Power Corrupts Trivia Quiz

Answer: Illinois

Facing corruption charges, Rod Blagojevich was impeached and removed from office on January 29, 2009. The most talked about charge was that he was selling the Senate seat vacated by Barack Obama. He was succeeded by the lieutenant governor, Pat Quinn. Blagojevich was preceded by a governor who was jailed for corruption charges as well.

Answer: Pompey

Pompey and Caesar were the two leaders in a Roman civil war that preceded the assassination of Caesar. Pompey's death ultimately ended the war, and thus he would have no hand in the successful conspiracy to kill Caesar on the Ides of March in 44 BC. Cassius is often billed as the main instigator of the plot. Casca is considered to have been the first to strike Caesar. Brutus' involvement gives rise to the controversial claim that Caesar's last words were "et tu, Brute?"

Answer: Saruman

Saruman was like Gandalf, a wizard who was sent to help the forces of good against the threat of Sauron. When the ring of power was located, he showed his true colors and imprisoned Gandalf. He created his own army to track down and steal the ring. Aragorn never betrayed his allies.

Theoden was a weak king when first shown, but he was under the power of Saruman's spy. Denethor was depressed by believing his country would fall.

Answer: Tokugawa Ieyasu

Tokugawa Ieyasu was not from the imperial family. However, his reign marked the beginning of the Edo period, when the shoguns were in control of the country. During the Edo period, foreign influences and travel abroad were forbidden. Christianity, which had been spreading, was banned. The doors were opened again in the 1850s.

Answer: The Pigs

One pig, Napoleon, is modeled on Stalin. He organizes a secret police of attack dogs to keep the animals in line. His biggest rival, Snowball, echoes the story of Trotsky.

Answer: Herod

Herod ruled Palestine at the time of the Roman emperor. Although he was an Idumean, he was backed by the Romans to be the Jewish king. His lust for power and keeping his seat caused him to murder several members of his own family. According to the New Testament, he slaughtered the infants at Bethlehem.

He began a great number of building projects including the new temple in Jerusalem. His fear that no one would mourn his death is what caused him to order the deaths of the men in the question, but this order was not followed.

Answer: Macbeth

Lorenzo is from "The Merchant of Venice". Benedick is from "Much Ado About Nothing". Tybalt is from "Romeo and Juliet". None of these three plays deal with regicide. However, Macbeth is from the play "Macbeth". In the play, he is the murderer of the Scottish king, Duncan. Macduff avenges Duncan's death.

Answer: Henry VIII

Henry VIII has gone down in history as the king with six wives and father of three English monarchs: Edward VI, Mary I and Elizabeth I. In 1521 he was awarded the title of "Defender of the Faith" by the Pope for his writing against the Reformation. However, his queen's inability to bear him a son gave him cause to seek another wife.

The Pope would not give him an annulment, so he severed all links with Rome.

Answer: Kim Jong Il

Kim Jong Il followed his father, Kim Il-Sung, as leader of North Korea. Kim Il-sung is officially referred to as the "Great Leader". Vladmir Putin is a leader in Russian politics. Ali Khamenei is the Ayatollah of Iran. Fidel Castro is the revolutionary leader that brought about Communism in Cuba.

Answer: Beethoven

Beethoven admired the French republic and its leader, Napoleon Bonaparte. However, Napolean declared himself emperor in 1804, abandoning the ideals of the French revolution. Beethoven removed Napoleon's name from the work. This work was Beethoven's Third Symphony, called "Eroica", which is Italian for 'heroic'.