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Character analysis of oedipus in oedipus the king
Character of Oedipus in Sophocles' Oedipus Rex
Character analysis of oedipus in oedipus the king
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In the plays Oedipus of Rex and Antigone by Sophocles, Oedipus and Creon exert similar characteristics as leaders that ultimately result in their characterization as tragic heroes. Their overbearing determination, relentless pride, uncontrollable fate, and enormous grievances all portray the inevitable outcome. Sophocles writes that the characters in the plays are chasten not because of something they had done in the past but merely it is their fate. Oedipus and Creon can not stop their fate no matter what great lengths they go to. Revealing that catharsis is created when the audience has pity or fear when they see that bad things can happen to good people. For this purpose, neither Oedipus nor Creon where good leaders because both were hypocritical tragic heroes. Initially, both Oedipus and Creon exert an overbearing determination that can be the tragic flaw that destroys their lives. However, both have contrasting motives. Oedipus was determined to find the killer of King Laius saying, "As for the criminal, I pray to God- whether it be a lurking thief, or one of a number- I pray that that man's life be consumed in evil and wretchedness and as for me this curse applies no less…" (World Lit 316). Creon' s motive of determination was not to back down from his word and law. The law was whoever buries Polyneices would be publicly stoned to death, since Polyneices didn't deserve a proper burial for his actions in war. Creon later finds out that Antigone has buried her brother and Creon replies " She has much to learn. The inflexible heart breaks first, the toughest iron cracks first, and the wildest horses bend their neck at the pull of the smallest curb…Breaking the law and boasting of it. Who is the man here she or I, if this cri...
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... child as well and couldn't live with out him and so she kills herself. Creon's reply is "Oh pity! All true, all true, and more than I can bear! Oh my wife my son!… It is right that it should be. I alone am guilty. I know it and say it. Lead me in quickly, friends. I have neither life nor substance. Lead me in." (Western Literature 711) The humanity is now showing through Oedipus and Creon and as leaders they both realize now what they have done and how they want to take everything back, but they can't. Therefore they live in their misery. Such catharsis that pours from the audience is unbearable. In brief, the actions and words of Oedipus and Creon can account for their poor leadership, but fate played the upper hand. Fate did not allow for Oedipus or Creon to rule long enough to have the experience to be considered wise, noble leaders who could face any situation.
In the beginning of the play Creon is portrayed as King and a leader unwilling to bend the rules in order to protect the city. The way Creon responds to Antigone, “While I’m alive, no woman is going to lord over me”, shows he is stubborn and also his pride. (593-594) While the play continues Creon’s pride grows, and he thinks he can never be wrong and punishes Antigone by locking her up in a cave. However, things turn a different way when the Prophet tells Creon that he must free Antigone or face the wrath of Gods. After hearing this Creon changes his mind, “I shackled her, I’ll set her free myself. I am afraid it’s best to keep the established laws…” (1236-1238) But, as Creon tries to set Antigone free, he is faced with suicides of Antigone and Haemon, and followed by the suicide of his wife, Eurydice. This moment in the play serves as the downfall of Creon. But unlike Antigone, Creon reaches anagnorisis, which is the moment in the play when the tragic character realizes his hubris has led to his downfall. “And the guilt is all mine- can never be fixed…god help me, I admit all!”(1441-1445) Ultimately, Creon is more of a proper tragic character than Antigone because of he has an epiphany, a moment when he realizes his hubris has caused conflicts and deaths in the
Oedipus accidentally killed his father and married his mother. Because of that act, Oedipus ended up cursing his family and died a horrible death. After his death, his sons inherited his kingdom and in a power struggle ended up killing each other. One of the sons, Polynices attacked the city to try and claim power from his brother. But since both of the brothers died and the city was not taken Polynices was labeled as a traitor whereas the other brother who died defending the city was celebrated as a hero. Creon decreed at the beginning of the play Antigone that no one was to bury the body of traitorous Polynices. Antigone felt that it was here responsibility to bury the body because he was still a member of her family. This led to a huge argument with Creon who felt he shouldn’t be crossed because he was the leader of the state. Eventually both Creon and Antigone are destroyed by the gods (and by each other) through their own actions.
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.
Antigone is one of the famous plays written by Sophocles in around 441 B.C.E. This play is a dramatic and eye-opening play that really shocks the characters in the play as well as the readers. Sophocles wrote this play in no chronological order but it is better to understand the story is Oedipus the King is read before Antigone, that way it gives readers an understanding of how the time changed the characters.
Antigone and Oedipus, written by Sophocles, are dramatic plays with a tragic ending. The main theme for Antigone is that people sometimes have to learn the hard way from their mistakes. This theme is expressed in the final four lines of the play. They read, There is no happiness where there is no wisdom; No wisdom but in submission to the gods. Big words are always punished, And proud men in old age learn to be wise. These lines are an important part of the play. They symbolize Creon's bad decisions he made, his defiance to the gods, the punishment he went through because of his edict, and the wisdom he gained because of all his mistakes. "There is no happiness where there is no wisdom" demonstrates how Creon not using wisdom in his decision affected him. By declaring that Polyneices could not have a proper burial, he went against the gods and the other citizens of Thebes's beliefs. This was not a wise decision on his part, and because of it he lost his wife, his son, and his happiness. Creon also defied the laws of the gods. This is what is expressed in the line, "No wisdom but in submission to the gods." In Antigone, the edict and decisions that Creon made demonstrated that his law was more important then the gods laws. His defiance of the laws eventually made him believe, by talking to Teirisias, that something bad would happen to him, so he gave in to his decision.
