Power's Effect on Others
Independence is not a very common trait, which is why people follow others in their actions and emotions. People's actions are mostly based on what the people around them are doing. People who have power tend to abuse it and can cause violence and cause people to have fear.
The first effect that power can have on an individual and others is fear. For example, in the play Antigone, Creon is the king. He is a very harsh and strict person. He has said that anybody who has tried or is caught trying to bury the body of Polyneices will be killed. In this case, Antigone has been caught trying to bury her brother, Polyneices, and was brought to the king by Sentry, a soldier sent by the king to catch the person trying to bury
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For example, hundreds of Americans are killed by police each year. One specific example was in Ferguson, Missouri where an unarmed man named Michael Brown was shot walking down the street all because an officer suspected him for a robbery suspect. This shows that instead of the officer handling the situation by confronting and question the man, he abused his power to kill him. The occurrence of this incident caused protests and riots all over the state of Missouri, mostly in Ferguson itself. First it started with peaceful protests but as more people got involved, things got way out of hand. The situation worsened and protesters started looting businesses, burning down buildings, and even assaulting and killing other people. The protests/riots went on for a full two weeks and got so bad to where the Nation Guard had to be called out. SWAT teams and Military Soldiers used tear gas, bean bags, flash bangs, and rubber bullets to disperse large crowds. All of the violence was caused by one incident. If the officer who shot the man followed protocol instead of abusing his power, none of this violence would have happened. Including the death of 18 year old, Michael
Sophocles’ play Antigone is an example of when failing to consider the consequences can be fatal, as seen in the actions of the character Antigone. In the prologue, when Antigone is telling Ismene her plan to bury her brother against Creon’s decree, she says, “Ismene, I am going to bury him. Will you come?...Creon is not strong enough to stand in my way” (Sophocles, prologue). Antigone is unhappy during the prologue and acts reckless, even when informed that the punishment is a public stoning in the town square. Regardless of the punishment, Antigone is trying to protest Creon’s decree without considering the penalties that follow. Later in the book, when Antigone is being tried for violating Creon’s decree, she is disrespectful and quite rude to Creon, stating, “This talking is a great weariness: your words / Are distasteful to me” (Sophocles, scene II). Her dialogue shows her lack of sensitivity and respect towards Creon, which ultimately leads to her death. Her actions reflect the lack of consideration of the consequences and it goes to show Antigone’s bad judgment when protesting Creon’s decree.
Police Officers use of force has been an big issue for many decades, But has now made its way to mainstream. From news to social media there 's always a recent relevant story/ case on police officers use of force. In 2016 Baton Rouge man, Alton Sterling was killed do to Police officers use of excessive force. This sparked an outrage in the nation after Mr. Sterlings murder went viral through social media. The shooting led to protests in Baton Rouge and a request for a civil rights investigation by the U.S. Department of Justice.
Due to the actions that are not being taken to put a stop to this brutality, citizens begin riots, releasing their anger toward the government. Justice isn’t being served and that surely baffles me and any other person who is against this criminal act done by those who are supposed to stop it. The effects that police brutality leave on their victims is paranoia and the feeling of not being safe due to those are supposed to protect from the danger are the ones causing danger.
Now, to put this in perspective we need to look at the recent events of Ferguson, Missouri. 18-year-old Michael Brown was shot six times and killed by police officer Darren Wilson. The shooting sparked civil unrest in the community and resulted in protests, rioting, vandalism, and other such responses. In reaction to the social outcry and protest response, the police force took to militarized procedure to contain the civilians. On August 11, 2014 the local police stations outfitted
Power is the ability to control people in their actions. It gives you leverage over others. Power is like a drug, the more we have the more we want. Power makes people think their unstoppable. Our history proves how power corrupts people.
protests broke out. Many residents of Ferguson wanted Wilson to be charged with murder, which
People who have power can have negative effects on others because they can be intolerant and dangerous. Power may seem like a good thing, but I can promise you it’s not.
In August 2015, Ferguson was experienced an insurgent uprising. There were already previous victims of police brutality that have been affected, but the life of Michael Brown being taken away caused people to completely snap. The fact that racial injustice, the rejection of freedom of speech, and disrespecting American citizens was part of the killing of the teen made people create a full on riot protesting the transgression hoping to make it all end and to prevent any more lives from being taken all because of policemen changing the meaning of their job to something not even close to serving its purpose.
At least two people die during day of violence of police brutality disturbance began after young man who was a dancer on television was found dead, and residents charged that he had been killed by police. Police began to say that he attacked the officers and now there family is mad that there kid
Having power is a good thing. But depending on how you use it, can turn things negative. Too much power can turn the world into a negative place. Violence and pure evil are ways too much power can be bad for the world.
One perspective of oppression in Antigone is demonstrated through the conflict between Creon and Antigone regarding the burial of Polyneices, Antigone’s brother. Creon is the king of Thebes, and constantly has to assert his power, even if it means suppressing others’ opinions. When Antigone disagrees with his decree of allowing the burial of only one of her brothers, she defiantly performs a burial ritual for the other. Creon is outraged and issues the punishment of death upon Antigone, and condemns her sister Ismene for the same crime “for they are but women, and even brave men run when they see death coming” (Sophocles 460-465). It is clear that the main issue is not about Antigone breaking the law; but that she is an inferior woman who is expressing her opinions against someone of a higher standing. Creon oppresses Antigone for her gender and refuses to acknowledge her perspective because he would rather “lose to a man, at least”
Power is like a virus, once it gets to one’s head, they’re corrupt. In Sophocles’ Antigone, both of Antigone’s brothers killed each other at war for the throne of Thebes. Creon, the new king, only honors and buries one, Eteocles. Creon bans anyone from burying the other brother, Polyneices but Antigone decides that she will in order to honor her brother. Creon gives two speeches, one about how he’s going to rule and how he forbids anyone from burying Polyneices, and another about bribery and how money corrupts people. He says that money is the reason someone has betrayed him by burying Polyneices. In Antigone, Sophocles uses the characterization of Creon to reveal the negative effects in the development of power.
In the drama Antigone, Sophocles considers the source of authority and power in society. When King Creon makes a law that forbids the burial of Antigone's brother, Polynices, she ignores the king’s authority, risks her life, and buries her brother out of loyalty to the gods. The situation leads to a conflict among the people of Thebes, Antigone, and Haemon. They must decide where their loyalty lies, and whose authority should take precedence, that of the king or that of the gods. While a number of views about the role of authority and power are expressed through characters such as Creon, Antigone, and Haemon, the drama seems to support the view that authority does not rest only with one person.
In Ancient Greece, as the government turns to democracy, an important political debate arises between two crucial topics, authority and family. If a leader, for example, creates a law to restrict his or her people, but a member of the leader’s family breaks the law, he or she must decide where loyalties lie. Sophocles enters this debate in his play Antigone when Antigone, Creon’s son’s fiancée, breaks a heavily enforced but possibly immoral law. Although Sophocles emphasizes the importance of authority, Antigone illustrates that family is held in higher regard, exhibited through Creon’s tragic downfall.
The abuse of power is a rampant problem in our world today and has plagued society since the dawn of government. In Antigone by Sophocles, this issue is a prominent theme. One of the main characters, Creon, rules over the people of Thebes, but does so selfishly and unjustly. These same actions can be seen in our modern world by those in authority. Creon’s abuse of power is reflected in today’s governments through law-making, punishments, and the removal of opposing perspectives.