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Oedipus The King Leadership Essay

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Who is a leader? What are the characteristics that define a good leader? This question has been proven to be of great importance. A leader is a person who helps people out of the dark and leads them to the light and seeks for their benefit and the greater good of the community. Throughout the years, philosophers have agreed that a good leader is defined by certain qualities: management skills and social skills. Management skills enables the leader to run his organization efficiently making important decisions like being wise, democratic, objective, flexible, decisive, committed and seeking for the greater good of his people. On the other hand, social skills enables the leader to interact, communicate with his subjects …show more content…

He ruled Thebes for 15 years and the city prospered under his rule. Oedipus has proved that he is a good leader many times. It was foreseen by the oracle that Oedipus will kill his father and marry his mother which shocked Oedipus. He decided to leave his country and go to Thebes fearing that the visions of the oracle will happen showing how much he is wise to abandon his position as the next king to avoid a probable danger. In addition to that, he showed courage and intelligence when he solved the riddle of sphinx and terminated his danger. These situations encouraged the people of Thebes to recognize Oedipus as their ruler and protector. I did not stop there as Oedipus started acting like an official leader. When the plague stroke Thebes because of the murderer of the old king, he obliged himself to end it and find the king’s killer. Oedipus’ commitment and persistence boosted his desire to know the truth of the king's killer when others advised him to not do so. At the end he sealed his own fate by banishing himself from his country for the greater good of his people. Although he is the king of bad luck, Oedipus has proved his extraordinary leadership skills no matter how bad the situations

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Leaders come in all shapes and sizes, however, what gives someone the title of a good or bad is decided by the decisions they make and how those decisions affect others. Odysseus led the squadron of soldiers in the trojan horse and is a hero of the Trojan War and the king of Ithaca. Consequently, this gives him experience when it comes acting in difficult situations. This experience should guide him to choose correctly when being put in a tight spot.

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Than why isn’t Odysseus a good leader? Odysseus is a good leader. As a true king, Odysseus demonstrates sacrifice as well as honor to his faithful companions. He also exhibits determination to continue the everlasting journey to return home. Now, some may call him a foolish, selfish, and unethical man who does not deserve the title of a leader, much less a king.

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For example, Odysseus showed great leadership when he was planning what to do with the suitors with his son, Telemachus, when he said, “Here is your part: at break of day tomorrow home with you, fo mingle with our princes”(Homer 599). Odysseus helped get his life and his family back. Also, the leadership by Odysseus helped get penelope back and also helped him and his son kill all the suitors. For instance, Odysseus also showed good leadership when he said, “Therefore you are to tie me up, tight as a splint, erect along the mast, and if I shout and beg to be united, take more turns of the rope to muffle me”(Homer 581). When Odysseus’s men were with the

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During these situations, Odysseus gains leadership and tactical skills from fighting in the war in Troy, which costs him 10 years of his life and another 10 years of sailing out on the sea from Poseidon 's curse. Odysseus is therefore a heroic and efficient leader because he plans his moves ahead of time and is vigilant at all times to ensure his safety. Yet, though Odysseus possesses these heroic leadership qualities, his arrogance sometimes leads to his downfall and inability to lead. While Odysseus is a little arrogant, he can also be a great leader because he is able to trust his second in command, Eurylochus, and give him more power while he is away. When Odysseus is away from Circe’s island, Odysseus has a change of heart and suddenly wants to go back to Circe’s island to retrieve his crew.

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From the beginning Oedipus was destined to fulfill a terrible prophecy, but through particular events that follow the steps of the Hero’s Journey, Oedipus becomes a powerful king of Thebes, only to be destroyed by the prophecy that should have ended his life as a child. The Hero’s Journey typically leads to self-confidence and power, however; the Hero’s Journey of Oedipus leads to his tragic demise. The Hero’s Journey lays out the steps of Oedipus’s future actions, which create suspense, fear, pity, and other emotions that captivates the audience. Similar to many famous stories, Oedipus the King, written by Sophocles in 430 B.C., follows the Hero’s Journey path, which is evident in Oedipus’s departure, initiation, and return.

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The first reason Odysseus is a great leader is because of his courage. The first example of his courage was leaving his wife, son and kingdom to risk his life in the Trojan War. The Trojan War was a long, dangerous event and he could have died there. He tells Penelope that if he doesn’t come back in time, she should find a new man.

