In the play Oedipus the King, Sophocles has Oedipus use the metaphor of calling his people “my children”(1,6) to compare Oedipus' citizens to his children, which in result, has a couple effects. First, it puts his people in a lesser position than him because children are seen in a lesser position than parents or adults and by doing that, he has more power. Second, it gives his people a sense of helplessness, which means that that would put Oedipus in a position of having to protect and provide for his citizens. However, Oedipus could also take advantage of their helplessness and decide what he thinks is best for the people of Thebes. Usually this mixture of protectiveness, providing, and decision making are all the qualities you see in a parent, which would mean that Oedipus is trying to put himself in the position of a parent. In such a tragic time the play takes place in, during a plague, where their city is described as “reeking with the smoke of burning incense”(4) and people “wailing for the dead”(5), I'm sure the citizens would need their leader to be more than just a king towards them. However, throughout the play, it is seen that Oedipus struggles with putting others before himself, which probably sets the mood of the citizens to confusion and fickleness of his leadership skills. So, it is unclear whether he trying to be a father figure or simply doing his job as a leader when he is calls his people his “children”(1,6).
In the play Oedipus the King, Sophocles has Oedipus use the metaphor of calling his people “my children”(1,6) to compare Oedipus' citizens to his children, which in result, has a couple effects. First, it puts his people in a lesser position than him because children are seen in a lesser position than parents or adults and by doing that, he has more power. Second, it gives his people a sense of helplessness, which means that that would put Oedipus in a position of having to protect and provide for his citizens. However, Oedipus could also take advantage of their helplessness and decide what he thinks is best for the people of Thebes. Usually this mixture of protectiveness, providing, and decision making are all the qualities you see in a parent, which would mean that Oedipus is trying to put himself in the position of a parent. In such a tragic time the play takes place in, during a plague, where their city is described as “reeking with the smoke of burning incense”(4) and people “wailing for the dead”(5), I'm sure the citizens would need their leader to be more than just a king towards them. However, throughout the play, it is seen that Oedipus struggles with putting others before himself, which probably sets the mood of the citizens to confusion and fickleness of his leadership skills. So, it is unclear whether he trying to be a father figure or simply doing his job as a leader when he is calls his people his “children”(1,6).

In the play Oedipus the King, Sophocles has Oedipus use the metaphor of calling his people “my children”(1,6) to compare Oedipus' citizens to his children, which in result, has a couple effects. First, it puts his people in a lesser position than him because children are seen in a lesser position than parents or adults and by doing that, he has more power. Second, it gives his people a sense of helplessness, which means that that would put Oedipus in a position of having to protect and provide for his citizens. However, Oedipus could also take advantage of their helplessness and decide what he thinks is best for the people of Thebes. Usually this mixture of protectiveness, providing, and decision making are all the qualities you see in a parent, which would mean that Oedipus is trying to put himself in the position of a parent. In such a tragic time the play takes place in, during a plague, where their city is described as “reeking with the smoke of burning incense”(4) and people “wailing for the dead”(5), I'm sure the citizens would need their leader to be more than