The theme of addiction to power in The Lord of the Rings is central, as the Ring, made by the Dark Lord Sauron to enable him to take over the whole of Middle-earth, progressively corrupts the mind of
Lord Acton famously stated "Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely", an idea embodied in the addictive power of the One Ring.
Rings of Power
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The Rings of Power are magical artefacts in J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium, most prominently in his high fantasy novel The Lord of the Rings. The One Ring first appeared as a plot device, a magic ring
J.R.R. Tolkien's sketch of the dustcover for The Two Towers, depicting the Three and the Seven Rings around the One Ring, which surrounds the Nine Rings (faint circles)
The shepherd Gyges of Plato's Republic finds the magic ring, setting up a moral dilemma. Ferrara, 16th century
Rings of Power and their wearers as depicted in Peter Jackson's The Fellowship of the Ring (above, from left)—The Three Rings being worn by the Elves Gil-galad, Círdan (middle) and Galadriel; The Dwarves raising their Seven Rings; (below) The Nine Kings of Men wielding their Rings