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Compare and contrast essay on oedipus the king of characters creon and oedipus
Oedipus the king character analysis
Oedipus the king character analysis
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Throughout Sophocles’ “Oedipus Rex” and “Antigone,” the hubris of man, particularly kings, is thoroughly explored. However, a definitive contrast becomes immediately clear through each king’s dialogue with their chorus, their beliefs on gods and divinity, and their conflicting views on obedience. Through these key elements, it is revealed that not only do Oedipus and Creon hold opposing views, but that Creon acts with significantly more pride, arrogance, and hubris.
This discrepancy in hubris is perhaps most evident with each king’s discourse with their respective chorus. In Creon’s case, his words make it very clear he has little respect for others and sees himself as most important: “ For me, a man who rules the entire state and does not take the best advice there is, but through fear
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Oedipus, in contrast to Creon, holds a more submissive view to the gods. In his response to Jocasta, for instance, he pleads “you pure, blessed gods, may I not see that day,” indicating a more docile standing with the gods. One can assume this is the case because by pleading to the gods, Oedipus does two key things: First and foremost, he acknowledges their desires to trump his and secondly, he acknowledges their power and superiority over his mortal life. Where Oedipus is humble, Creon is prideful: After Haemon accuses his father of “trampling on the gods’ prerogatives,” Creon accuses him of being a “foul creature” and “worse than any woman.” By responding with such harsh words to his own son, Creon verifies the claim that he does in fact, look down on the gods. Simply put, one must have incredible hatred for the gods in order to practically disown their child for supporting them, and this hubris just isn’t evident with Oedipus. As such, this contrast in respect (or lack thereof) for the gods is just one of many ways Creon reveals his significantly more hubristic
...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.
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.
Creon however does not become king. The power of kingship falls into the hands of Oedipus’s two sons, Eteocles and Polynices. In a fight over power Eteocles and Polynices die at each other’...
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...
The Conspirators. You will pay dearly for trying to put the blame on me” (Oedipus Tyrannus, 399-402). This damages his relationship with Creon, which may have something to do with Creon’s poor treatment of Oedipus in Oedipus at Colonus. 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.
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 the King (OK) , the audience is introduced to a Creon who seems to put loyalty to the king above all. He sympathizes with the tragic plight of King Oedipus and asserts no apparent ambition himself. His attitude toward the king is one of yielding and fulfilling reverence. Creon's notion of justice in OK stems directly from the divine. That which the gods have decreed must become law. It pains Creon to have Oedipus exiled, but he must do so as the gods have willed it. Creon's respect for divinity and prophecy seems to be his defining trait in OK. His attitude is one of unquestioning reverence.
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.
In the opening of the play, we learn that Creon has been proclaimed king. We expect Creon to be the same rational man as we saw him to be in Oedipus the King who stood up for justice and defended the right deeds. However, later on we can clearly see that this is not the same Creon. Creon, the King, has been corrupted by the power bestowed upon him.
Aristoteles’s “Theory of Tragedy” suggests that the tragic flaw in Sophocles’ play Oedipus is the King’s “self-destructive actions taken in blindness,” but a worse flaw is his arrogance. There are a few opposing views that stray from Oedipus being fully arrogant. First is that he took actions to save himself from further pain. Second, by putting himself in charge was the right thing to do as the leader of his people. Third, Oedipus never tried to outwit the gods but used the prophecy as a warning to leave Corinth.
For the majority of the play, right up until the very end, Oedipus sees Creon as an enemy. He thinks that Creon, in league with Tiresias, is Laius's murderer and is conspiring to overthrow the king and take the throne for himself, "You the murderer so self-proved, the self-condemned filcher of my thrown..."(29). However, when the truth comes out that Oedipus has married his mother and killed his father, all is forgiven between the king and Creon. Oedipus makes this beautifully clear when he says "God bless you, Creon, bless your path through life, encompass you with surer joys than mine"(78). Having a good and unmarred reputation is a form of power in that people will respect the person, as well as listen to what he or she has to say. If the truth had never come out and Oedipus had never made peace with Creon, Creon's reputation would have been that of a traitor and a murderer. No one would have respected him and he would not have had any practical strength.
At first glance, Oedipus and Creon are two very different people. But as time progresses their personalities and even their fates grow more and more similar. In Sophocles’s play “Oedipus the King”, Oedipus and Creon are two completely opposite people. Oedipus is brash and thoughtless, whilst Creon is wise and prudent. In “Oedipus the King”, Oedipus effectively portrays the idea of the classic “flawed hero”. He becomes arrogant and brash. He accuses Creon and Tiresias of treachery. Even worse however, Oedipus goes against the gods. This causes them to punish him severely. Creon is the exact antithesis of Oedipus. He thinks before he acts. Creon is wise and loyal. In Sophocles’ other play, “Antigone”, however, he undergoes a drastic personality change. He becomes more and more like Oedipus. Creon commits acts of hubris, kills and humiliates people for no reason whatsoever. Once he realizes the folly of his ways, he punishes himself for going against the gods and destroying all that he loved, This is strikingly similar to the story of Oedipus. At first Oedipus and Creon seem like entirely different people. But through the course of events, they share almost identical personalities and even fates.
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...
Oedipus loses all trust for Creon and thinks that he is plotting to kill him and steal the thrown. This, however, is not true at all. Creon even says that he would rather not be king. He is equal in all decision making with Oedipus and Jocasta. So why would he want the extra hassle of actually having to be the king. Oedipus doesn’t listen and wants to have Creon banished or killed.
Here is a story where Oedipus the King, who has accomplished great things in his life, discovers that the gods were only playing with him. He has everything a man of that time could want; he is king of Thebes, he has a wonderful wife and children, and great fame through out the lands. He has lived a good life, but in the end everything is taken from him.