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A great leader views the world like he is looking through 3D glasses, always seeing the depth and vibrancy of the possibilities around him. A bad leader is like a cyclops wearing an eyepatch, never able to see his mighty hand in front of his own face. In The Odyssey, Homer illustrates the journey home to Ithaca taken by Odysseus and his men. Unfortunately, Odysseus makes poor choices throughout his travels and his actions often do more harm than good. Two character traits define Odysseus and shape his poor leadership style.

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In Oedipus Rex, the author Sophocles characterizes Oedipus’ leadership qualities by claiming that Oedipus is a powerful king and reverent to people of Thebes. For example, in the beginning of the play, Oedipus states, “tell me and never doubt that I will help you in every way I can.” This quote emphasizes Oedipus as a powerful leader because he is willing to do anything to protect his people. For example, in the past Oedipus has saved Thebes from Sphinx. Moreover, Oedipus states, “send me from Thebes.”

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Tragically flawed by his hubris in thinking he could outwit the prophecies, Oedipus Rex’s inability to take advice lead him to fall so far that he is now the epitome of tragic heroes. In his desperate attempts to outwit the prophecies he allowed himself to be emotionally compromised, which illustrated the true nature of Oedipus who had ruled with reason for twenty years as ultimately a man of emotion. Even though he had brief moments of mental clarity during his fall the damage caused by and continued need to fall back on emotionally driven decisions cost him his kingship and reputation. Initially Oedipus is introduced as a personable and reasonable man when he himself journeys to Thebes with the intention of saving the city. “I would not

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Oedipus was a tragic hero he was seen as a great man and was king,but he fell to misfortune because of his disability to see past his pride and anger which led to his demise. By not being able to see past his pride and anger Oedipus was not able to to avoid his prophetic destiny. He was blinded by his pride and anger so much that it became his tragic flaw ultimately leading him to his

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In the play Oedipus is the only one that is able to solve the sphinx’s riddle which leads the city to making him their next king. Oedipus was there for the city in a time of need and shows his intelligence by solving the riddle. This act is what categorizes Oedipus as a hero, after saving the city from a crisis it shows he is willing to do anything in order to keep the city going and look after his people. He also does not like to keep secrets from his people, for example when Creon wants to tell Oedipus the oracle in private, Oedipus insists on making the news public to the people. Doing so shows that he wants the people to trust him and wants make it known to everyone that he can be in fact trusted.

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Oedipus Rex is without a doubt a masterful tragedy. While it would take an entire other essay to discuss why Oedipus Rex is such a good tragedy, the overarching reason why is that Oedipus is ultimately a well-intentioned ruler and good person. For example, when Oedipus first hears about the plague, he quickly demands a solution, stating that “The grief that burdens me/concerns these men more than it does my life” (1308). Oedipus was no tyrant who wished to mercilessly subjugate the people of Thebes. Rather, he was a ruler who always had the best interest of his citizens in mind, and who had already saved the people of Thebes by solving the riddle of the Sphinx and was ready to save the Thebans again, this time by stopping the plague.

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Throughout the story “The Odyssey” by Homer Odysseus, the main character counters countless amounts of trouble. As king and leader it is his job to keep his men save and get the job done. Odysseus does whatever it takes to keep his men unharmed, and more importantly, alive. All his crew and him dream about is getting back to their homeland, but first they have to pass the obstacles. Odysseus demonstrates good leadership qualities by doing whatever it takes to get the job done, using his advanced cunning abilities to trick his enemy, and constantly saving his crew from dangers.

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What makes a leader? I believe a leader to be intelligent ,tough, and has the determination to achieve a goal. Having certain skills will have an impact on you being a trustable leader. Being selfless and caring are also characteristics. Malcolm X his birth name Malcolm Little is a fine a example of a leader and has most of these leadership qualities.

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The characters in Oedipus the King develop the plot and make it a complete tragedy. Oedipus, had some undesirable flaws as well as some good characteristics. Oedipus had a flaring temper that ruined his life. We all learned that having a bad attitude doesn’t get you anywhere in life. Oedipus was also arrogant, especially after defeating the Sphinx.

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