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Antigone and oedipus essay
Oedipus antigone compare contrast essay
Oedipus antigone compare contrast essay
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Human Flaws
Sophocles portrays Creon differently in Oedipus Rex and Antigone by using different tones, and truthful characterization. In Oedipus Rex, Creon says, “At least first listen to what I have to say” (657). Oedipus confronts and accuses Creon of betraying in order to be a King. As Oedipus storms, Creon maintains his calm tone. On the contrary, Creon yells, “Don’t play at words with me!” to Haimon in Scene 3 of Antigone. Creon does not try to listen to his son’s suggestions that he makes. Creon is not able to maintain his calm and is very tempered. Different tones that Creon makes tell the audience how Sophocles portrays Creon differently in Oedipus Rex and Antigone. Also, a huge difference shows between Creon in Oedipus and Antigone by Sophocles’s truthful
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Creon tells Oedipus, “Once you know, then judge me for yourself” (654). Creon tells Oedipus not to accuse everyone. Ironically, Creon picks up Oedipus’s traits and starts to trust no one who tried to help him, including his son, Haimon. He refuses to take his advice just because he does not want to bend a little bit. Creon also starts to have dictatorship. Creon states, “The State is the King!” in Scene 3. Creon maintains the throne as his unquestioned right and starts to rule Thebes by his own will, rather than for the good of the people. Sophocles’s truthful characterization has huge effect on the portrayals of Creon in Oedipus Rex and Antigone. Sophocles portrayed Creon differently in each play to show the audience the human flaws on how one can pick up a trait from others which can lead to his or her downfall. Using different tones and truthful characterization, Sophocles showed the human flaws with two different portrayals that can
Creon believes that his laws are absolute and must be followed above all else, even Divine Law. Therefore when Antigone, in accordance with divine law, goes against Creons edict by burying her brother she is forcefully imprisoned and sentenced to death by Creon. In Creons opening speech he says, “Of course you cannot know a man completely, his character, his principles, sense of judgment … Experience, there’s the test” (Sophocles, p. 67). How Creon handles Antigones unlawful actions serves as his first test as the new king of Thebes and ends up showing the Thebans a glimpse of his true nature, that of a tyrannical ruler. This can be seen again when Haemon comes to Creon with the hope of dissuading him from his current course of action. He does this by trying to make Creon understand that the citizens of Thebes don’t agree with his use of power and planned execution of Antigone. Again Creons authoritarian nature comes to light in his response to Haemon, “And is Thebes about to tell me how to rule… Am I to rule this land for others – or myself?” (Sophocles, p. 97). To which Haemon counters by saying that “its no city at all, owned by one man alone” (Sophocles, p. 97). Creon, being the tyrant he is, fails to heed the wisdom of his sons’ words, which ultimately leads to his downfall. Creon, like Machiavelli, believed that it was
...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.
The hubris resonating throughout the play, ‘Antigone’ is seen in the characters of Creon and Antigone. Their pride causes them to act impulsively, resulting in their individual downfalls. In his opening speech, Creon makes his motives clear, that “no man who is his country’s enemy shall call himself my friend.” This part of his declaration was kept to the letter, as he refused burial for his nephew, Polynices. However, when the situation arises where it is crucial that Creon takes advice, he neglects the part of the speech where he says “a king... unwilling to seek advice is damned.” This results in Creon’s tragic undoing.
Creon's character possesses an infinite number of glitches in his personality, but his excessive pride was the root of his problems. His pride leads him to make accusations, before he considers the wise advice of others. Creon's pride also fills him not just as a king superior to the Gods, but also a man superior to women. The issue of Antigone being condemned to die becomes more than just a person who disobeys Creon; instead, the punishment is given even more eagerly, because it is a woman who disobeys a man. Creon's intelligent son warns Creon the people of Thebes sympathize with Antigone, but Creon accuses Haemon of being a "woman's slave" (line 756). Even though he is suppose to be loyal to the state and her citizens, he defensively questions if "the town [is] to tell [him] how [he] ought to rule?"(Line 734)The Theban king is too prideful to obey even the wisest of prophets, blind Teresias, insisting that "the whole crew of seers are money-mad" (line 1055). Creon finally puts his pride aside and listens to the Chorus' wise advice. It is difficult even then, and he obeys only because he fears the punishment that he might receive. "To yield [for Creon] is terrible" (line 1095) meaning to swallow his pride and admit that he is wrong is a very difficult thing for him to do. When Creon loses his wife and son, Creon's pride disappears, and he admits that he made a terrible mistake by not listening to anyone's advice.
