Wu 1

Oscar Wu
DOB: 12/10/1997
Attending School: Robert E. Lee High School, Houston, TX, 77057
School CEEB Code: 443418
Mailing Address: 2405 South Shepherd Drive, Houston, TX, 77019
myUH ID: 1508200
The Alluring Essence of Power
The generations partitioning the era between William Shakespeare and Lord Acton have
all repeatedly demonstrated many countless but fruitless endeavors for more power. Imperial
nations across the globe, especially Britain, until recently, have scrambled for control of other
territories. Lord Acton himself contends that, "Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power
corrupts absolutely." This aphorism astutely perceives the underlying motifs prevalent
throughout the play The Tragedy of Julius Caesar. In Shakespeare's Julius Caesar, the ideals of
power and corruption are pervasive and structure the very foundations of the play itself.
Julius Caesar, the emperor of Rome, initially retains some vestiges of humbleness in the
onset of the play but eventually becomes corrupt. For example, Antony offers him a
crown...and, as I told you,/ he put it by onceThen he/ offered it to him again, then he put it by
again/...And then he offered it the third time./ He put it the third time byhe refused it... (I.
ii. 39-45), yet Casca keenly observes that but, for all that, to my/ thinking, he would fain have
had it...he was very loath to lay his/ fingers off it (I. ii. 41-45). While Caesar does not
apparently desire the crown at this time, Casca detects a certain amount of hesitancy in Caesars
movements and sheds some doubt on Caesars true motives. This particular scene illustrates
Caesars internal strife between his desire for peace within Rome and his lustful desire for

Wu 2
ultimate, unequivocal power and foreshadows the action that actualizes his very own downfall. It
is practically a given that Caesars willpower will eventually crumble, and he does indeed
succumb to the seductive qualities of the promise of power preceding the appearance of Decius.
In addition, Caesar, though observing disturbing omens such as They [the auguries] could not
find a heart within the beast (II. ii. 40), exclaims "How foolish do your fears seem now,
Calphurnia! / I am ashamed I did yield to them. /... I will go" (II. ii. 105-107) when Decius
attempts to sway Caesar to journey to the Senate since the Senate have concluded/to give this
day a crown to mighty Caesar" (II. ii. 93-94). Despite the fact that Caesar himself notices many
disturbing omens right before and the visions his beloved both wife sees and foresees, the
promise of the crown of Rome corrupts him so that nothing, not even the most obvious of signs,
can distract him from his prize. This particular event seems to affirm Brutus's misgivings about
Caesar and, in addition, gives significant credit to the conspirators' perspective that Caesar is
incapable of wielding such massive power without suffering from unconditional corruption and
is, thus, destined to die. While Caesar originally possesses some modest aspects, by the time of
his assassination his lust for power warps his initial modesty into a ravenous desire to receive the
crown of Rome.
Another main character of the play perverted by the power is Brutus. Brutus tentatively
states to Cassius, "I do fear, the people/Choose Caesar for their king...I would not, Cassius. Yet I
love him well" (I. ii. 81, 84). Brutus possesses some misgivings of killing Caesar, implying a
deep emotional turmoil in his future actions. This conflict of interest accentuates Brutuss
inherently virtuous character and the depth of his affection for Caesar. However, Brutus
eventually becomes corrupt with the provocative allures of power, and accuses Cassius that "you
yourself/Are much condemned to have an itching palm" (IV. iii. 10-11) when he himself did

Wu 3
send to you [Cassius] / For certain sums of gold, which you denied me, / For I can raise no
money by vile means" (IV. iii. 71-75). This event exposes Brutus's utter hypocrisy and descent
into corruption after having a chance to command an army of his own; he advocates justice and
criticizes improprieties such as bribery yet retains no qualms of using said money for his own
objectives. Such an event is paradoxical to Brutus's original intentions as it seems that Brutus has
become more corrupt than Caesar and, thus, metamorphoses into the very thing he desires to
eliminate. In other words, Lord Acton is completely correct - as power increases within a man, so
does his affinity towards corruption.
From the Elizabethan era of Shakespeare to the Victorian era of Lord Acton, struggles for
power have dominated much of Englands history. The nefarious entanglements of power and
corruption have ensnared many, if not most, leaders. Only power possesses the ability to turn the
very people one would call friends into detested rivals and enemies. Only power can make those
who are inherently virtuous turn to hypocrisy and other unscrupulous activities. Very few can
escape the flirtatious embrace of power, and those who cannot often meet their end sooner rather
than later.