Abraham Lincoln once stated, “Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man’s character, give him power.” One important term in Lincoln’s statement is adversity, which means a case or situation of major or extended hardship or misfortune. Another significant term in Lincoln’s statement is character, which means the fundamental complex of attributes that determine a person's moral and ethical actions and reactions. Taken entirely, Abraham Lincoln suggests in his statement that having power is not always a good thing. Furthermore, Abraham Lincoln implies in his statement that power can make a kind and good person strong so that they can stand up for those who can not stand up for themselves but it can also make a dishonest person corrupt and greedy. Finally, when looked through the view of William Shakespeare‘s tragedy Julius Caesar, Abraham Lincoln’s statement can be proven true within Shakespeare’s development of conflict between Antony and Brutus and Antony and Octavius. Firstly, Shakespeare’s developing conflict between Antony and Brutus demonstrates that Lincoln’s declaration is accurate. For example, while in the Senate building after Julius Caesar’s death Antony pretends to side with the conspirators to get Brutus to trust him so that he can give a funeral speech for …show more content…
By doing so, this contributes to prove that Abraham Lincoln’s statement is true. What must be taken away from this today is that power can change people and not always for the better. For example, during presidential elections, some presidential candidates may promise a lot of things to their supporters that make them sound like the perfect choice for president but then once they become president and gain all the power their true self comes out, and they don’t keep all the promises they