Saturday, September 18, 2010

Blog #3

"Absolute power corrupts absolutely." -Lord Acton

It is generally accepted that the more unrestricted power leaders obtains, the hungrier for more power they become. If unchecked, a ruler will overtake as much authority as possible. Power can make the best men into immoral beings as absolute leaders focus solely on maintaining their power (perhaps forcibly) and imposing their will upon others. Complete power ruins humans, just like Creon, as it leads to pride and the unwillingness to compromise.

There are countless examples of absolute power corrupting leaders. Julius Caesar, through military successes, swiftly gained power in the Roman Republic. Eventually, initially as one of the three leaders of the First Triumvirate, Caesar overcame his counterparts to become the dictator in perpetuity. He reformed the government from a democratic republic to an autocratic empire. However, this absolute seizure of power led to Caesar's downfall as men underneath him saw his as a leader corrupted by his authority. Caesar is much like Creon as he started to ignore the advising words of the men around him and became over-confident that his ideas were the only correct ones. Creon and Caesar both show us that absolute power always corrupts leaders-- both in literature and reality.

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