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Absolute power corrupts absolutely. The lesson was never lost on "the Bard". Mr. Shakespeare uses the theme in a myriad of titles from Hamlet to Richard III. It is one of his most pervasive themes and no one did more with it than he did.

Let me begin with the piece, that in my mind, most throughly explores and demonstrates the man's genius. I speak here of "the Scottish Play", MacBeth. Here we see a hero in the person of MacBeth who is given an insight to his immediate future by three witches he encounters on his way home from great success in battle for king and country. He is accompanied by a friend and subordinate officer when he encounters the three that tell him that he shall become king of Scotland. He is also advised, or more accurately, overhears that his friend and subordinate will be the father of kings thus assuring that it is his and not MacBeth's family that shall rule the land in the future. Though difficult to believe MacBeth becomes enthralled by the idea and with the aid and prompting of his power hungry wife puts a plan in motion to bring the prophesy to pass.

As a consequence of the plan, and in short order, he has manged to kill the king for whom he has often risked his own life and illegally ascended the throne. As a consequence of attempting to keep the throne he kills his friend and attempts to kill his friend's son. His wife is driven mad, his kingdom splits at the seems and a civil war begins which eventually leads to his death. From hero to traitor to king to dead. All brought about by the desire power to which he had no legal right.

In Hamlet we see the desire for power and sex lead to murder again as Hamlet's father is killed by his own brother by means of poisoning. Once having murdered his own brother Hamlet's uncle becomes king and marries Hamlet's mother. He is not a despotic ruler, but he is not the legal heir to the throne either. When Hamlet's father, in ghostly form, returns to haunt the castle by night he tells Hamlet the truth concerning his uncle. Enraged by what he is told, Hamlet proceeds, albeit very, very slowly and in many fits and starts to take revenge upon the killer of his father. His plan ends up bringing him to murder his own mother and his uncle and finally brings about his own death.

In Othello, the character of Iago, desires more power and better status than he has been able to achieve. He serves Othello, the Moor of Venice, faithfully for a very long time even though there is certainly a racial prejudice

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