Absolute monarchies have had a negative connotation throughout history and have been the source of many rebellions and wars. However, if an absolute monarch learns to be just and exercise his power rationally, then his rule can be pleasant and the nation can be at peace. In TH White's the Sword in the Stone, a novel set in medieval England, a great wizard named Merlin sets out to educate Wart, the unconscious future king of England. In a series of adventures and various transformations into various creatures, Wart gains experience and learns lessons that Merlin hopes will guide him to become a successful king. A king is truly successful when the people he serves are satisfied with his service, especially in these feudal times, when a king's power was virtually unlimited. The most valuable lesson Wart learns throughout his adventures comes from his very first transformation into a fish, in which he watches Merlin set a precedent for treatment of those less fortunate, sees the effects of absolute monarchy both on the ruler and on the governed, and learns to choose your battles. Say no to plagiarism. Get Custom Essay on 'Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned'?Get Original Essay Merlin sets a precedent for Wart, showing how he should treat someone with lower wealth and status. When the poor stuttering cockroach approaches Merlin and Wart, he begs for medical help on behalf of his sick mother, and Merlin comforts him by asking him to lead the way. Unlike the normal treatment of the poor during this period, where they were generally ignored and left alone, Merlin's act of kindness is unusual for a man of power and status. Wart expresses this in his vision of Merlin. “He likes [Merlin] to talk. He [does] not like adults who [talk] down to him... but those who [continue] to talk... letting him jump in their wake, jumping on meanings, guessing..." (p.50) This shows the importance for Merlin to send Wart on these adventures, as well as to set a good example for him through his daily actions. For Wart, Merlin is an admirable adult and a strong role model. By helping the disadvantaged despite their lower status, Merlin presents Wart with a way to manage his relationships with the people he will lead. Wart is able to see the effects of absolute power on both the ruler and the ruled during his next encounter with the King Fish, who contrasts greatly with the poor fish. In this encounter, Merlin introduces Wart to the tyrant fish, a giant pike, who is corrupted, both internally and physically, by the way he abuses his absolute power. The visit results in the king fish attempting to eat Wart, a near-death experience which actually turns out to help Wart as much as it might have harmed him. The physical descriptions of this fish's appearance, using words like "ravaged by...cruelty...pride, selfishness" (p. 59), are all clear symbols of corruption and greed. Being nearly eaten by the King Fish symbolizes Wart's potential to become corrupted in the face of absolute power, and Merlin saves him from this fate in both a metaphorical and literal sense. The poor fish serves as a parallel to the king fish, showing that even though the ruler and the ruled live opposite lives, they are both heading in the same unfortunate direction. Wart learns to pick his battles at the last moment, when the kingfish's jaws almost close and he chooses to flee rather than fight it. “It was only at the very last second that he was able to regain his will, pull himself together, remember his instructions and escape” (p. 61). It is important..