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Character of creon in oedipus rex
Character of creon in oedipus rex
Character of creon in oedipus rex
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Sophocles’ Oedipus the King and Antigone follow the outrageous misfortunes of Oedipus and his children over the course of several generations. Throughout the events of both plays, Creon, Oedipus’ brother in law, remains a constant presence. However, Creon’s attitudes and actions change drastically between Oedipus the King and Antigone; gradually coming to mirror Oedipus himself, shifting from humility to the stubborn pride of a tyrant. Though he is the same man, Creon’s personality between the two works is so different that he can be thought of as two separate characters: Creon from Oedipus the King and Creon as he is in Antigone.
Early in Oedipus the King, Oedipus becomes convinced that Creon, in league with Tiresias, hopes to supplant him as the King of Thebes. Upon hearing (and misinterpreting) Tiresias’ predictions, Oedipus believes that “the trusted Creon, my friend from the beginning / beguiles me and secretly desires to oust me” (Oedipus the King 405-6). Oedipus is very quick to jump to the conclusion that Creon is a traitor and prepares to eliminate the plot against him, saying “whenever someone swiftly moves secret plots / against me, I must also counter-plot swiftly” (Oedipus the King 644-5). During the events of Antigone, Creon is the accuser rather than the accused; quickly blaming Antigone for the troubles that have befallen Thebes since the death of Polynices. Creon denounces Antigone, angrily declaring, “in my own house, you viper, slinking undetected, / sucking my life-blood!” (Antigone 598-9). Creon is utterly convinced that Antigone must be punished for her crimes, exactly as he himself was charged by Oedipus. Creon stands on the complete opposite side of the law than he does in Antigone, yet he believes that h...
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...ally changed ideas on the power of kings, Creon is clearly a different man than he was in his youth.
Creon is a vastly different character in Antigone than he was in Oedipus the King, displaying starkly different attitudes between the two works. In Oedipus the King, Creon is an idealistic youth who speaks out against tyranny, only to be warped by power until he becomes a tyrant himself. Ultimately, Creon can be considered to act as two separate characters: the idealistic youth of Oedipus the King, and the ruthless Tyrant seen in Antigone.
Works Cited
Sophocles. Antigone. Trans. Robert Fagles. Approaching Literature: Writing + Reading + Thinking. Ed. Peter Schakel and Jack Ridl. 2nd ed. Boston: Bedford, 2008. 1110-50. Print.
Sophocles. Oedipus the King.www.eNotes.com. Web. 30 Nov. 2011.
Sophocles. Antigone. Taken from Abcarian and Koltz, "Literature: Reading and Writing the Human Experience." St. Martins Press. 1998.
Sophocles. Antigone. The Three Theban Plays: Antigone, Oedipus the King, Oedipus at Colonus. Trans. Robert Fagles. New York: Penguin, 1984
Loyalty plays a big part in the play with the characters. Antigone’s words, actions, and ideas contrast with Creon’s character to the point of these two characters having conflicting
In conclusion, Creon is the tragic character of Antigone because of his pride which caused him never ending agony by the end of this tragedy. Although Antigone’s stubbornness concerning the divine law and her brother’s burial lead her to her misfortune, her suffering was cut short by her death. On the other hand, Creon had to live through having his own son and the citizens of Thebes against his decision. Also, Haimon and Eurydices died as a result of his actions, leaving Creon without a family. Hence, Creon is the tragic character of the tragedy due to eternal distress caused by his judgment.
In the following paper, I plan to discuss the source of conflict between the title characters of Antigone and Creon in Sophocles’ “Antigone”. I also plan to discuss how each character justifies his or her actions and what arguments they give for their justifications. I will also write about the strengths and weaknesses of these arguments. The final points I try to make are about who Sophocles thinks is right and who I think is right.
Sophocles. "Antigone." Pike, Ana M. Acosta and David L. Antigone. Ed. Joseph Terry. Trans. Dudley Fitts and Robert Fitzgerald. 2nd Edition. Upper Saddle River: Pearson Education, Inc, 2014. 474-488.
There are certain qualities that a character must posses in order to qualify as a tragic hero. Ideally, the subject is to be a person of high rank, so that they may have much to lose. (Most frequently a monarch is used.) Granted, Antigone is a member of the royal bloodline. But we must not forget that she is the daughter of incest, hardly a glamorous position to start with. In Oedipus Rex, Antigone was indirectly disgraced, while Creon was socially elevated by inheriting kingship from Oedipus. Also, Creon’s being king comparatively trumps Antigone’s lesser status of orphaned princess. While this in itself objectively proves nothing, it does at a minimum make Creon the more likely choice of protagonist.
Creon's noble quality is his caring for Antigone and Ismene when their father was persecuted. Creon is a very authoritative person and demands control of others. When talking to the Chorus, Creon does not ask them to agree with the decree but demands that they follow it. Creon expects loyalty from others. It is apparent that Creon is very dominating and wants to be in control. "The man the city sets up in authority must be obeyed in small things and in just but also in their opposites"(717-719). Through this quote the reader realizes that Creon wants obedience in everything he decides even if he is at fault. "There is nothing worse than disobedience to authority" (723-724). Further supporting Creon's belief that everyone shall remain faithful to him even if he rules unfairly. This is proved true when Creon says, "Should the city tell me how I am to rule them?" (790).
In the awe-inspiring play of Antigone, Sophocles introduces two remarkable characters, Antigone and Creon. A conflict between these two obstinate characters leads to fatal consequences for themselves and their kindred. The firm stances of Creon and Antigone stem from two great imperatives: his loyalty to the state and her dedication to her family, her religion but most of all her conscience. The identity of the tragic hero of this play is still heavily debated. This tragedy could have been prevented if it had not been for Creon's pitiful mistakes.
...se Creon was not yet the king of Thebes during the period of Oedipus’s ruling, and Antigone who was not yet a renowned figure acting independently in her own will without any dilemmas. It is until the story of Antigone when Antoine’s rights are desecrated by the might of Creon’s rule and that it led Antigone to bail and revolt against it. This is the dynamic that Sophocles sees in Antigone within the society of Thebes, and through the perception of Antigone’s heroic deeds, equal to that against the behavior of Creon, Sophocles exemplify to the audience the unbalance nature in society.
Sophocles. "Antigone." The Norton Anthology of World Masterpieces. Ed. Knox and Mack. New York: Norton, 1995.
"Sophocles" In Literature of the Western World, edited by Brian Wilkie and James Hurt. NewYork: Macmillan Publishing Co., 1984.
Creon was seen in a different context in Oedipus compared to his character in Antigone.
In OC, Creon still retains some respect for divine prophecies. These have after all motivated his desire to return Oedipus to Thebes. Antigone reveals the ultimate extent to which Creon's character deteriorates. His transformation completes itself; he has become an unreasonable tyrant. Creon can no longer be called a king. He has become a despot.