Corruption of Power in The Threepenny Opera and The Trial Analysis

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Corruption of Power in The Threepenny Opera by Brecht and The Trial by Kafka
Corruption of power or abuse of power is often the misuse of office by the commission of an unlawful act done in an official capacity. Malfeasance in office by persons in authority has existed for centuries in society. The moral decay in leadership causing these heinous acts of corruption and abuse of power is often called out by members of society who face the regimes' oppression firsthand. Quite often, officials who abuse power use corruption to their advantage and seek to silence such individuals. In the words of (Lee-Chai et al., p 220), power influences people's interactions, and given the opportunity to manipulate others, people in positions of power abuse it. However, to uproot the vice, society continues to learn from the past, hoping to produce better and more responsible leaders for the future. Literature reflects society and seeks to educate the masses on vices and possible solutions. Abuse of power is frowned upon regardless of the motivation and should be eradicated by all means. This essay focuses on Brecht's 'The Threepenny Opera' and Kafka's 'The Trial' works, highlighting how the corruption of power occurs, how the perpetrators get away with it, the victims' coping mechanisms, and why it should be stopped. Wielding a lot of power is often accompanied by corruption and abuse because the people in power positions rake up ambitions in greed and with no regard for others, as shown in the two texts by Kafka and Brecht.
The Threepenny Opera highlights the career criminal called Macheath, who is planning to marry the daughter of Mr. Peachum, Polly. He plans to do this with his friend Tiger Brown's assistance. Mr. Brown is the chief of police. Mr. Peachum is in a position of power with him being the king of the Beggars, and he threatens to organize for the beggars to ruin the Queen's coronation unless Macheath is arrested and hanged! " That same night Peachum prepares to set off. he intends to disturb the coronation process with a demonstration of misery and squalor." (Kurt Weill, p.g4) Macheath receives a Queen's pardon and is even made into a Baron with a lifetime pension in the long run. The double-edged plot combines thuggery and abuse of power, creating dishonesty and cruelty in an otherwise perceived "polite society."
Throughout the play, Brecht portrays characters who are both morally and practically corrupt to highlight how greedy, selfish, and capitalist individuals run the society. More than the affluent and those in power running society this way, Brecht also depicts how people are forced to adapt to an immoral society's status quo to survive. Jonathan is such an example when his emporium is run down. He is forced to live dishonestly and in greed as a means of survival. Peachum's profiting from other people's misfortune when he sells them licenses to beg. And yet, Brecht has depicted how he is a product of his environment of coming from poverty. He has experienced misery. In act 3, Peachum declares that he has spent many sleepless nights figuring out how to extract a few pence from poverty. He views empathy and emotion only in the capacity that it may financially benefit him. He is so greedy and corrupt that it has become his livelihood and will go to extreme lengths to protect it.
On the other hand, Macheath and his criminal gang are other examples of how ordinary people living in a corrupt society must themselves turn into it as a means to survive. They create mayhem in the city with robbery, killings, arson, and larceny. However, Brecht portrays them in a heroic light as their acts appear to be applauded throughout the play. More than greed, the gang is innovative and has figured out a way to benefit from the distracted masses with the upcoming coronation. In a not fair society and oppresses them, they decided to take power into their own hands and name themselves. It is no wonder that Brecht celebrates them because they push the boundaries of what they think they deserve and go for it.
Nonetheless, there is an apparent show of how corrupt everyone is. Even in the police force with officer Brown and Smith always eager to accept a bribe and work with whoever is paying them more. The relationship is symbiotic and smooth as long as both parties have their needs met. The criminals continue causing mayhem as long as they pay the agreed percentages to the police. As such, they get away with almost everything, and the justice system is broken. "At this point, there appears London's most senior police commissioner, Brown... He's a good friend to Mac the Knife, whose evil deeds he neither sees nor hears." (Bretch Bertolt, pg 2). Even though these immoral acts are the clear bone of contention in Brecht's work, he is categorical in not passing judgment on the characters. The Threepenny Opera comprises men and women who are greedy, corrupt, deceitful, thieves, cheats, and bribe their ...