The relationship between Cassius and Caesar is also one dominated by power and control. Cassius’ reason for trying to kill Caesar is that he does not want Caesar to hold such high levels of power and control. Whilst his motives may be more personal, the other conspirators fear that Caesar’s control over the citizens may go to such an extent that he makes them his slaves.
After the death of Caesar the struggle for control does not stop and in Act IV, scene one there is a clear illustration of the way in which power corrupts those who wield it. Antony, whom we previously see appealing to the people of Rome, now callously places marks against names to signify those condemned to die. He agrees to the death of his nephew and he suggests watering down the legacies in Caesar’s will. He does this so he can maintain his newfound power and establish himself in the second triumvirate. Further, the relationship within the triumvirate is again dominated by power and control. All three are after power and would even trample over one another to reach their political goals.
In the documentary, The Men who Killed Kennedy, it is observed that power and control are a predominant force in life, especially in politics and the underworld. The Warren report, which the documentary questions and labels as deliberately misleading, is physical proof of the extent to which humans will go to retain their power. The CIA or the Mafia or whoever killed John F. Kennedy were prepared to assassinate the most powerful man in the world in order to retain their power.
Kennedy was against corruption as well as the Vietnam War, either of which could have been the reason for his downfall. The power of his assassins was put under scrutiny and was under threat, so to maintain it they not only killed the president but also created a monstrous cover-up. Furthermore, we perceive how other parties involved such as the FBI (Federal Bureau of Investigation) also join in the cover-up so as to retain their power and control. To stay in their positions, which obviously hold more power than normal jobs, they had to cooperate with criminals and they did this. We notice that the need for control and the need for power run hand in hand and that people can go so far as to make official a cover-up of an obvious conspiracy. “ The public must be satisfied that Oswald was the assassin… [and] that he did not have any confederates who were still at large.”
The documentary Men of Our Time: Hitler, exemplifies how human relationships are influenced by power and control. Hitler intended to have complete power and absolute control, to be master of Europe whilst his opposition Winston Churchill wanted to rid Hitler of any form of power whatsoever, “ Nothing is more certain than that every trace of Hitler’s footsteps… every stain of his infected and corroding influence will be expunged and purged… blasted from the earth.” In the quest for power, humans can go as far as a World War and this is a great yet saddening indictment on the nature of power and control.
Hitler’s chief aim was to reestablish the greatness of Germany. He wanted to regain power for Germany, power over other countries. The extent to which he went, to regain this power as well as his power as a dictator, was of disastrous proportions. He is said to be, “ responsible for more misery and destruction than any other man in history”, and all this for power and control. He even changed Germany’s political system from a democracy to a dictatorship so he could assume more control and handle more power, which he craved.
In conclusion, human relations, whether in the public or private arena, are about power and control. There is no doubt that people struggle towards power in order to gain greater levels of control. In Julius Caesar, as well as the documentaries, The Men who Killed Kennedy and Hitler we observe that power and control complement each other as influential aspects in the lives of human beings.
USMAN BADAR