richard the III vs qadafi

“The only prize much cared for by the powerful is power.”

Shakespeare shows us in Richard II the heart and mind of one of these men who seem to have no limits to what they will do to achieve power. What do tyrants have in common? Is there a brotherhood of corruption that spans centuries and countries? Richard III was king of England in medieval times. Muammer Muhammed Qadhafi is a Libyan dictator who is still in power. Despite these differences in time and location, there are many similarities between these men for whom power was the only prize.

At the beginning of Richard III, Richard is the brother of the king and yet he is still dissatisfied with his situation.

“And therefore, since I cannot prove a lover

To entertain these fair well-spoken days,

I am determined to prove a villain,

And hate the idle pleasures of these days.”

Shakespeare has Richard say that his physical deformity makes him capable of nothing but further plotting. Is this why Richard takes power? What causes men to usurp power?

Qadhafi was always very powerful even when he was a little boy. During his school years it was said that his friends would carry around a stool for when young Qadh

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On September 1st 1969, a twenty-seven year old Qadhafi and a group of Free Unionist Officers took over Libya and overthrew King Sayyid Muhammed al-Idris. Since he has been in power he has relied heavily on members of his own tribe the Qudhadhfa and a sister tribe the Warfalla to retain power.

Oadhafi has been much more successful at holding on to his power than poor Richard. He makes no claim that his background entitles him to rule. In addition he also believes in marriages with one’s allies as he states in his Green Book –“Marriage within a group, by its very nature strengthens its unity and brings about collective growth. Even though this brings Richard’s family to power, Richard is not satisfied. ”

Even though they want to hold absolute power, tyrants need allies. Richard marries Anne because of her status as the widow of the Prince of Wales and because of the connections of her father. Both families are descended from sons of Edward the Third.

Maintenance of power is very important. He went from a bloody start fairly quickly to bloody finish. Richard’s murders seem particularly horrible because they include his own brother nad his nephews who are only children. When the play opens he has killed Henry VI and Prince Edward of Lancaster. But they will both be immortal as symbols of corrupt power.

Approximate Word count = 1000
Approximate Pages = 4 (250 words per page double spaced)

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