There are many instances in media such as movies, books, and TV shows where a good character is turned evil either by their actions or the influences of another. This polarizing action also occurs in the real world and can be witnessed through looking at history, or looking at our world today. In the case of The Tragedy of Julius Caesar there are several characters who go mad with power, most noticeably Marcus Brutus, often referred to as ‘Brutus’. Another instance of a person of significance being corrupted by power is Henry VIII of England. Both men in a like manner started out innocent, were given a taste of power, and then took advantage of that power and became corrupt. In the beginning of The Tragedy of Julius Caesar, as well as King …show more content…
Good old King Henry VIII was a jolly good soul until a jousting accident which left him with a nasty ulcer in one of his calves for the rest of his life. However, when he was younger after being crowned King. King Henry VIII completely took over England once he began his rule, spending his time dancing with beautiful women and feasting. His hunger for power increased as he grew older. After receiving the anonymous letters Brutus justifies his betrayal by saying he is going to rid Rome of a future tyrant. He speaks this lie over and over to himself to a point where even he believes it. As stated in Act II, Scene i, “Fashion it thus, that what he is, augmented, would run to these and these extremities; and therefore think him as a serpent's egg which hatch'd would as his kind grow mischievous, and kill him in the shell.” Shakespeare, The Tragedy of Julius Caesar, 30-34. It is here where the audience is shown Brutus’ thoughts, and his process of tricking himself into thinking that Caesar does indeed need to be done away with. Other instances of this occur in the natural world. Such as a male Black Widow may decide that he is at the peak of his masculinity and he decides he will go and show off his mad spider-skills to the lady spiders, he is getting cocky with himself. But all does not last long for the poor male Black Widow, for in his cockyness he forgot that the lady spiders will eat him when they are finished