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This ancient Greek tragedy tells the story of Antigone, who defies King Creon’s law by burying her brother, believing that moral and divine law outweigh human authority.
Antigone explores the conflict between personal conscience and political power. It questions how far rulers should go in enforcing laws, and what happens when moral power challenges the state. -
In this famous philosophical work, Plato explores justice, government, and the ideal society. He introduces the concept of the “philosopher-king,” a ruler whose wisdom and virtue make him best suited to hold power.
Plato examines who deserves power, how it should be used, and what happens when power is abused the questions that remain central to politics and society today. -
Michelangelo’s David symbolizes moral courage over brute force. Even though David is physically smaller, he stands confidently, representing inner strength, faith, and intelligence as more powerful than size or weapons. Universally, it celebrates the victory of the underdog. Personally, it mirrors moments when you rely on quiet confidence or emotional strength rather than aggression. -
Macbeth tells the story of a Scottish general who murders the king to seize the throne, only to be consumed by guilt, paranoia, and madness.
The play explores how ambition and the desire for power can corrupt even the noblest person. Shakespeare shows that power gained through greed and violence ultimately destroys both the ruler and the world around him. -
Commissioned by King Louis XIV, the Palace of Versailles became the grand symbol of royal power and control. Its enormous size, rich decoration, and perfectly ordered gardens were designed to impress and intimidate.
Versailles represents how architecture can be used to display and maintain power, Louis XIV used the palace to show his absolute authority and to keep France’s nobles under his watch. -
The Enlightenment was a major intellectual movement in Europe that emphasized reason, science, and individual rights over traditional authority. Thinkers like Voltaire, Rousseau, and Kant challenged the power of kings and the church.
The Enlightenment shifted power from monarchs and religion to the people and their ability to think freely redefining what it meant to have intellectual and social power. -
The French Revolution was a period of radical social and political change in France when the people overthrew the monarchy and challenged centuries of absolute royal power. It led to the rise of new political ideas about equality, freedom, and democracy.
This event shows how power can shift from the hands of a few to the hands of the people and how the struggle for power can completely reshape a nation. -
This neoclassical painting shows Napoleon Bonaparte heroically riding a rearing horse as he leads his army through the Alps. The artwork glorifies Napoleon’s image as a strong, fearless leader.
David’s painting was a powerful piece of propaganda, it used art to shape public perception and celebrate political authority. It shows how art can be used to project and maintain power. -
Beethoven originally dedicated this symphony to Napoleon Bonaparte, admiring him as a symbol of revolutionary power and freedom. However, when Napoleon declared himself emperor, Beethoven withdrew the dedication in anger.
The Eroica Symphony reflects both the inspiration and the danger of power, it celebrates human strength and heroism but also criticizes the corruption that power can bring. -
Written by Marx and Engels, this text challenges economic inequality and class power. It argues that workers should rise up against oppressive systems. Universally, it shaped revolutions and political movements around the world. Personally, it symbolizes pushing back against people or systems that take advantage of others. -
A powerful protest song about racial violence and oppression in America. Universally, it demonstrates how art can challenge societal power and injustice; personally, it symbolizes the strength to confront and speak out against systemic wrongs. -
This novel is an allegory about power and corruption. The animals on a farm overthrow their human owner to create an equal society, but the pigs slowly take control, becoming as oppressive as the humans they replaced. Orwell uses the story to show how power can corrupt those who hold it, and how people in control often manipulate truth and language to maintain dominance. -
This photograph shows U.S. Marines raising the American flag during the Battle of Iwo Jima in WWII. It symbolizes military power, unity, and morale in the face of adversity. Universally, it represents how symbols can rally people and convey authority and victory. Personally, it reflects teamwork, resilience, and the ability to create hope even in extreme circumstances. -
This famous photograph, taken by Jeff Widener, shows a lone protester standing in front of a line of Chinese tanks during the Tiananmen Square protests. The man’s identity remains unknown, but his act of defiance became a global symbol of courage.
The image captures the struggle between individual and state power, one unarmed man standing up to a powerful government. It shows that true power can come from resistance, not just authority. -
This historical film tells the true story of Oskar Schindler, a German businessman who used his position and influence to save more than a thousand Jewish people during the Holocaust.
The film explores how power can be used for both evil and good, showing the destructive power of the Nazi regime alongside Schindler’s moral courage to use his power to protect others.