In some situations, government can be the driving force behind madness. Oedipus, the protagonist in the play that bears his name, is certainly no stranger to this concept. As a newborn, he was banished from his native city after prophecy foretold he would murder his father and sleep with his mother. The boy was to be killed, yet he survives at the Mercy of a local Sheppard. He later ventures on to become king of Thebes after killing his father, Leios, who formerly held the position. This unleashes a string of ironic events which uphold the prophecy in every way. He marries his mother and even conceives a few children. Towards the end of the play, he finally realizes he is at fault and proceeds to brutally stab his eyes out. A broken man, Oedipus insists on his own banishment.
His mental state can be equated to a form of government. It leads him to question those around him and provoke animosity when confronting others about the death of the late king Leios. His own decisions are the reason that the reader witnesses chaos at the end of the play. Oedipus' mentality is to blame and for this reason, it may be concluded that government is not necessary for the existence of peace. Rather, it may provoke the opposite in such a context.
The claim that O's mental state could be equated to government leads me to ask exactly what kind of definition of government are we working with?
ReplyDelete