It is true that money cannot buy happiness,
But enough of it can buy your innocence.
Sir John Harrington wrote the
epigram Of Treason about one of the
harsh realities of society: That treason is only seen as such when it does not
benefit the right people. I attempted to
model my own epigram after this same fashion. The idea that people in society
are willing to turn a blind eye toward certain injustices if the price is right
is one that has certainly been around for a long time.
The
most important similarity between the two epigrams is definitely the idea that
money, or prospering in some way, can cover up any issue no matter how severe.
While this may seem like a pessimistic view of the world, it is in many ways a
realistic one.
Sir John
Harrington was highlighting the more devious actions of which some government officials
are capable. There have certainly been
cases throughout history, many of them documented and well-known, of cover-ups
and espionage that have been swept aside or in some cases even celebrated as
successes as long as the right people with the proper power, influence, and
money were behind them.
With my own
epigram, I tried to evoke a similar feel, but focused more specifically towards
the judicial system. I was particularly influenced by many of the recent
high-profile cases involving NFL players and domestic violence. Many of these
players have a great deal of evidence stacked against them, yet they have been
able to be reinstated and continue to not only be free men, but collect their
multi-million dollar salaries.
Harrington’s Of Treason is a great example of the
power that an epigram can demonstrate. While they are usually quite short in
length, and are typically humorous or ironic, they can often also lead to great
discussions relating to deep societal issues.
Works Cited
Harrington, John. "Of Treason." Backpack Literature: An Introduction to Fiction, Poetry, Drama, and Writing. Ed. X. J. Kennedy and Dana Gioia. Pearson. 2012. 525. Print.
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