Do you believe it is more important to have power or respect in today's world?

Essay by UifzHigh School, 10th gradeA+, January 2004

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I believe that it is more important to have respect then power because a leader without any respect will not have any power for long. Some leader's today like Saddam Hussein who has all the power in his country, but has no respect at all, not even from his own people will soon not have power much more. It shows that respect is more important also because when Caesar declined the crown three times it shows that he was not a selfish man and did not want to intend one to his people of Rome. If your going to be a leader and have no respect how are you going to get votes for yourself, why would the people just vote on your powerfulness?

In the book, Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare midway through the book, the conspirators assassinated Julius Caesar because they claimed they were in fear of Caesar's leadership so Brutus started taking over control of Rome.

The people were shock at first that Caesar was killed, but when Brutus spoke out to the people, they we're glade and many people respected Brutus at that time. But, after hearing Mark Antony's speech about how Caesar was so respectful to his people to everyone he knew and even to his enemies, he cared about these people and the people of Rome we're even more in shock from hearing what Caesar wanted to do for his good people of Rome. After Antony's speech Brutus was very powerful but had loss total respect after killing Caesar for no "real true" reason. And that is why Brutus is being hunted down by the people of Rome because they want revenge back and Brutus' power of Rome will not last long. In Julius Caesar Act three, scene two; First plebeian reacts to Mark Antony's speech, "We'll burn the house of Brutus." Page 122. Also in the same scene the first plebeian also states, "Never, never. Come, away, away! We'll burn his body in the holy place and with the brands fire the traitors' houses. Take up the body." Page 124

From the two quotes up above it just shows how fast a leader can have so much power and then not too long he or she is quickly assassinated by the people. If Brutus had been respectful instead of creating a murder scene then I believe he could have been the future crowned king for Rome after Caesar's days were over. It just show's that you need to have respect in your heart in order to have power, you need to have both qualities of life and if you don't have both then you cannot be a leader for a country and you can only be a routine regularly daily citizen. I was very impress by the response from the people of Rome and especially from the first plebeian whose two stated quotes were very important about respect or power. It just shows that the people of Rome would rather have a leader who's respectful to his country and to everyone out there then a powerful man who can take on every country in the world and does not care about anyone, not even his people or family.

Respect or power reminds me of the situation in Iraq. Saddam Hussein, who kill's his own family members, who doesn't even care for his own people, why is he in such a tough position? Because he has no respect for everyone and that is why war is almost ahead of him. Similar in the book, Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare. Brutus wants to have respect from the people of Rome, but you cannot get respect from "wanting it" you must get respect by "earning it" And after the people of Rome heard the way Brutus took control of Rome, thinking he was doing a good thing for the country, the people realized that Brutus was a selfish man and a selfish man is not going to get any respect in this world. If both Brutus and Saddam had respect for what they achieved and accomplish by doing it the "correct way" by treating his people fair unlike Saddam did, earning your spot in leadership unlike Brutus did then they both would have been on top of their country/kingdoms.

It is more important to have respect then power because you have a chance to live and to stay in power at the same time rather then just have total power because then how are you going to stay in leadership of your country? Respect is a very important part of a human being and for a person not to have respect to everyone, what are the chances of that person living in freedom, in peacefulness? If your going to get respect to lead your country, your going to get the votes to continue leading your people!