The Council of the Commanders

The Council of the Commanders is the all-male supreme governing body of the Republic of Gilead, wielding ultimate authority over every aspect of the regime. No woman, including the most powerful Aunt, can sit on it, a fact that ironically provides Aunt Lydia with a measure of political safety: she is excluded from the lists of potential usurpers. The Council's power is absolute, but its internal dynamics are defined by ruthless competition, purges, and the constant threat of displacement from within.

Composition and Authority

The Council is composed exclusively of Commanders, the highest-ranking men in Gilead's theocratic hierarchy. They control the military (the Angels and Guardians), the secret police (the Eyes), the legal system, and the economy. The Aunts, though they run the women's sphere, are ultimately subordinate to the Council's decrees. Commander Judd, as the head of the Eyes, is a key member of the Council, and his standing within it determines his—and Aunt Lydia's—security. The Council's power is not static; it is a "dog-eat-dog" environment where ambitious challengers are frequently purged and hung on the Wall.

Internal Purges and Instability

The Council's history is marked by waves of purges, which both Commander Judd and Aunt Lydia have survived. These purges are a primary mechanism of political control, eliminating rivals and consolidating power at the top. The regime's instability is driven by this internal competition as much as by external threats. Aunt Lydia notes that the Council's leaders take care that no ambitious challengers displace them, and that a number of erstwhile notables have been hung on the Wall. The threat of a purge is a constant pressure on Judd, who fears that his failure to produce Baby Nicole will lead to his own downfall at the hands of the Council.

Relationship with the Aunts

While the Council holds ultimate power, it relies on the Aunts to manage the women's sphere. Aunt Lydia's position is secure because she controls the women's side of the enterprise and keeps things orderly, functioning like a "harem eunuch." She also knows too much about the leaders' secrets—"too much dirt"—and has taken precautions to ensure that if she is eliminated, that information will be leaked. This creates a delicate balance of power: the Council needs her, but she is also vulnerable to their whims. Commander Judd, as a member of the Council, is her primary interlocutor, and their relationship is a complex dance of mutual dependence and suspicion.

Role in the Regime's Collapse

The Council's internal corruption and power struggles are a key factor in Gilead's eventual collapse. The microdot smuggled out by Nicole contains evidence of "a great many discreditable personal secrets pertaining to various high-level officials," including plots devised by Commanders to eliminate other Commanders. The release of this information touches off the Ba'al Purge, which thins the ranks of the elite class, weakens the regime, and instigates a military putsch and popular revolt. The Council's own internal machinations thus sow the seeds of its destruction.