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Literary notes about usurp (AI summary)

In literature, "usurp" is used to convey the act of taking power or privileges by force or without rightful authority, often casting the usurper in a negative light. Its usage spans a wide range of contexts—from political intrigue and the overthrow of monarchs, as in Shakespeare’s and Marlowe’s portrayals where rightful lineage and divine law are undermined [1, 2], to more personal or metaphorical appropriations like the seizing of moral or emotional domains [3, 4]. The term frequently underscores themes of illegitimacy and moral transgression, challenging established orders whether in the state, the church, or individual identity [5, 6].
  1. Because thy father Henry did usurp; And thou no more art prince than she is queen.
    — from The Complete Works of William Shakespeare by William Shakespeare
  2. Unworthy king, that by thy cruelty Unlawfully usurp'st the Persian seat, Dar'st thou, that never saw an emperor
    — from Tamburlaine the Great — Part 1 by Christopher Marlowe
  3. But nevertheless she managed to usurp the male prerogative— ADOLPH.
    — from Plays by August Strindberg: Creditors. Pariah. by August Strindberg
  4. Had she not her own terrors, her own soul-absorbing perplexities to usurp every thought of which her brain was capable?
    — from Lady Audley's Secret by M. E. Braddon
  5. … I now inquire into your opinion, to discover from what source you usurp this power to the Church.
    — from A Source Book for Ancient Church History by Joseph Cullen Ayer
  6. By these penances he attained such spiritual power that he was enabled to usurp the Brahman’s office.
    — from Annals and Antiquities of Rajasthan, v. 1 of 3 by James Tod

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