When Oidipous enjoins Kreon to care for his daughters’ physical needs, he may remind the audience of the shepherd, whose kindness to the infant he was meant to kill Oidipous criticized just moments ago (ll. 1349-55). Yet, in showing compassion for the infant, the shepherd furthered the god’s aim, expressed as a prophecy that the child would kill its father. This comparison points up the fact that Oidipous’s concern for his children misses the point that their future can be fully comprehended only in terms of the god’s needs and purposes. To make decisions pertaining to their future without regard for the god denies the god the opportunity for receiving the cooperation he may need of them and may consequently force him to intervene in their lives in more painful ways. [Dnc] Ignoring the god’s interest only underscores the fact that Oidipous has not grown more sensitive to the gods’ needs. One best expresses care for one’s innocent children by inviting, acknowledging, and embracing the god’s interest in them. [Ad] This one does through civic ritual and through consultation with the god at Delphi. [Mi]