A wise man once said, "The measure of a man is what he does with power." In that case, Jafar in Aladdin is a terrible, awful, no-good guy. His only goal is to acquire as much power as possible, and as soon as he does, he uses his might to trample all over everyone.
Aladdin, on the other hand, loves helping others and doesn't want to be in charge even when he gets the chance. Polar opposites, right? In the end, it's Jafar's thirst for power that really bites him in the butt. As another wise man said, "With great power comes great responsibility." Maybe Jafar should get himself a book of quotes next time he tries to take over Agrabah?
Questions about Power
- Why do you think Jafar really wants to be sultan?
- How does Aladdin react to finally having some power when he finds the Genie? How is his reaction different from Jafar's?
- If the Sultan had the power to change the laws in Agrabah this whole time, why didn't he change them earlier when he saw Jasmine was so unhappy?
Chew on This
Jafar craves power at any cost, but Aladdin doesn't want to be in charge if it means he has to lie to get there.
Aladdin tricks Jafar into becoming a genie by appealing to his thirst for power. He knows that Jafar will want to take the next step to grab more and more strength and might for himself.