"Power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely." -Lord Acton, 1887 The uses and abuses of power are very prevalent in Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare, Animal Farm by George Orwell, and Lord of the Flies by William Golding. Each of these works emphasizes how much people can get caught up in their supremacy, both positively and negatively. The mere influence of power can have many different effects on individuals, society, and the way life is lived in general.
In Shakespeare's Julius Caesar, the major theme of the play is the crooked and shady influence of power. From the very beginning to the very end, everything is driven by a need for increased power. Julius Caesar returns from his military victory over Pompey with a desire to be crowned the ruler of Rome and the entire Empire. With comments from the Roman people such as "Indeed they say the senators tomorrow/ mean to establish Caesar as a king; / and he shall wear his crown by sea and land/ in every place, save here in Italy" (Shakespeare 1.3 15). As soon as he knows that the general public supports him, he begins to rule in an oppressive and domineering manner. Because the Senators do not want to lose their own power by Caesar, several of them, led by Cassius, plan to destroy Caesar. Brutus is manipulated into joining the conspiracy, he fears that Caesar, his friend, will become a callous ruler; he openly states his belief that power corrupts all leaders. .
After Caesar's assassination, Octavius and Antony seek their own power configuration and Cassius, leading the conspirators, plots for his own victory. At Caesar's funeral, Antony speaks of the power Caesar had, and also of the supremacy that Brutus has attained ever so quickly. " come I to speak in Caesar's funeral. He was my friend, faithful and just to me; but Brutus says he was ambitious, and Brutus is an honorable man" (Shakespeare 3.2 45). The two forces, in their search for ultimate power, are predestined to clash.