Dylan Simons 10/21/11

Mrs. Minges Period 5

Many leaders in the modern world have been compared to mythical and historical leaders. One
leader that has been compared to many times is Oedips o! Sophocles Theban Plays. Oedipus the King
is a well"#nown mythical story abot a son o! a #ing$ which was plaged by a prophecy !rom his
childhood. One leader that has been nder very heavy criticism lately is President %ara# Obama.
Obama$ at !irst$ was generally very well accepted to be the president o! the &nited States o! 'merica$
bt as his !irst term ends$ he is not as well accepted as a good president as he was !rom his initial
election. (he way people see leaders be!ore their term and a!ter their term can have very drastic
changes. (hese two leaders are proo! that many leaders can not do as mch as people e)pect and hope
!or them to do.
Oedips the *ing is a mythical story abot a son o! a #ing$ which has been prophesi+ed to #ill
his !ather$ and marry his mother. ,e never wanted that prophecy to come tre$ so he tries to get away
!rom where he thoght he was born$ and ends p in the town where his !ather is #ing and his mother is
-een. On his so.orn to (hebes$ his path crosses with a man being escorted by !ive men$ and he gets
into a -arrel with them$ and ends p #illing all o! them e)cept !or one. ,e then goes into (hebes$ and
saves them !rom a sphin) that has been terri!ying the town !or many years. (his ma#es him #ing$ and
he marries the late #ing/s wi!e$ his mother. 0ith this$ he completes his prophecy o! #illing his !ather$
and marrying his mother.
Oedips had a very mysterios childhood$ and he was not #nown in (hebes ntil he led away
the sphin). ,e was a hero to (hebes$ and he was a good #ing. ,e was very promising to (hebes$ as
he was a very good hero$ and something new to (hebes$ as they have never had a #ing$ where his
history was very mysterios. ,e did not #now that he had !l!illed his prophecy$ and neither did the
people o! (hebes. (his secret oh the man who had seen the #illing o! his !ather had been #ept a secret
!or many years$ ntil the prophet came bac# and said that he in !act had !l!illed the prophecy. O!
corse$ he and 1ocasta$ his mother and wi!e$ denied it all$ bt in the end he had !l!illed it$ and the
victim had admitted to seeing it. (he chors$ or the people o! (hebes$ had said 2Once or morning o!
light$ now or night o! endless dar#ness3Oedips pg. 4.2 (his shows that the people o! (hebes have
changed there mind very drastically abot Oedips since he came to be #ing.
'nother leader that is discssed very mch$ is the president o! the &nited States$ %ara# Obama.
President Obama started ot by getting the whole contry on its !eet with all o! his tal# abot 25hange2
and how he wold do many things !or 'merica. Many 'mericans believed this$ and believed that he
cold do most o! the things he said. One scandal abot President Obama is that he was said to have not
been born in the &nited States$ even thogh this is not tre. ,e was born in the &.S.$ bt he was raised
with his !ather in '!rica$ so it is thoght that he was born there. 6t is also a change !or 'merica to have
a racially di!!erent president then the cacasian presidents be!ore him. Many people/s opinions o!
Obama have changed very mch$ !or the worse. 2/it/s a shame they led s to believe one thing$/ said
7rances$ /and then everything changes./2 (his says that leaders say one thing$ bt do not mean it as a
promise or many times as a possible change.
Many people see Oedips as an ancient story that is not applicable to modern li!e. (his is not
tre in all aspects$ the lessons learned by this story apply to modern society very well. (he is seen in
President Obama/s approval ratings over the past !ew years. President Obama started ot as a very
promising president$ and a new !ace to 'merica$ bt this changed !airly !ast. 's he had not !l!illed his
promises to lower the nemployment and to pass the healthcare system$ people were losing patients and
their belie! in 25hange.2 (his can be compared to Oedips very easily$ and it shows that leaders are
e)pected to srpass what is possible !or them to do as an e!!icient leader.