Divine Right of Kings in Oedipus and Modern Society

When the president talks to God

Do they drink beer and go play golf

While they pick which countries to invade

Which Muslim souls still can be saved?

I guess God just calls a spade a spade

When the president talks to God. (Oberst)

The concept of the divine right of kings has been impacting history in both literature and politics throughout the ages. Today, this concept is reemerging in contemporary American politics through the presidency of George W. Bush. The divine right of kings can be defined as the right to rule derived directly from God, rather 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 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, / All we thy votaries beseech thee, find/ Some succor, whether by a voice from heaven/ Whispered, or haply known by human 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 solve Corinth’s problems.

The origin of the divine right of kings can be more clearly understood after exploring Thomas Hobbes’ classic book Leviathan. In this book, Hobbes describes the need for a social 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 peacefully within a community. The person agrees to this pledge under the condition that all members of society give one and other the same treatment (Hobbes).

Hobbes describes his ideal society as employing a social contract and being lead by a sovereign ruler. This ruler,