Creon serves two different roles in both plays. He is the King of Thebes in Antigone and the brother-in-law to Oedipus in Oedipus the King. Creon did not receive the title of “King” until the end of Oedipus the King. He shows a rise and fall in his power from both plays. In Oedipus the King, Creon was known to be a respectable and compassionate man. His personality and behavior changes in Antigone as he becomes very disrespectful. His actions would make you wonder if he has learned anything from Oedipus the King. Accusations and false judgment play a huge role in how Creon’s life changed dramatically at the end of Antigone. All of the major flaws that Creon develops is the reason for his tragedy. Creon is very cocky and allows power get in …show more content…
Ignorance, rudeness, selfishness, and cold-heartedness are just a few of them . Creon is a tragic hero because of the actions that he has made throughout the play. He doesn’t believe that he has to listen to the opinions of others or bother to discuss the issue with the people of Thebes. Creon becomes the King of Thebes after Polynices and Eteocles commit fratricide in battle. He rules everyone, but at the end he does not stop the intelligence of Antigone from protecting her brother’s body. This is where Creon’s behavior changes from a respectable man to a disrespectful tyrant. Creon wanted Polynices unburied, but wants Eteocles to be buried with dignity. Creon has no sympathy for the Gods or the people of the town. He accuses the Elders of foolishness because they believe the Gods had something to do with Polynices’s burial (Sophocles lines 317-327). Creon takes his power to another level as he goes on a tirade against the men that was not happy with his leadership and the ways he wanted things to be done. His rage is overwhelming. He threatens his own son and wants Antigone put to death because she buried Polynice. Creon says that Antigone has disobeyed the law, but she has a different outlook on the situation. He is very irrational because he does not follow the rules of the other Gods. Antigone does not take pity to Creon’s man-made laws. She follows the laws that the Gods have …show more content…
Creon adapts Oedipus’s habit of accusing and false judgment. Creon is suppose to be a leader, but his actions proved that he was a follower. He felt proud of himself and felt like he was leading the people of Thebes in the right direction. He has reason behind all the laws he has made and the types of punishment that he gives. False judgment, accusations and his flaws(hubris), was the main reason Creon’s life went downhill and he was following in Oedipus’s foot steps resulting in the same conclusions. Creon’s misery at the end of the play could have been avoided if he would have listened to Tiresias, but he failed to see this. Creon was more forceful than Oedipus ever was. He had to learn the hard way because he lost everything at the end just because he did not take the advice given to him. Hopefully Creon learned that as being King, you have to learn from your mistakes and know when you have done something wrong. Everything that you say is not always going to be right. Power can really change a person and it is not always in a good way. When you let power get in the way of family and friends, you will have nothing at the end. Creon trusted no one that tried to help him. Creon showed a lot of respect for Oepidus because he was the king and he knew this was the right thing to do. To be shown respect as a king, you must be loyal and open minded to other individuals. Creon did not learn from his mistakes until the end of the
Creon's pride is that of a tyrant. He is inflexible and unyielding, unwilling throughout the play to listen to advice or Antigone. Creon’s love for the city-state cause him to abandon all other beliefs. He tries to enforce this upon the people of Thebes. He wants them to think that his laws should be followed before any other personal, moral, or religious belief. This is where the conflict of character occurs between Antigone and Creon. Antigone knows that the sacred laws held by heaven are far more important...
In Antigone Creon reveals his obstinate nature and how even someone as important as a king is not invulnerable to the problems such a character flaw causes. In the beginning of Antigone the townspeople of Thebes rejoice in their new leader, “Creon,” they call, “the new man for the new day” (174). The repetition of ‘new’ shows how the city is ready to welcome Creon with open arms; this outright praise of Creon shows how highly he is regarded by his people. “You cannot know a man completely…his sense of judgment, not till he’s shown his colors…making laws” (194-197). Here Sophocles is showing the reader not to trust Creon absolutely because even if it seems that it is a new age is dawning, Creon may not be a good leader. In this passage Creon seems determined to prove that he is as strong as Oedipus and Laius to whom Thebes was extremely loyal even through tough times, he is so desperate to prove himself that soon after he sentences Antigone to death. Later, after Antigone has been captured, Creon’s own son, Haemon, comes to him saying, “don’t please, be quite so single-minded” (789). At this point Creon is being directly told of what he is doing. Haemon is someone Creon shou...
