What is the literary term for the relationship between a king and the well-being of his people?

Question

In Oedipus Rex, Thebes is suffering from a plague because of the king's secret -- crops are blighted, children are born dead, etc. In Macbeth, all sorts of unnatural things happen (e.g. horses eat each other) when Macbeth kills Duncan and becomes king. The evil in the royal house is physically manifested in misfortune among his people.

Isn't there a literary term for that?

I'm certain the term I'm looking for is not symbolism, parable, or noblesse oblige.

"Temporal body" sounds credible, but I can't find verification for this term online. Can anyone else substantiate this?

Answer 1

it's called the temporal body, since the kingdom is often a symbolic representation of the ruler's physical body.

Answer 2

parable (PAIR-uh-buhl): a brief and often simple narrative that illustrates a moral or religious lesson. Some of the best-known parables are in the Bible, where Jesus uses them to teach his disciples. For example, in "The Parable of the Good Seed," a farmer plants a garden. As the farmer sleeps, someone sows weeds in his field to destroy the farmer's crops. However, when he learns of his misfortune, he does not demolish his entire garden just to remove the weeds. The farmer waits patiently until harvest time and gathers his wheat after the weeds have first been collected and destroyed. The lesson to be learned in this parable is to not be quick to annihilate evil; it will in deserving time receive its punishment. Some other parables in the Bible are "The Parable of the Prodigal Son" and "The Parable of the Mustard Seed." See The Encyclopedia of Literature, A Handbook to Literature.

Answer 3

Symbolism.

Answer 4

Could it be "noblesse oblige"?
"The essence of noblesse oblige is that social (possibly legal) pressures compel nobility to act selflessly and for the good of all."