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Creon role in oedipus the king
Creon role in oedipus the king
Creon role in oedipus the king
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In the Greek tragedy, Antigone, Sophocles portrays Creon as a just leader. The first meeting with Creon is when he makes his declaration. He gathers the council of elders and announces his decree. At the beginning of his speech, he gives out a statement of principles; through which he reveals part of his character. In his speech, he presents himself as the man in authority, and he demands absolute obedience. He preaches order and discipline to all. Creon speaks, mainly of his office, but, he thinks of himself. His demands prove an attitude belonging to those of a tyrant. But he is not the stereotype of a tyrant. Creon is a recognizable human being, stone-hearted, with commonplace mind and narrow sympathies. By the end, Creon’s excessive pride comes out which leads to his demise. The causes of conflict advance the plot which develops Creon as a tragic hero by using Haemon as a foil character. …show more content…
Creon’s pride comes out, which leads to his demise. He was calm compared to how Creon overreacted. In Creon’s rage, he calls Haemon a (854-859) In reality, this was Haemon insinuating that he would kill himself. Excessive pride develops his stubbornness and ignorance. These attributes cause Creon to interpret Haemon’s threat the wrong way. Haemon is a reposeful and rational thinker who tries to talk Creon out of his extreme actions. He represents rationality along with emphasizing the need to consider the opinions and wishes of all citizens. Haemon is the voice of democracy, representing an alternative view to
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...
Through Haemon's contrasting words, actions, and ideas, Creon's character develops into a tragic hero. Creon is a person of noble stature and also has a tragic flaw of unreasonableness; which are two characteristics of a tragic hero. He is unwilling to listen to anyone's opinion except his. Haemon explains “when men speak well, it good to learn from them.” (line 819) This was a response
One way Haemon highlights Creon as a tragic hero is when Haemon
Since Creon has a tragic flaw of hubris and comes to an increased awareness about his wrongdoings, it is clear that he perfectly fits the characteristics of a tragic hero. Many readers may not be able to visualize how difficult it is for someone who loses something very important to them, unless they have experienced it firsthand. Creon's choices in the story are an example that signifies the use of the brain instead of emotions that could interfere with the decision. When given the choice of different paths, one should make compromises to satisfy not only themselves, but others around them when needed. Without doing this, it can lead to several disputes and severe devastation in life.
The role of the king in the time of Greek tragedies was simultaneously desired and dreaded because of the king's responsibility to the people and because of the effects of the position on the king's character. Creon reveals such ambivalent thoughts towards the kingship in his speech defending himself from Oedipus's conspiracy accusation in Oedipus the King; these ambivalent thoughts reveal much about the nature of the kingship, especially in conjunction with Creon's later actions in Antigone.
In summation, Haemon was the cause of Creon’s disagreements forming the tragic hero. Setting the plot by forcing him to make the opposite decision and to verbally show the difference between Creon and his son. Although Creon had received his “good sense from the gods.”(line 856) Haemon “might say Creon was not thinking
Creon’s actions were movtivated by his attempts to rally the people behind his grand, extravant displays of power. An example of this was in his condemning of Antigone to death by imprisonment. Antigone openly flouted Thebes’ laws, making Creon’s worst fear almost a reality. Creon believed that without taking action he would be seen as a fradulent, powerless ruler. The people would want another Oedipus, a hero, not a lawmaker. He feared that tolerating lawlessness would show that : “[He, Creon] is not the man, not now: she is the man if this victory goes to her and she goes free” (83). This
In the story “Antigone”, Sophocles shows that Creon’s attitude is very angry, making everyone sees him as a tyrant more than as a king. His regard for the laws of the town causes him to abandon most viewpoints, like the laws of the gods, or the rights of the people. He believes that his subjects should obey the laws he has set in place, even if moral or religious beliefs contradict his laws and beliefs. Creon’s idea of a good leader is one who maintains order through violence and fear. More over his arrogant, power-seeking personality prevented him from seeking out advice or listening to his own people.
When Creon is taken by the grief of losing his son and wife, he does the sensible thing tries to pick up the pieces and put his life back together. Remember “They say of all women here, she least deserves the worst of deaths for her most glorious act.” (Lines 787-788) Remember this because you might see something like this in another story or play. When that happens just remember what happened to Creon. Lastly Haemon reveals Creon as a dynamic character and a tragic hero. Because of this Creon is now going to learn from his mistake and try rebuild his life as best as he
This new concerned Creon, so much he went to release Antigone , but by then it was too late she had hung herself. Haemon so angry he goes to kill his father, but instead kills himself.. Back at the place Haemons mother, creators wife hears about the fate of her son and kills herself as well. Leaving. Creon alone.
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.
After his fate is revealed, Creon lingers with his revelation. The understanding Creon experienced after Teiresias’s prophecy is promptly followed by the play’s falling action: King Creon’s thwarted attempt of unburying Antigone, Haemon’s consequent suicide, subsequently succeeded by the self-annihilation (due to maternal grievance) of Queen Eurydice. This amassed carnage leaves Creon alone, jaded, and inundated with guilt: “Lead me away. I have been rash and foolish…. Whatever my hands have touched has come to nothing.
Haemon is stubborn like Antigone but he lacks courage that Antigone has within. As a prince he has no power to make a change; as a son he is subordinates to his father; as Antigone’s fiancé he could not save her. Haemon could only threaten his father Creon with his life to save Antigone. When Haemon finds out that Antigone has killed herself, he plunged a sword into his body and ended his life. In a way it shows that Haemon even lacks the courage to live without her. Haemon is not brave enough to live knowing that he could not save her. The deaths in this play are executed in dominos effects; one death that leads to another. Sophocles did a fabulous job in closing this play with deaths because after all he was a
Anagnorisis: Creon finally realizes that his hubris has not let him effectively deal with his conflicts. Creon has his epiphany and even says, “I have been rash and foolish.” He finally acknowledges that he has let his pride take over for the worse. Creon also realizes that it was his fault Haimon dies. He would not listen to Haimon and take his advice.
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.