Intro, Body, Conclusion

     With millions of copies sold worldwide, Dune has become a legendary science fiction saga that captivates the minds of readers. Its use of human nature along with its military and economic applications make such a distant future feel so close to the present. Ironically this book was written fifty years in the past demonstrating Dune’s timelessness. Frank Herbert wrote Dune in a time where the imagination of science fiction fans was out of this world because of the enormous technological boom caused by the Space Race. It was a time where many historical achievements took place and a time where different systems of hierarchy were rising. A hierarchy is like a class system that determines who is the ultimate source of power in a society and why. Power can be obtained through various methods depending on the customs and believes of the given society. A system might value wisdom and so in that case the ultimate source of power would be the wisest and more experience candidate.  In the case of Dune, the power is divided in to sections of different natures with different responsibilities. One can look at it as a dragon with multiple heads where each head represents a different branch and the dragon represents the power as a whole. One branch might be slightly more powerful than the other but they are ultimately a power beyond all else. This particular universe has its power divided in to politics, military, prestige, knowledge, and economics.  In order to determine who plays what role, how this power changes from one book in to the next, and how they are connected to one another it is necessary to observe every individual branch’s source of power.

     Power can be defined in many ways but one well known source of power is the military force. The Emperor knew this very well and so he used the horrible conditions of the planet Salusa Secundus to raise an army of elite warriors called Sardaukar. These warriors were exposed at such a young age to a violent and horrible environment which forced them to do whatever it took to emerge victorious.  They were a very violent and brutal force but ultimately, amazing warriors. The Sardaukar were feared by all the other armies and for a good reason too. Any army who opposed these warriors never won the battle.   As terrible as the Sardaukar were, however, they were without a doubt a great source of power. The Emperor needed this power to make sure that his rules and decisions were followed. These warriors were also a great insurance that made sure nobody questioned or challenged him.  They were only a portion of his power though. The Sardaukar protected him from a direct assault but not from a surprise attack or a conspiracy plan. For these he turned to his other source of power, and a bridge to another branch in the hierarchy, the “Truthsayer.”



     In conclusion, the Dune universe had many different sources of power which changed after Paul overthrew the first hierarchy. Some things didn’t change as much like the military elites and the Guild monopoly but other things changed drastically. The Bene Gesserit, for example, were overshadowed by the power of Paul and Alia in Dune Messiah and therefore took a different role. In Dune, the Hierarchy was a dragon with multiple heads and in Dune Messiah it was a dragon with a single, much bigger head.  In Dune, politics were the driving force while in Dune Messiah it was religion. Both hierarchies, however, obtained some power from the Spice Melange. A spice created by Frank Herbert to interpret some of the spectrum of human nature. Perhaps the spice can represent the addiction to power that people in the modern era are feeling. It’s ironic that many things change in the hierarchy of Dune but the power of the spice doesn’t change. Perhaps Frank Herbert is trying to make the point that no matter how many changes happen or how much time passes by; this addiction to power will always remain the same.