Though self-titled as a ‘republic’, the power practises in Gilead indicate anything other than the doings of a democratically elected government. The exact holders of absolute power are theorised to be linked to the radical fundamentalist group ‘Sons of Jacob’, who were responsible for the revolution that did away with the Congress of the United States and sent the country into political turmoil, though even their role in the current regime is uncertain.

It can be inferred that power is held by those with patriarchal, fundamentalist ideals. Men are placed firmly on top of the societal ladder, particularly Commanders such as the one whom Offred is assigned to. There are also Angels that appear to be the Gilead’s version of a secret police, a service every authoritarian regime in history has had. Guardians do odd jobs for Commanders and may be Eyes that spy on them discretely, possibly holding more power than the Commanders themselves. In regards to women, Wives are among the upper echelons of this ladder as the spouse to their respective Commander. Handmaids are given to Commanders with the aim of conceiving a child, a concept taken from the Biblical story of Jacob and his wives : “God hath given me my hire, because I have given my maiden to my husband” (page 103). They are held in high regard due to their scarcity. Aunts are the teachers of the Handmaids. Marthas are maids, while Econowives are women to poorer men (page 36), whom Aunt Lydia characterises as undesirables: “When times improve, no one will have to be an Econowife” (page 56). Jezebels are condemned women who have their reproductive organs removed and are made to work as prostitutes. Unwomen are at the very bottom of the societal ladder if even present on it at all, deemed to be infertile and shipped off to the hazardous ‘Colonies’ (page 73), a fate Offred learns to dread for herself.

The Republic instills certain ideals through various means, one being the ominous presence of ‘the Wall’, used for displayed bodies of the executed and who’s terrifying appearance consisting of “barbed wire” up to “broken glass” is symbolic of the fear felt by those living in front of it. Another method is through the Aunts’ sessions with Handmaids in which Aunt Lydia’s words characterise the power the brains of the operation hold: “The Republic of Gilead knows no bounds. Gilead is within you” (page 35). This implies the scale of power held by those at the very top, how they are unregulated and able to enforce anything they deem necessary, as well as how they possess the ability to detect counterrevolutionary thoughts before they escape the lips of the offender, a feat transcending humanity. Offred’s ‘freedom’ that those in power have given her to keep her in her place is characterised after the fear she feels following a doctor’s visit, “Why am I frightened? I’ve crossed no boundaries , I’ve given no trust, taken no risk, all is safe.” (page 73). The repetition and juxtaposition of the word ‘no’ after every indicator of crime displays the constricted moral code that is imposed on people, particularly lower caste women.