POWER AND CORRUPTION The World at the Hands of Corrupted Men By: Jenna, Kristin and Shantel

POWERANDCORRUPTION The World at the Hands of Corrupted Men By: Jenna, Kristin and Shantel

DEFINITIONS • Power: a person, group, or nation having great influence or control over others. • Corruption: the act or result of corrupting (ruining or subverting the honesty or integrity of).

RISE TO POWER • Macbeth gained his kingship through unscrupulous means. After hearing the three witches’ prophecies and their predictions for Macbeth to become king, Lady Macbeth helps him devise a plan to murder Duncan. While their beloved leader lies dead and his son flees to England, Macbeth is given the throne. • "All hail, Macbeth! Hail to thee, thane of Glamis! All hail, Macbeth! Hail to thee, thane of Cawdor! All hail, Macbeth! That shalt be king hereafter."

Adolf Hitler • Adolf Hitler’s rise to power began in 1919 after the German Empire was defeated and the nation’s economy lay in ruins. • He joined a small group of men called the Nazis and quickly became their leader.

At first Hitler was not taken seriously, but his fiery words and brilliant blue eyes seemed to hypnotize people. • He made them believe he was their friend. • In 1933, Hitler became dictator of Germany and regained some of the land lost in WWI.

The key to Hitler and Macbeth’s success was their profound communicational techniques. • They were extremely skilled in persuading others to fulfill their demands. • These men succeeded in brainwashing their followers so that they honestly believed that terrible acts such as persecuting Jews and murdering the “enemy” were justified.

Macbeth talked the murderers into believing Banquo was their enemy. This lead to the murder of Banquo. • “Know that it was he in the times past which held you so under fortune, which you thought had been our innocent self: this I made good to you in our last conference; pass’d in probation with you, how you were borne in hand, how cross’d the instruments, who wrought with them.”

Hitler told people what they wanted to hear in order to get what he wanted- power and wealth. “It wasn’t the intellectuals who gave me the courage to start this huge task. It was from two classes alone: the German farmers and workers.” “If freedom is short of weapons, we must compensate with willpower.”

HOW THEY USED THAT POWER • “Had I power, I should pour the sweet milk of concord into hell, Uproar the universal peace, confound All unity on earth.” • It can be said that Hitler and Macbeth ruined their countries.

Macbeth transformed Scotland into a dismal place to live: • Each new morn New widows howl, new orphans cry, new sorrows Strike heaven on the face that it resounds As if it felt with Scotland, and yell’d out Like syllable of dolour.

With his power, Hitler promised to rebuild Germany into a mighty empire that would last a thousand years. Instead, he provoked WWII in 1939, spreading terror and death through much of the world.

With his racial views, thirst for power and ideas of a perfect world, Hitler succeeded in murdering millions of people he believed to be racially inferior, six million of which came from a Jewish background. He and his Nazis abused them, robbed them of their homes and life styles, locked them in concentration camps, and executed them.

Germany became a nation of uniforms, goose stepping to Hitler’s tune, where boys of ten were taught to throw hand grenades and women were regarded as breeding machines. • “I swear by God that, for the leader of the German state and people, Adolf Hitler, I am ready to risk my life at any time.” • “The party is Hitler. But Hitler is Germany and Germany is Hitler.” • “Have no pity! Act brutally!”

Hitler can be blamed for the destruction of Germany at the end of WWII. • He severed relationships between Germany and neighboring countries, people and foreign friends for a lifetime. • The bombing of Germany by the Allies was entirely his fault as he provoked feelings of resentment around the world.

DOWNFALL • Macbeth and Hitler are said to have met their own dooms. • Macbeth was very overconfident in believing that he could not be killed by any man born of woman. This caused Macbeth’s death because he foolishly thought Macduff was incapable of killing him. • Hitler was also overconfident and refused to listen to the advice of his generals even while Germany was being defeated in the last years of the war. This eventually led to his suicide.

CHARACTER • “As justice, verity, temperance, stableness, Bounty, perseverance, mercy, lowliness, Devotion, patience, courage, fortitude.” • Macbeth and Hitler both lacked these king becoming graces. This can partially account for their failure to become heroic leaders.

“Fair is foul and foul is fair.” • Hitler and Macbeth appeared to be good but gave in to the temptations of a royal command. Underneath, these men were evil and corrupt in the worst ways.Macbeth was loyal to Duncan until he received the witch’s prophecies.

“A good and virtuous nature may recoil in an imperial charge.” “Angels are bright still, though the brightest fell from God’s graces.”

Even a generally good person can become corrupt when faced with the prospect of having power. • Hitler and Macbeth were perfect candidates for this theory, as they were willing to go to extreme lengths to obtain their power. Once this was achieved, a “few” murders didn’t take a second thought if it meant that their precious power would be maintained. • In this sense, Macbeth and Hitler were truly alike—selfish and power hungry.

THE NATURE OF MAN • Men have no pleasure, but on the contrary a great deal of grief in keeping company where there is no power able to overawe them all • In the nature of man we find three principle causes of quarrel: competition, diffidence, and glory.

Competition, Diffidence, and Glory. • The first makes men invade for gain, the second for safety, and the third for reputation. • The first use violence to make themselves masters of other men’s persons, the second to defend them, the third for trifles, as a word, a smile, a different opinion, and any other sign of under value, either direct in their persons or by reflection in their nation, their profession, or their name. • During the time men live without power to keep them all in awe, they are in that condition which is called war, and such a war is of every man against every man

CREDITS Quotes from “Macbeth” and “Hitler’s Germany”Pictures from www.geocities.comWorld Book Encyclopedia

POWER AND CORRUPTION The World at the Hands of Corrupted Men By: Jenna, Kristin and Shantel