Divine Right of Kings in Oedipus and Modern Society

When the president talks to God Do they drink beer and go lend golf While they pick which countries to invade Which Muslim souls still can be saved? I guess God just c tout ensembles a spade a spade When the president talks to God. (Oberst) The concept of the shaper right of kings has been impacting history in both literature and regime throughout the ages. Today, this concept is reemerging in contemporary American government through the presidency of George W. Bush. The betoken right of kings can be defined as the right to rule derived directly from God, quite a than through the consent of the people. Many historians concede that the concept of the divine right of kings first appeared in the Greek drama Oedipus Tyrannous. As Oedipus Tyrannous opens, a Corinthian priest refers to Oedipus as a nearly divine ruler. The priest proclaims, I and these children; not as deeming thee/ A new divinity, but the first of men;/ first-year in the common accidents of life, / And first in visitations of the Gods (Sophocles 2). The priest goes on to request Oedipus help when he says, And now, O Oedipus, our peerless king, / any we thy votaries beseech thee, find/ Some succor, whether by a vocalise from heaven/ Whispered, or haply known by gracious wit (4).

The priest believes that, as a king hand-picked by the gods, Oedipus will receive advice and answers from the Greek divinities in order to exculpate Corinths problems. The origin of the divine right of kings can be to a greater extent clearly understood after exploring Thomas Hobbes classic record Leviathan. In this book, Hobbes describes the need for a cordial contract in order to achieve a peaceful society. He defines this social contract as an unwritten pledge where a person promises to respect others, refrain from unnecessarily attacking, and live peace skilfuly within a community. The person agrees to this pledge under the condition that all members of society give one and other the same sermon (Hobbes). Hobbes describes his ideal society as... If you want to get a full essay, order it on our website: Orderessay

Order your essay at Orderessay and get a 100% original and high-quality custom paper within the required time frame.