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Power Corrups In The Tragedy Of Julius Caesar

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Power Corrupts. Let Me Prove It.
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.
To begin, Marcus Antony of William Shakespeare’s The Tragedy of Julius Caesar is an immaculate example of the idea that power corrupts, while absolute power corrupts absolutely. Prior to Caesar’s death in the play, Antony was a mellow character who seemed to just cheer Caesar on, and he was not typically seen as a threat, nor a good leader. However, following the death of Caesar, Antony quickly gained the support of the Plebians and became their ruler. He initially planned to share the throne with two other men, Octavius and Lepidus, although this plan quickly changed. As Antony discusses a new plan with Octavius, referring to Lepidus, Antony states “Is it fit, the threefold world divided, he should stand one of the three to share it?” (Shakespeare 4.1. 13-14). Clearly, Antony was given some significant amount of power, and is now open to abusing it. Antony continues to clarify that it is in the best interest of the two to eliminate Lepidus after using him first. Apparently, as Antony’s power grows, his morality and beliefs appear to be fading away. This obviously

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