Pwr/Crptn:Julius C. vs. McBeth
"Power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely." This quote by Lord John Edward is exactly what this essay is about. When a teen is left home alone for the weekend, they have power over the house. They can easily abuse that power and throw a party, or do something else they know they shouldn't be doing. A lot of teens do abuse that power. It usually ends up with some type of corruption. They can either get caught by their parents or by the police. Adults and children also tend to abuse power when they have it. Just as in everyday life, William Shakespeare's Characters in Julius Caesar and Macbeth show that power truly can corrupt. His plays show that not only today's world, but in the world before us had the same problem with the issue of power. There were many forms of corruption that was caused by power in Shakespeare's two plays, Macbeth and Julius Caesar, one of which is treason. For example, Cassius and the other conspirators discussed their plan murder Marc Antony and Caesar. "Decius, well urged. I think it is no meet Marc Antony, so well beloved of Caesar, Should outlive Caesar. We shall find of him A shrewd contriver; and you know, his means, If he improve them, may we stretch so far
(Shakespeare: Act 1; Scene 7; Lines 84-86) In this quote, Cassius was explaining to the conspirator about killing Marc Antony as well as Caesar. This is a form of treason. If Cassius did not have the power to say these things, he wouldn't have. Because he held the position of a senator, he felt he had the right to decide what was right from Rome. Cassius did not want to help Rome, but help himself. If Caesar would become King, he could do away with Cassius. Cassius did not like this. Additionally, in Macbeth, Lady Macbeth and her husband plan to kill King Duncan so that Macbeth could become king. 1. Pavithra Ravinatarajan, "Power Corrupts," http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Academy/9142/caesar.html (Shakespeare: Act 3; Scene 1; Lines 85) 2. William Shakespeare; Macbeth; USA, 1997; McDougal Littell Inc (Shakespeare: Act 1; Scene 3; lines 58-59) In this quote Macbeth is explaining to his wife their plan of murdering King Duncan and blaming it on his guards. This again, is also another form of treason. Macbeth and his wife were willing to do anything to keep the power that they thought they would have. Their desire for power has led them to conspire a crime that not many people would want or be able to commit.
Some common words found in the essay are:
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Approximate Word count = 946
Approximate Pages = 4 (250 words per page double spaced)
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