Oedipus’s Leadership
Thesis statement: A true leader should therefore be a man who is selfless and at the same time not self-centered. He should be able to rule for the good of the people but not his own interest.
Oedipus is perceived as a selfless and self-centered. His opposing of these features is seen in his words when he says: Oh my piteous children, known, well known to me are the desires where from you that have come from. He questions why he should suffer all this; he says that his pain is because of the people and he doesn’t suffer for anything else. He adds that his soul mourns for the city for himself and for the people. (line 58-64).
These are crucial qualities that a leader should possess for them to be very efficient leading the people. These lines indicate how Oedipus is acting someone who can save, in order to benefit his people. The relationship that exists between the Creon and the Oedipus appear to be strained. This is because Creon is not happy with Oedipus having the throne after Laius died, because he would have been the next in line for the ruling of Laius. Oedipus trusts him enough to send him to him to Delphi. However, Oedipus accuses Creon of not reporting the god’s message accurately. Oedipus feels Creon is trying to take advantage of the message of God in order to get him ousted. Creon feels avenged when he becomes King at the end. His thought is that Oedipus was not worthy to be the king but this is not genuine because he wanted this position to be his at last. Therefore this leaves no doubt that Oedipus had the values of a leader it is only Creon was dissatisfied with him.
Oedipus has been born as prince and he was raised to later become a king. The plays tells us about the nature of leadership and the features of a great leader. It tells us that a person is not a good leader because he was born a prince and then raised to become a king. He is the sort of person who should have an outer image than the substance he possesses in his ruling. Therefore Oedipus has a complex of Messiah when he takes on the role of the Savior of the Thebes. He acts in a manner that is self-centered but he is doing it in a selfless way. Although he forsakes the teaching of the Gods and sleeps with his mother he is not worthy to be a king.
Irony and twist of fate persuade our view of Oedipus as a tragic protagonist. He is a fool of the Gods and he can not choose his way freely. They know what Oedipus is likely to do when in a certain situation because they can control everything beyond likelihood and mere coincident. For instance he doesn’t know that he has killed his father and slept with mother which means he cant control what he does.
In conclusion we observe that Oedipus doesn’t rule honorably but he is motivated for what is good for him but not what is good for the general nation. A true leader should therefore be a man who is selfless and at the same time not self-centered. He should be able to rule for the good of the people but not his interest.In the work of Manna we see how the Jewish people were fleeing Egypt, heading into the desert. They had no idea how they will survive and whether they would have any regrets after they had left the hard life they were facing as slaves in the bondage.
Their leader Moses is instructed by God that he will get the Manna that will rain on them each day. They are however given further instructions that if they store it for future consumption it will become inedible because it will rot. This presence of manner makes the Hebrews know that God will be in their presence everyday. On the sixth day the manna comes down upon as a double portion where they learn that this day is made for them to rest.I have realized that being involved in the organizing through my soul, with the commitment it has on torah study it has become my manna.
Moses here is seen to be a great leader. He is willing to lead the children of Israelites and presents the words of God to them without concealing, any. He is doing all this for their own good. He is a determined to make sure that he does all what his calling entails. The leadership portrayed here is extraordinary and I would choose it if compared to one that was shown by Oedipus. He follows what God tells him and he doesn’t lead by his own will. In this case the leadership is superb and there are no showdowns like the ones witnessed in Oedipus.
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