Yertle The Turtle Analysis

Any living creature is capable of obtaining power, whether that be a human or even a little turtle. Power is achieved by performing certain actions carefully and thoroughly. If these actions are completed with any hesitation, everything can come crashing down in the blink of an eye. In Dr. Seuss’s story Yertle the Turtle, Yertle was king of the pond who decided he was not satisfied with his small rock as a throne. By commanding the fellow turtles around him, he created a higher chair for himself, until one little turtle changed the fate for them all. Transgressions and observations of Law’s 1, 9 and 19 in Robert Greene’s The 48 Laws of Power can be seen as Yertle dominates the others with his authority which is later overcome by Mack’s use
Whether that be on the tallest throne or largest building, they must feel superior. Yertle the turtle felt like he was not placed at a high enough pedestal. In order to change this he ordered the other turtles to stack themselves up so he could sit on top of them. At one point Yertle cannot control himself and Seuss exclaims, “he was shouting, he was with surprise that the moon of the evening was starting to rise up over his head in the darkening skies” (202). Law 1 states, “When it comes to power, outshining the master is perhaps the worst mistake of all” (Greene 4). Yertle may have been king of the pond, but he was not in control of the whole world. Attempting to go “higher than the moon”, Yertle transgressed Law 1 and crumbled to the bottom anyway. Has he not ever learned that the sky is the limit? There is only so much one can attempt to overcome before getting too ahead of
Laws 1, 9 and 19 of Green’s The 48 Laws of Power can be seen being observed and transgressed throughout Yertle the Turtle by Dr. Seuss. These laws are important to follow, especially when dealing with powerful beings in the real world. Seuss writes these stories because he believes, “that society will be changed by examination of ideas through books and the press, and that information can prove to be greater than the dissemination of stupidity” (Minear). The world can attempt to avoid rulers from taking over the lives of innocent people, just like Yertle did with the turtles, by following laws that state to “Never Outshine Your Master”, “Win Through Your Actions, Never Through Argument” and “Know Who You’re Dealing With-Do Not Offend The Wrong Person”. One does not know what he is worth until actions are taken into their own