The Cruel Prince

Power is a running theme through the narrative of The Cruel Prince and is explored in a variety of ways. In general, Black portrays power as corrupting, leading to greed and exploitation. Jude observes this dynamic rather succinctly when she says of her bullying classmates, “The more they get away with, the more they believe they’re entitled to have” (47). She views these privileged faeries as having an insatiable desire for control over others, presenting a link between power and immorality. Because these faeries are from elite families, they feel entitled to treat the twins badly.

The powerless in Faerie’s society—such as mortals like Jude, and the servant class—are generally exploited. Because only some of the kingdom’s inhabitants can wield magic, there is a pronounced power imbalance. The vulnerable can try to compensate for their disadvantage in some ways, like wearing rowan necklaces to shield themselves from magic, but those measures don’t completely even the playing field. Jude still can’t wield magical power, for instance, even if she is immune to it. This theme helps explain Jude’s pull toward her role as Dain’s spy. The role helps Jude continue compensating for her strategic disadvantages in the kingdom, as well as protecting her from other faeries’ magic through Dain’s spell. Because knowledge is power in scandal- and secret-riddled Faerie, Jude is also attempting to gain a position of advantage by being a spy. Her role indeed brings her power in the form of knowledge, as when she witnesses Balekin’s abuse of Cardan, which makes her think differently about her enemy.  

Black posits that those who have true power don’t cling to it but understand how to use it—including when it is an advantage to feign its absence. Dain attempts to capitalize on Jude’s outwardly lowly state by counseling her, “Show your power by appearing powerless” (197). Because Jude can enter and exploit valuable situations, such as posing as a servant in Hollow Hall, her “weakness” becomes a strength. And yet, because so much of the faeries’ interaction with humans and with one another is driven by compulsion—forcing someone to do something against their will or inclinations—their power is somewhat fragile and artificial. Jude realizes this when she contemplates what Balekin could give her in exchange for turning in Cardan. She reflects that there’s nothing the prince could give her to make it worth her while, musing that because he exploits other people to gain his power, she doesn’t view his protection as valuable: “True power isn’t granted. True power can’t be taken away” (267). Instead, Jude attains true power by giving people incentives—rather than forcing them—to do her bidding. For example, she uses persuasion to secure the two rulers’ alliance with Oak’s rule; she relates Oak’s kingship to their benefit rather than coercing a reluctant alliance that would dissolve without external pressure. In other words, she has learned how to harness the natural self-interest that the inhabitants of Faerie have to her purposes, rather than trying to stifle it. Doing so fortifies her hold on power and advantage.