The Corruption Of Absolute Power - 1174 Words

Matthew Lee Mrs. Wong ENG 3UAA-a 22 July, 2015 The Corruption of Absolute Power People say that there is a major difference between justice and corruption, but where is the fine line between good and evil? Corruption can be interpreted as dishonest conduct by those in power. There are those who believe that corruption is just as long as it is serves a benefit for the common good. William Shakespeare’s Macbeth demonstrates the effects of living in a corrupt society and how the people rebel against their ruler whereas George Orwell’s 1984 portrays an unethical dystopia and how the public is oblivious to what is going on around them. The Inner Party and Macbeth both heavily abuse their power, resulting in the deterioration of society. Although they both seek power for the sake of having it, the way they manifest themselves, control the public, and punish the enemies are extremely contrasting. After maintaining so much power in society, the way they present themselves vary greatly between the Inner Party and Macbet h. Their presentation affects how people perceive them. Macbeth presents himself as a ruthless tyrant filled with greed and ambition. After killing Banquo, Lady Macbeth assumes that Macbeth is troubled with guilt, but that is not the case. He explains, â€Å"I am in blood / stepp’d in so far, that, should I wade no more† (3.4.167-168). Macbeth realizes that he has done so much evil that it is easier to continue rather than make up for his mistakes. ThisShow MoreRelatedJulius Caesar : Corruption And Absolute Power Corrupts Absolutely1028 Words   |  5 PagesJulius Caesar Power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely. This illustrates the theme in the historical play Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare. Julius Caesar was a man full of arrogance and he had a sense of being self-absorbed. This kind of personality lead to bad things, it eventually led to death. Caesar was a well-known man in Rome. The people of Rome didn t care what he did. Everyone thought he was perfect. I ii 273 He was married to a woman named Calpurnia. SheRead MoreLord Acton s Lack Of Corruption And Absolute Power Corrupts Absolutely Essay1335 Words   |  6 PagesAbstract Lord Acton wrote in 1887 that, â€Å"Power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely.† Studies have shown that, while Lord Acton’s statement may not be entirely true (depending on numerous factors), it is, at the very least true to a degree. Corruption always involves power that is misused for personal gain. While corruption is generally associated with politics and political figures, it also occurs in businesses, particularly within the management with emphasis seen in upperRead MoreCorruption Of Power Essay1142 Words   |  5 Pagescorrupted by power. Power makes one feel as if that person was a God, which is a sign of the corruption in that individual. According to Lord Actin, Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely, states that power can make an individual vulnerable to corruption. The second portion of Lord Actin?s quote discusses absolute power corrupting absolutely which implies that absolute power can corrupt an individual as w ell as the individual?s surroundings. This idea of corruption can be locatedRead MoreAnimal Farm Character Analysis713 Words   |  3 Pagesfable, Animal Farm, a group of animals lived with their master, Jones. Jones was an unfair man who didn’t care too much about the animals. One day Jones forgot to feed the animals, so they revolted. The animals wanted a perfect place without the corruption of man. The currently animal controlled land of Animal Farm, the smartest of all animals, the pigs take control. To prevent a human-like society, the pigs set up the Seven Commandments. These set of rules were created to build guidelines for theRead More Absolute Power Does NOT Corrupt Absolutely Essay840 Words   |  4 PagesA man named Lord Actor once said, Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Great men are almost always bad men. This means that giving a person some power can turn them into a bad person. However, giving someone absolute power will always corrupt some and that these people are always bad. Knowing what the quote means the question remains, is the quote true? The answer is no. Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Great men are almost always bad menRead MorePolitical Corruption Essay1401 Words   |  6 PagesPolitical corruption has existed throughout the ages. It believed to be most prominent in positions of power, because of the role money plays in getting people power. However, over the centuries, corruption has changed so much so as to not match a particular definition of corruption, perpetually growing deceptively harder to find (Ebbe). The broadest, most suitable definition which exists today simply states that corruption is any illegal act performed by a politician to produce results whichRead MoreThe Power Of Power In George Orwells Animal Farm764 Words   |  4 Pagesmost literate and the cleverest among the animals. Slowly it progressed to a state where the pigs had absolute power over the lives of the animals and the farm. Which led to a situation where the animals had to agree with every statement the pigs made. Throughout the book, Orwell portrayed how the pigs altered with power through characterization to reveal power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Using characterization, Orwell portrayed how the pigs had good intentions atRead MorePower Leads to Corruption1413 Words   |  6 Pagesâ€Å"Power makes individuals corrupt† â€Å"Corruption is when people in positions of entrusted power abuse their power for their own personal gains [or to fulfill the agendas of the group they represent]† (Transparency International). Lord Acton, a nineteenth century historian, argued that power is the root cause of corruption. The more power one has, the more corrupt one is likely to become (Biography of Lord Acton.). Although some commentators argue that there is no correlation between power and corruptionRead MoreGeorge Orwell s Animal Farm1255 Words   |  6 Pagesgovernment always become indistinguishable from those who ruled before them. The reasons exhibited in the novel are the distortion of revolutionary ideas, the abuse of language to manipulate the naà ¯ve working class and the corrupting influence of power. All revolutions start off with ideals beneficial to the proletarians, however as the misconduct within its leadership progresses it has caused these ideals to be distorted to the point where the new leadership becomes indistinguishable from the oldRead MoreEssay on The Arrogance and Hubris of Oedipus and Creon724 Words   |  3 Pagessays, â€Å"To them that walk in power; to exceed is madness, and not wisdom†. Her statement makes it clear, those who â€Å"walk in power†, allow it to corrupt them. Throughout the history of humanity there has been a correlation between those who have excessive power and corruption. Webster’s Dictionary defines corruption as, â€Å"impairment of integrity, virtue, or moral principle†. In the story of Antigone the tragic hero Creon, shows all of the common characteristics of corruption. Before one can analysis the