The Corrupting Effect of Power in “The Lord of the Rings” as Depicted in the Film Version This research studies the corrupting effect of power in “The Lord of the Rings” as depicted in the film. The introduction consists of four elementary parts: background information, statement of problems, purposes of study and research questions. Background The Lord of the Rings written by John Ronald Reuel Tolkein, J.R.R. Tolkein, is an epic fantasy novel as a trilogy. The story of The Lord of the Rings is set in a pre-historic era in an invented version of the world which Tolkein called by the Middle English name of Middle-earth and is relevant to The Hobbit (Who was Tolkein, n.d.). According to The Hobbit, a main character, Bilbo Baggins who is a …show more content…
This literature review includes a wide range of information close to this topic. The following paragraphs consist of five parts of the literature review: definition of power, power corrupt, power corrupts leaders, power and moral thinking. Definition of Power Many researchers defined the word ‘power’ in different meanings. They can be divided into two groups. The first group is the meaning of the word ‘Power’ in general. According to Dahl (1957), power is a relation between people which expressed in symbolic code. This relation is related to two or more persons. He also stated that if A has power over B, A can get B to do something even B does not want to do. The second group is the definition of the word ‘power’ in negative ways. Power has another meaning in the negative way which is the word ‘Evil’. It also controls people’s behaviors, leads to defeat and ruin people (Modin, 2008; Schein and Greiner 1988, as cited in Power social and political, 2015). Moreover, Power Corrupt (n.d.) explained that power turns people to be powerful people with bad behaviors and be men who are above the law. People might seek for power to gain their particular aims, such as higher position in …show more content…
In the beginning of their careers, many of them devote their efforts to change the political system. They desire to help the poor and to eliminate corruptions. After that, when they actually get into positions of power, they become different people (Martin, 1990). Furthermore, John Antonakis, a professor of organizational behavior at the Faculty of Business and Economics of the University of Lausanne, and his colleagues inspected how power influences leaders in leadership positions. The findings revealed that leaders who were less honest had a higher possibility to reveal more corrupt behavior than those who had high standards of honesty (Antonakis, Zehnder, Pralong & Bendahan,
Power is used in our everyday life in many different forms, in many different ways, through many different people. But this leads to the question of what is really power? Power is when someone with a higher authority has the control over someone or something. Power was usually represented in the Renaissance with kings, queens, and or the churches. People of the lower, class such as peasants or knights, usually followed orders of those who held the higher power.
Power can turn people into liars and make them greedy for more power which might take away some people’s freedom The Crucible took place in Salem, Massachusetts 1692 innocent people were being falsely accused of doing Witchcraft. McCarthyism took place in the 50s Wheeling,West Virginia in the era influential celebrities in the entertainment industry were particularly targeted for being communist.
Power is defined in multiple different way all depending on perspective. Power is emulated throughout every individual or group's way of looking at it. The person or group of people usually assiduous in making decisions and are well trusted by others. When looking at the many different versions of power individuals may be able to come up with more than one definition or way of looking at the word power. For example in the book Lord of the Flies power is shown through three different perspectives.
Power in today’s can be used in many different forms such as to show strength, rank, encouraging others, being an influence, being a leader, and much more. The way you use power in a situation can have a positive or negative impact on an individual, community, country, nation, or even the world. In the short story “Miss Temptation” by Kurt Vonnegut, he describe how power can impact an individual way of thinking of others due to past experiences. Power can anything one allows to have a dominance over their lives. It is the ability to direct or influence the behavior of others or the course of events.
But first what is Power? When researching Power words such as authority, control, direct, command and influence all appear. These words all support the following statement “Power is the ability to influence and control the behaviour of others.” The problem with power is that it often leads to those in power abusing it. As Lord Acton famously quoted “Power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely.”
Another way the corruption of power is exemplified, is in books. In William Golding’s “Lord of the Flies”, the character Jack is proven to show corruption of power. In the beginning of the story, Jack is innocent young boy who gradually becomes power hungry. When Ralph was elected as chief and it was clear that Jack wasn’t happy because he thought he was a better leader. Jack said, “I ought to be chief, because I’m chapter chorister and head boy.
Power is the ability or capacity to do something or act in a particular way, Power is not only strength it is a human relationships, power is the authority one person holds over another. In the play The Crucible,written by Arthur Miller. Three characters Abigail Williams, Reverend Hale, and Judge Danforth. All want to gain power as the play goes on. But it takes a turn and influenced them negatively.
Man's Actions The fans of J.R.R Tolkien are well aware of his trilogy the lord of the rings, and as a reader, I always wondered about Tolkien personality, personality and such makes one's character and that is a heavy influence in their writing. From what I have read so far Tolkien's impression on me is that he is a daydreaming man that has an endless imagination, that has made his work beloved by millions around the world. I'll be going over my sources in how they discuss the influence that friends had on Tolkien’s writing and the inspiration that life events & his morals had on Lord of The Rings It's common knowledge that fans know that JRR Tolkien has served in a war, World war one to be precise and we all know how war affects most people. War is something significant in one's life one that will never go away, you see the brutal violent deaths of your close comrades, almost die in multiple occasions yourself, you know what true fear is like.
According to Merriam-Webster Dictionary, power is the “possession of control, authority, or influence over others” (Power). Men held a majority of the power in the Salem community in the 1600s. The Salem Witch Trials in Salem, Massachusetts, in the 1600s, are an example of the results of people suddenly acquiring power. The Crucible, by Arthur Miller, shows how when individuals who are not used to power, gain it, the effects can be disastrous. When weak people gain power without restrictions, it can get out of control, causing others to become defenseless.
The concept of power can be discussed in tandem with that of the previous point. Power enables one to set rules, laws and regulations which protect their own interests. This effectively enables those with power to determine what is considered to be ‘deviant’ and a ‘crime’, which are usually actions which jeopardize these interests. The power also allows them to put into place social control agents. In the context of the government, the police force is one such example.
Most people question, “ How does the quest of power cause people to act? ”. Over the years the question has been proved to cause people to act differently. Not just in history but in many movies, plays, books, and even in current events today. The quest of power drives people to do things out of their character.
Power is not an object, nor is it a verb. It is a feeling. An action. Power can both destroy and save lives. Power is “the capacity or ability to direct or influence the behavior of others or the course of events.”
Reid Vaughn Mrs. Smith ENGL 1213 24 February 2023 Modern Abuse Of Power The word power can have many meanings. However, power among people is hard to get, but once got can influence many factors. Power is the ability to influence one's life for either the greater or worse. Popular sovereignty is the term used to describe power in the government, and having the ability to alter an individual's life.
Power can have the persuasive action in undoing the moral ethics of one’s character. This can be seen throughout history, such as World War II and proven by the actions of Napoleon in the allegory, Animal Farm, by George Orwell. As Lord Acton said “Power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely.” In history what was viewed as a villain, is never the same as the perception. A leader does not begin wanting to do wrong, they start with the best intentions, but power is a tricky thing.
(ii) Power and Conflict: The capacity the one person has the influence over the other persons such that other persons act in accordance with his/her wishes can be defined as ‘Power’. Conflicts could be both positive and negative. Good conflicts could be encouraged but bad conflicts ought to be prevented.