Corruption Of Power Essay

Thesis statement: Power has the ability to corrupt someone but I believe it depends on the strength of the person to decide if it will overtake them or not.

Having power corrupts people by letting them think they have full control and that they can do anything they want like ‘The Man in the Well’ the kids act like they are going to get help but they are actually going to leave him in the well because Aaron said all of their names, they can’t let him out because he knows their names and the man in the well could go to the police or the kids parents and say they left him in there to die. Power corrupts people in a big way because they think they can do whatever they want to and they can make choices faster than you can snap.

Power is something most people strive to get when they don’t have it. Power is what runs the world now and has for a long time. The problem with power is that it corrupts. Through out time it’s posed a problem. Shakespeare’s drama Macbeth is a great example of how power will corrupt even at the thought of it.

“Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely” (Lord Acton) This quote is telling us that when people get into the roles of absolute power they tend to become corrupt, as a result of that power. This quote can be applied to Napoleon from the book Animal Farm by George Orwell, because at the beginning of the novel Old Major’s words inspired Napoleon. As a result, he believed that humans were evil for forcing animals to work for them and that animals should be able to live freely, not under anyone’s control; however, as the story progresses his belief changed and the animals did not get to live their utopian dream.

Power can have the persuasive action in undoing the moral ethics of one’s character. This can be seen throughout history, such as World War II and proven by the actions of Napoleon in the allegory, Animal Farm, by George Orwell. As Lord Acton said “Power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely.” In history what was viewed as a villain or wrong doer is never the same as the perception. A leader does not begin wanting to do wrong, they start with the best intentions, but power is a tricky thing, showcased in Animal Farm as Utopian ideals but with failed practices.

In 1887, historian John Dalberg-Acton asserted, "Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely." This theme has a prominent role in history, literature, and even current times. Certainly, many instances have occurred where once someone earns authority, they allow it to get to their head and do things they would not have done otherwise. Similarly, it is also seen that when one is inferior or beneath others, they receive a hunger for power. Specifically, a few prime examples of people who became corrupted because of their dominance include Marc Antony from Shakespeare's The Tragedy of Julius Caesar, Joseph Stalin, and Kim Jong-un. These rulers negatively impacted the places they ruled all because of their abusive tendencies that came with dominance.

The statement, “Power corrupts, absolute power corrupts absolutely”, simply means that the more power one has – the more control one has over people – then the more corrupt it is possible for that person to become. This statement is certainly correct if the person with the power has certain proclivities towards corruption. There are many examples in the book, “Animal Farm”, by George Orwell, of power corrupting those in charge because they had these tendencies. In the story, the most powerful animals are the two pigs, Napoleon and, to a lesser degree, Snowball. During the course of the story these pigs used their power to get more power, and in the process their inclinations towards corruption triumphed. When Old Major, the boar who came

Political corruption is the use of powers by government officials for illegitimate private gain. In other words, as one obtains more and more power, he or she tends to take advantage of this power, ultimately resulting in a morality change. Elie Wiesel, the author of the memoir Night, shares his story about the Holocaust. Throughout the memoir, Wiesel talks about power and how those with more of it, tend to show greater immorality. The quote, "Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Great men are almost always bad men," by John Dalberg-Acton means that a person’s morality decreases as their power increases.

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.

You may have heard the phrase, “power corrupts; absolute power corrupts absolutely,” a quote by a 19th century British Politician, Lord Acton. There are many prime examples that portray this idea, not only throughout literature, but also throughout history, and even life in general. Marcus Antony, Adolf Hitler, and Donald Trump are three people who can easily support this concept.

Power and corruption are concepts that are difficult to fully understand. Several controversies occur within these topics. There are both conventional and unconventional ways of viewing power. In an attempt to make a claim contrary to common belief, David Brin stated, “It is said that power corrupts, but actually it’s more true that power attracts the corruptible.” This statement is not accurate because power is the corrupting device responsible for a plethora of downfalls leaders have experienced.

Power is like a sword that can be either used for a protection or harm. In the novel Animal Farm, a Utopian society changes after Napoleon comes to a power. Power is given to Napoleon; who represents the corruption of entire farm. The novel describes the power as a human nature’s dilemma. Thus, George Orwell illustrates how power can be easily corrupted by depicting abusing of power, changing of laws and betrayal of the principles of Animalism.

The theme of “Corruption Influence of Power” transpires to be vastly relevant throughout the story. Furthermore, the theme of “Corruption Influence of Power” relates to greed and how every character wanted ivory, especially Kurtz. “My ivory.’ Oh, yes, I heard him. ‘My Intended, my ivory, my station, my river, my” (Conrad, “Chapter 2,” Paragraph 29). Furthermore, Kurtz is shown as someone that is famous for having power through his greed, which further influences people such as the manager, the brickmaker, and others, to produce greed for ivory to enhance powerfulness. "The only real feeling was a desire to get appointed to a trading–post where ivory was to be had so that they could earn percentages. They intrigued and slandered and hated each

Power is the main cause of all the evil actions, that corrupts within oneself. In the farm, the animals tried to be equal, but at times animals progressively became more powerful. Orwell demonstrates the corruption of humans. In an article talked from the perspective of many psychologists, they stated, “The very traits that helped leaders accumulate control in the first place all but disappear once they rise to power.” (Riggio) Psychologists talked about how over time, leaders develop power and that cheating is not the right thing to do. Therefore, we should think before we act and not get over proud or it might affect our actions. The only advantage that lets the pigs and Napoleon keep their power is because they are smart, and have more

In the novel Animal Farm by George Orwell there is a significant topic of power. The whole book primarily revolves about how power is used and abused in this ideal communistic, respectively ‘animalistic’, society called Animal Farm. The protagonist of this allegory is Napoleon, whose counter part is evidently Stalin (one of the leaders of the Soviet Union who was corrupted by power and began to use the people in his favor), who is the ‘leader’ of this community. This corruption causes a great dilemma as the animals slowly figured out about this. This makes it very visible that ‘Power corrupts those who have it’ since Napoleon goes out of his way to establish a dictatorship by using propaganda, lies and hierarchy.