The Corrupting Nature of the Human Desire for Power

     The corrupting nature of the desire for power is a popular theme within many well-know pieces of literature. Look at Julius Caesar, Animal Farm, Lord of The Flies, and Great Gatsby. All of the main characters from those pieces of literature faced corruption due to their unquenchable desire for power.
      Another piece of literature that brings attention to this theme is Dr. Faustus by Christopher Marlowe. A big motivator for Faustus's handing his soul over to the devil is his desire for power. But here's the problem: in order to gain that power, Faustus has to give it all away—to Lucifer. Ultimately, the power Faustus dreams of could never be his. The power to rule not just men but all of creation belongs only to God in the world of Doctor Faustus. But the not-so-good doctor is not the only one in the play who has such high ambitions. Pope Adrian, too, uses his power to make all the world "stoop." We also know that Lucifer fell from heaven because of his lust for power. So the Pope and Faustus are probably destined to wind up right where Lucifer is—in hell.
      The corrupting nature of the human desire for power is obvious present in literature but is it an issue in "the real world"? Absolutely! One word: POLITICIANS. Corruption is characterized as the abuse of public resources, power and position to provide unfair advantage to individuals, families and friends. Common public resources that are often pocketed by politicians are money, goods, medical aid funds and budget allocations. Crazy, right? Take a look at Budd Dwyer:

                                                  
Dwyer was a Republican politician from Pennsylvania, Budd Dwyer was a member of the state House of Representatives from 1965 to 1970, and spent the following decade in the state Senate. Dwyer was then elected state Treasurer -- the post he held until committing suicide.

On January 22, 1987, Dwyer was one day away from a federal court sentencing hearing after a jury found him guilty of taking $300,000 in campaign donations from a computer company in a quid pro quo exchange for a $4 million state contract. Dwyer was also accused of five counts of mail fraud, four counts of inter-state transportation in aiding racketeering and one count of conspiracy to commit bribery. Dwyer faced a maximum of 55 years in prison and a $300,000 fine.

At a press conference the morning of January 22, with TV cameras rolling and reporters watching, Dwyer pulled out a loaded .357 Magnum from a manila envelope and took his own life

Dwyer had power, he was in the House of Representatives, the Senate, and then PA's state treasurer, but he wanted MORE. Not only is the desire for power corrupting, it's also unquenchable and eventually lethal.