadership. Tacitus’s remarks show that power reveals a person’s true character. According to him, some people become worse when they gain power, while others become better. Bacon uses this historical example to show that high positions can both elevate a person and cause...
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Of Great Place Literary Device
Figures of Speech
Personification
Definition: When non-human ideas or abstract concepts are given human qualities or actions.
Example: “Power to do good is the true and lawful end of aspiring.”
Explanation: Here, power and ambition are personified as if they have human purpose and moral intention. Bacon treats them like living forces that can choose to do good or evil.
Effect: This person...
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Of Great Place Themes
Power and Servitude: Francis Bacon shows that power is not freedom but a form of servitude. A person in a high position becomes thrice a servant, a servant to the state, to fame, and to business. In such a condition, one loses personal freedom. Every action and decision becomes controlled by others’ expectations. Bacon says, “It is a strange desire, to seek power and to lose liberty.” That is, man...
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Of Great Place Quotations
1. “Men in great place are thrice servants: servants of the sovereign or state; servants of fame; and servants of business.”
Explanation: Bacon says powerful men are not truly free. They must serve their ruler, their reputation, and their official work.
2. “It is a strange desire, to seek power and to lose liberty.”
Explanation: Bacon calls it strange that people desire power even though it ta...
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Notes
Explore 1 detailed note related to Of Great Place. Each note provides in-depth analysis, explanations, and critical insights.