Limitless Power In Lord Of The Flies

Whether it be choosing a donut over a bagel, taking the elevator over the stairs, or watching television over exercising, many of us often give in to temptation and make decisions we know are bad for us. In these situations, we might relent and choose the less admirable option, but could still choose to do the right thing if we desired. But what if the temptation is too good to pass up? What if a person had the opportunity to live without fear of consequences: to possess unlimited power? Would a person be able to reject such a gift? In his essay, “The Rings of Tolkien, and Plato: Lessons in Power, Choice, and Morality” author Eric Katz examines the writings of J.R. Tolkien to try and answer these questions. Ultimately, Katz feels that given the chance, a virtuous person could reject limitless power and choose to live a normal life.
Summary
To do this, examines the characters of Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings trilogy. Tolkien’s characters, Boromir and Frodo, both choose to accept limitless power, and corrupt themselves because of it. Even though both of these characters are virtuous individuals who are fighting to preserve Middle Earth, they are unable to resist the temptation of limitless power.
Conversely, Katz show that Tolkien’s characters Sam, Galadriel, and Bombadil all reject the temptation of limitless power. Sam is able to reject the gift by knowing that he isn’t worthy of it, and also because he is satisfied to the simple existence with he already possesses. Galadriel refuses to let the power corrupt who she is and compromise her principles, even though it means that her people will die out because of it. Bombadil, as it turns out, isn’t tempted by the gift at all. As a result, these characters are able to remain who they are, and live their lives within their