The Man who would be King, by Rudyard Kipling is a story of corruption of the mind. After reading The Heart of Darkness and hearing the story of Kurtz reading of Daniel Dravot certainly has its similarities. I don't believe Dravot lost his sanity completely like Kurtz. It was the power he had in his hands was more then he could have imagined. An average man has no control, when given super ordinary powers. It will corrupt his mind to no end.
Two British soldiers wonder into the depths of the Middle East for the search of gold and power. The Man who would be King starts with Peachy Carnahen meeting another English man, who then helps him and his partner, Daniel Dravot. The two men are known as thieves and criminals of India. Peachy and Dravot have devised a plan to make their way through Afghanistan and to find a group of people to make themselves look like kings, to swindle riches. With this in mind they set out in disguise as a crazy priest and a servant. The village they came too was a place called Kafiristan, where they made a deal with the leader to help train his village to fight battles with local enemies. Since the two men were soldiers in the British Army, this came quite easy. After a number a certain events, Dravot took control from the original leader of the tribe. He then makes himself seem god-like and the rest of the indigenous people believe the same.
As Dravot and Peachy get deeper and deeper into the hearts of the people, they realize the people believe Dravot to be the son of a God. They give him treasures and make him the King. The plan they had made was working for them, just as they had planned. After waiting for the precise moment to go home, Dravot decided he would not return to England as a wealthy man. The power he had from being King was too great for him to let go. As the power become more and more intoxicating Dravot pushed it over the edge. After time the locals became aware he was no God and no King.