Two Treatises of Government · Character

Noah

The post-flood patriarch whose division of the world among his sons quietly undermines Filmer's claim that all regal power descends from Adam alone.

supporting

First appearance: Of Adam's Title to Sovereignty by Creation

As a supporting figure in Two Treatises of Government, Noah is not background color—the story leans on what they do once the chapter opens.

Noah is referenced in the context of Filmer's claims about patriarchal authority and the transmission of sovereignty.

In the storyBook I: Of GovernmentOpen this moment free

See Noah in Book I: Of Government Book page

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Noah appears in Locke's argument as a test case: if Shem inherited universal lordship as eldest heir, then Noah's laborious division of territories by lot among his sons was 'labour lost.' The tension is between paternal power and private dominion—two distinct titles that Filmer jumbles together but that plainly separate at Adam's and Noah's deaths. Noah matters because his story exposes how succession and grant cannot both ground sovereignty, forcing Filmer's system to choose between two supremes that cannot agree.

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See Noah in Of Adam's Title to Sovereignty by Creation

Character Web

10 connections

A slice of how Noah sits in the book — open the reader for the full interactive map.

Relationship types

Family
Rivalry
Other

Character groups

Natural law and divine right theorists
Protagonist
Patriarchal lineage and inheritance
Diverse biblical and legal authorities
Primordial crime and justice

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Narrative arc

Story tension across the book.

Setup
Escalation
Breaking point

The emotional and psychological peak occurs as the endnotes abruptly shift from Locke’s own argument to a dens…

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Relationships

Adam
family · positive
Adam is the ancestor of Noah through the genealogical line, representing the continuation… How this plays out →
Sir Robert Filmer
rivalry · negative
Sir Robert Filmer
rivalry · negative
Adam
family · positive
Adam is the ancestor of Noah through the genealogical line, representing the continuation… How this plays out →

Adam
Adam is the ancestor of Noah through the genealogical line, representing the continuation of humanity after the Fall.
Sir Robert Filmer
Noah is cited by Locke to counter Filmer's argument that patriarchal power descended from Noah to his sons.
Sir Robert Filmer
Noah is cited by Locke to counter Filmer's argument that patriarchal power descended from Noah to his sons.
Adam
Adam is the ancestor of Noah through the genealogical line, representing the continuation of humanity after the Fall.

Relationship notes

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See Noah in Of Adam's Title to Sovereignty by Creation

In the story

Noah appears across 9 companion beats. Open any chapter in the free preview to see the notes beside the text.

Book I: Of Government
Noah is referenced in the context of Filmer's claims about patriarchal authority and the transmission of sovereignty.
II: Of Paternal and Regal Power
Noah is mentioned in Filmer's narrative as a patriarch through whom the 'fatherhood' continued after the flood, part of the story Locke critiques.
Of Adam's Title to Sovereignty by Creation
Used as a counterexample: if possibility of fatherhood grants monarchy, Noah would be monarch at birth.
Of Adam’s Title to Sovereignty, by Donation, Gen. 1:28
Locke compares the grant to Noah in Gen. 9:1-3, arguing it was given to Noah and his sons in common, not as private dominion.
Of Adam’s Title to Sovereignty, by the Subjection of Eve
Noah is referenced in a discussion about the interpretation of scripture, where Locke notes that God's words to Noah and his sons are sometimes misapplied to Noah alone.
VII: Of Fatherhood and Property Considered Together as Fountains of Sovereignty
Noah is discussed in relation to the division of the world among his sons, raising questions about the inheritance of regal power after his death.
Of Monarchy, by Inheritance from Adam
Referenced implicitly as part of the patriarchal lineage; Locke's argument about inheritance applies to all descendants, including Noah.
Of Property
Mentioned alongside Adam as a recipient of God's grant of the world to mankind.
XVIII: Of Tyranny
Referenced in King James I's speech regarding the pact God made with Noah after the deluge, used to illustrate the binding nature of laws.

Chapter companion notes

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See Noah in Of Adam's Title to Sovereignty by Creation

See Noah in Book I: Of Government