As Oedipus himself describes it, Creon comes “not to take [Oedipus] home, but to dump me out on the frontier to protect Thebes from fighting a war against Athens” (Oedipus at Colonus, 783-786). Creon seeks not to help Oedipus as he claims, but to use his divine power with no regard for Oedipus’s peace or happiness. It’s impossible to be sure whether Creon would have been more genuine had Oedipus not thrown Creon under the bus himself, but it seems that way to me. More importantly, Oedipus prolongs the curse that afflicts the city as the murderer remains unexposed. This works directly against Oedipus, because he is responsible for Thebes’s well-being. By pridefully insisting he could have nothing to do with Laius’s death, despite knowing that he had killed several unidentified people, he neglects his city and lets it suffer. Socrates would have Oedipus search his life for wrongdoing and immorality, but he instead chooses to shove blame onto others, and it’s clear from the events mentioned above that he only postpones the consequences of guilt, and makes them worse to
Oedipus Rex and Antigone & nbsp; There is no curse in the house of Oedipus. Because of the many terrible things that happen to the members of Oedipus's family, a reader might be led to believe that there is such a curse. However, if that person examines the stories of Oedipus Rex and Antigone more closely, he or she will find that the reason so many tragedies happened to Oedipus's family is not because of some curse, but rather because of one common thread. Each person in the line of Oedipus tries to defy authority in one way or another.
Creon does not learn a lesson from Oedipus' accusatory behavior. Instead he adapts this bad personality trait. Throughout Antigone, he accuses everyone who tries to give him advice of betraying him. Whereas, in Oedipus, he is falsely accused by Oedipus of trying to take over the throne. This paper will compare and contrast his behavior and evaluate if he learned anything from one play to the next.
Sophocles’ play Oedipus and Antigone have many parallel themes and conflicts. Certain characters and events are mirrored and go through similar sequences in both plays. One conflict that is prevalent in both plays is the idea of loyalty. In Oedipus, many are loyal to Oedipus, including the city of Thebes itself. In Antigone, there is much strife in the relationships as well, and the idea of loyalty arises.
In Oedipus at Colonus (OC), one sees the beginning of Creon's decline. Creon has now come to occupy the throne that once belonged to Oedipus. It soon becomes apparent that his vision of the proper role of a king has changed to accommodate his new-found position. The emphasis shifts from that of a king who must rule wisely to one who must rule unyieldingly. The kingship becomes a selfserving instrument for Creon in his attempt to secure the return of Oedipus and the good fortune prophesied to accompany him. Creon's notion of justice is severely distorted in OC. He becomes monomaniacal - conducting his affairs with tyranny and belligerence. For example, he threatens to harm Oedipus' daughters if the blind beggar does not return to Thebes. His view of rightness and fairness is no longer in line with that of his subjects.
There are many similarities and differences between Antigone by Sophocles and Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. The adults in both of the books have the difficult job of controlling the actions of the younger characters. Their decisions have a crucial effect on the outcome of the books, for the younger characters that they guide are the main figures in their stories. Antigone’s King Creon and Romeo and Juliet’s Prince Escalus and Lord Capulet share but also have unique strengths, weaknesses, leadership qualities, and crisis-managing techniques.
rapidly, it may not be indicated by the script that it has changed, and was most
In the plays Antigone and the Crito the two lead characters, Antigone and Socrates, showed completely different ideas regarding their responsibilities to the State. Antigone believes in divine law and does what she thinks that the Gods would want her to do. Socrates, on the other hand, believes that he owes it to the State to follow their laws whether he thinks they are right or not.
In Sophocles’ Antigone, Creon and Antigone, through their free-willed actions establish their own unavoidable fate. By striving to rule in fairness of judgment, Creon defies the laws guiding the burial of the dead when he declares death to anyone who dared to bury Polynices (Lines 25-43). On the other hand, Antigone, with respect to the laws of the gods, and family honor, defies Creon’s orders and buries her brother Polynices (lines 451-492). In this context, we see that both characters are aware of the consequences of their actions: Creon, with knowledge of how the gods doomed Oedipus’ due to defiance, and Antigone Knowing the price that came with laying her brother to rest. Regardless of knowing these consequences, both characters exercised their desires of free-will, and for that, they paid the price of a tragic hero with Antigone’s death, and the death of Creon’s son. Again, just as in Oedipus Rex, we witness fate being the results of free will, but this time around we also see fate as an outcome generally accepted by the characters when they choose free will in opposition to abiding to the
Oedipus and Tiresias, characters of Sophocles' play "Oedipus Tyrannus," are propelled to their individual destinies by their peculiar relationships with truth. Paranoid and quick to anger Oedipus, is markedly different from the confident and self-assured Tiresias. In the dialogue between the two men, Oedipus rapidly progresses from praise of Tiresias as a champion and protector of Thebes in line 304, to blatantly accusing the blind prophet of betraying the city in line 331, to angrily insulting him in line 334. Rather than be intimidated by the protagonist's title and temperament, Tiresias draws strength from what he knows is true and is able to stand his ground.