Creon starts off being reasonable and understanding with the power he holds. For example, when Oedipus accuses him of trying to steal his crown, he said " If you discover I laid any plot together with the seen kill me, I say not only by your vote but my own." (Sophocles 136). This shows his understanding. Creon is comfortable with his power, people always greet Creon with respect, which demonstrates his power amongst the general population, for example, Creon said, “Now every man 's my pleasure; every man greets me." (Sophocles 136). Illustrates his relationship with the people of Thebes. Moreover, Creon is shown to be valuable towards the citizens of Thebes, when he said " I 'll go, you have not known me, but they have, and they have known my innocence." (Sophocles 140). This shows the trust citizens have towards Creon. Creon shows that he does not care for ruling Thebes, he states to Oedipus that "Now those who are your suiters fawn me, - success for them depends upon my favour. Why should I let all this go to win that?"(Sophocles 136). Creon eventually discovers that power is all he wants, leading towards King Oedipus ' exile. An example, is Creon said " Do not seek to be master in everything, for the things you mastered did not follow you throughout your life." (Sophocles 176), which explains that he manipulates with an intent that people mistake for honesty. Furthermore, this shows the end
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
In the play Antigone, I choose Creon to be the tragic hero because he is the King of Thebes and he looses everything he has. Creon being King makes the audience believe that something like that can happen to the King then what can happen to us. Antigone the niece of Creon, The sister of Polyneices was punished by Creon for burying Polyneces after his death, Creon has forbidden anybody to do so. Once Creon punished Antigone the blind prophet Teiresias told him that the Gods will take revenge for his actions, then Creon tried to change everything but he is too late. Creon's tragic flaws were his stubbornness, the abuse of power and the actions he took to cause the downfall of the Thebes.
Creon is an antagonist in Antigone he is the bad guy and he opposes certain things like the right to burial. An example of his actions is can be seen here: “Polynices, who returned from exile with hopes of burning his native land and ancestral gods from top to bottom, wishing to feast on kindred blood and lead the rest into slavery, it has been decreed that in this city he shall be neither buried nor mourned by anyone, but everyone must leave him unburied, a feast for birds and dogs, an outrage to see” (Sophocles 200-209). Even though he is known for doing bad things he is still considered superior to everyone of Thebes. Antigone was known as the niece of Creon but she did not express herself as a famous and important person. Creon is proud of his position as king and he takes pride in his city and his decisions. “Do you realize you speak these lies to your king?” (Sophocles 1065). Creon shows his dominance in this quote. Antigone, however, is only recognized for being the niece of the former king and committing a crime against her own family member.
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.
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
Choosing to follow authority and the law is admirable and important in order to have a stable society; however, prioritizing family over all is imbedded in humanity. Family is part of one’s identity and greatly affects one's morals and opinions. If a person solely lives a rigid life, following authority over family, then compassion and the ability to be flexible is lost. Sophocles poses if authority or family is superior through the characters Antigone and Creon as their actions and opinions drastically contrast. Creon puts more importance on his rule and the law, while Antigone emphasizes the devotion to her bloodline and the gods. Antigone, although depicting that authority and the king’s rule is important, puts more importance
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.
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 “Oedipus the King”, Oedipus is a brash and arrogant ruler while Creon is his patient, thoughtful right hand man. After Oedipus and his sons all die and Creon becomes king of Thebes, he begins to grow wilder and even more out of control than Oedipus was. In “Oedipus the King” Oedipus accused Creon of bribing Tiresias, the blind prophet, to make a prediction that will doom Oedipus. He accuses Creon of “plotting to kill the king” (189). He does this without any concrete evidence or proof. Oedipus rationalizes that because Creon induced him to “send for that sanctimonious prophet [Tiresias]” (190), he is responsible for the prophecy. Oedipus assumes that “if the two of you [Creon and Tiresias] had never put heads together, we would never have heard” (192) the prophecy. Creon even calls Oedipus a man is full of “crude, mindless stubbornness” (190). Oedipus lashed out at Creon for “betraying a kinsman” (192). He did so without any evidence or proof. He just did accused Creon without thinking about the consequences. Although Creon stands against rashness and unthinking now, he soon becomes another Oedipus. ...
Sleeping with your mother, killing your father, watching your only son commit suicide, and gouging your own eyes out are only a few results of Oedipus and Creon’s flaws. In the books Oedipus The King and Antigone, written by Sophocles, the characters Creon and Oedipus meet horrific fates. During Oedipus The King, Oedipus becomes the king of Thebes but is ignorant to the fact that he is the son of Laius and Jocasta. In Antigone, Creon refuses to bury the former king Polyneices because he attacked Thebes. During these books Oedipus and Creon’s flaws result in the destruction of their lives.
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.