Oedipus the King tells the story of a politician born into the role and raised to be a king. While Oedipus possesses some traits of a natural leader, he eventually becomes more concerned with his personal best interest over the substance of his ruling. Oedipus’ character was a representation of a typical political leader who lost confidence in his own authority. At first, Oedipus attempted to sympathize with his citizens, however, when he was threatened or felt pressure, he only protected himself. Oedipus’ behavior reflected that of a power driven and ineffective leader. This type of rulership has been seen many times throughout history and the play was a warning against arrogance and paranoia as it can cause failure in even the strongest