In Antigone by Sophocles, Creon is portrayed as a character with excessive pride. From the beginning, Creon demonstrates his authority and continues to make use of it throughout the play. At the end of Antigone, it may seem that Creon changed after realizing the consequences of his actions. However, his dialogue indicates that he still possesses a sense of pride. Creon remains a static character through the play. Creon’s arrogance is displayed in his language and behavior; interaction with others; and his reactions to his environment.
In all works of literature you will find characters that change. From Oedipus the King to Antigone, Creon changes a great deal. In Oedipus the King, Creon has no intention whatsoever of being king. By the end of the play he makes it clear that his intentions have changed and he does want to take Oedipus’s power and become King of Thebes. When we see Creon in Antigone he has become king and he begins to make his mistakes.
He sees Polynices as an enemy to the state because he attacked his brother. Creon's first speech, which is dominated by words such as "authority” and "law”, shows the extent to which Creon fixates on government and law as the supreme authority. Between Antigone and Creon there can be no compromise—they both find absolute validity in the respective loyalties they uphold. In the struggle between Creon and Antigone, Sophocles' audience would have recognized a genuine conflict of duties and values.
One of Creon’s many failures as a statesman is his prideful attitude. For example, Creon believes that gods chose him to lead the kingdom: “But see, the king comes here, /Creon, the son of Menoeceus, /Whom the gods have appointed for us/In our recent change of fortune.” (Par. 122—125).This quote explains how authoritative Creon was when he first became king. Also, Sophocles explains how Creon’s divine rights made him feel superior to everyone else, which made him more insolent. In addition, Creon believes that he is the sole leader of the kingdom: “We’ll have no woman’s law here, while I live.” (Sc 2.444). Sophocles illustrates the dangers of pride in kingship. He emphasizes more on how kings should be reasonable to the citiz...
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.
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.
Creon in the play Antigone by Sophocles plays a major role within the play. Antigone also plays an important role, as these two character’s conflicting views led to utter disaster, which highlights Creon as a tragic figure. Within the play Creon attempted to establish decisions for the common good; however, his decisions resulted in tragedy. Creon highlighted as the tragic figure, initially created decisions he thought were for the welfare and well-being of Thebes. However, Antigone, who rebelled against Creon’s decisions, caused Creon’s rage to cloud his rational way of thinking.
To begin with, possessing power predisposes one to become pompous. In Antigone, Creon perpetually thought he was superior to everyone else. He believed that he was the best, and because of his authority, Creon thought everything revolved around him. For example, during one part of the play, Haimon informs Creon of his wrongdoing. He tells Creon how the entire state realizes Creon’s fault, and Creon should not punish Antigone for the burial of Polyneices. However, Creon does not succumb. Because of his arrogance and pride, he does not admit his blunder. Creon claims “My voice is the one voice giving orders in this City!” (Sophocles 220). This quote shows Creon’s egotistic character, as he understood the state to be entirely about himself. He never took the citizens’ interests or input into consideration, and always believed his ideas were right. Similarly, whenever so...
2. Creon points out that he has an equal third (the other two thirds belonging to Oedipus and Jocasta) in governing Thebes. This is exhibited when Creon asks Oedipus, “And I am the third [ruler], all of us are equals?” (OT.649). Creon also lets Oedipus know that he has no desire to be king when he remarks, “Now, as it is, you offer me all I need/not a fear in the world. But if I wore the crown/there’d be many painful duties to perform/ hardly my taste,” (OT. 660-664). Creon is stating that he is perfectly happy living in the lap of luxury and that he has no aspirations of coping with the hardships that face kings. Creon then remarks that because he does not want to rule, there is no reason for him to kill Oedipus to take the throne.
Sophocles, following the Greek standard of tragedy, casts Creon as the tragic hero plagued by his own pride, inflexibility and power. Creon believes his authority to be twofold, both as the king and as the head of his family. He claims that the throne is the source of all power, saying ?whoever is chosen to govern should be obeyed ? must be obeyed, in all things, great and small, just and unjust? (Sophocles 217), and he demands the utmost allegiance from his son, bidding him to ?subordinate everything else?to [his] father?s will? (Sophocles 216). Creon is filled with hubris, and he rejects any solution that might compromise his image. For instance, when the guards escort Antigone to the palace, he demands of the Choragos, ?Who is the man...
In this paper I will be making 3 major points about Creon. First I will explain the role Creon plays in this drama. Next I will explain some of the values Creon represents in this story. And for the last I will be examining how essential Creon is to the way this situation plays itself out.