Evan Ayers November 19, 2012 Gold 4 Creon In Sophocles’ play, Antigone, one feels fear and sympathy for Creon. He is the strong king of Thebes who rules without a bias. He cannot change the actions of Antigone that lead to many deaths in his family. He is ruined by the effects of a family curse that he cannot control. Through multiple problems of which Creon has no control, one feels sympathy and fear for him.
This response shows the integrity of Creon’s character and only proves that he wouldn’t dare conspire against Oedipus. Creon explains that he already lives as a King and does his rightful duties as a family member of royalty. Creon exclaims, “Would any sane man prefer power, with all a King’s anxieties, to that same power and the grace of sleep?…How could I desire a scepter more than what is now mine?” This shows how Creon is the foil to Oedipus who is the protagonist. Creon's strong understanding of statehood and his ideals about a good leadership are shown throughout the second section. Creon is courageous in nature and a citizen of Thebes who doesn’t even hesitate to question the king's impulsiveness.
He is able to instill fear in those who are beneath him as he uses corrupt government ideals and abuses his power. When Antigone quarrels with Creon in regards to burying her brother properly, Creon refuses to listen, as he says, “no woman shall be the master while [he lives]” (Sophecles I, ii). By refusing to listen to anyone and making his own decisions, Creon asserts his hierarchy and marks his place as the dictator; he will not allow anyone else to make their own decisions. Having power Creon does instills fear in others and causes them to treat him with the upmost respect. Because Creon is the only leader with total power, he refuses to “take [his] orders from the people of Thebes” (I, iii).
He shows that even in the toughest times he can be calm unlike Oedipus the King who starts to rampage when he knows that he is the one to blame for Laios’ death and is hiding it from the citizens, his people. When Oedipus cries out to be banishes, Creon acts kindly and grants him that wish, but it wasn’t just because he was asked for help, but because he knew that one Oedipus was gone he could come up and rule. These are the few times the Creon show’s up, but this is when he starts shaping and showing the ambitions he has to become king which he later in the other plays begins to develop. By the end of the tragedy Creon begins to show that he is kind, responsible and is a good leader. Oedipus makes sure that all the little times he comes out in Oedipus Rex, he can show the qualities of King and therefore he knows that people will want someone like him.
The judges must make a thorough investigation, and if the witness proves to be a liar, giving false testimony against his brother, then do to him as he intended to do to his brother. You must purge the evil from among you. The rest of the people will hear of this and be afraid, and never again will such an evil thing be done among you. Show no pity: life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot." (Deut.
Tybalt, Juliet’s cousin, definitely has one. He is the only character who has primarily negative character traits. Tybalt’s actions, and, furthermore, his death in Romeo and Juliet, destroys the possibility of Romeo and Juliet being together. He proves his loyalty to his family, the Capulets, by defending its honor. Unfortunately, he does not see that this feud only harms his kin.
She will be the man here” (519). This quote explains Kreon’s irritation on Antigone. The very moment Antigone buries her be loving brother’s body Kreon wants to take action with killing her because she disobeyed his law also Antigone’s sister, Ismene, because Kreon believes she was part of it too. Kreon believes if he does not kill Antigone he will no longer be one of the best rulers that people will look up too. This quote is important because it explains how Kreon begins to commit hubris.
He cares about her wife, Eurydice, as well because Creon wanted to suicide when he saw his son and wife died in scene 8. In the play Antigone, Creon is not a loving ruler because he is stubborn and doesn’t listen to advice and Creon doesn’t listen or believe the prophet. He only wants what he thinks is the best. He doesn’t even bother asking the people of Thebes for advice. He is a one man state and will only does what benefits the people of Thebes.
I humbly bow to your attempt to challenge man to think beyond their own beliefs by simply questioning just what their beliefs are. You have revealed the concept that when man truly believes in something, he should undoubtedly be able to support his ideals. Your arrest though, proves my thesis that man is inherently evil especially when they arrest people for simply going against the majority. Should we just lie down and accept this relentless oppression? No, we should rally the minority and oppose those whom first opposed
This takes away from the playwright because he cannot wow the audience with original ideas. Still, Sophocles is still a very good playwright and it shows all throughout Oedipus Rex. By far the most ironic thing in the book is its name, Oedipus Rex. Oedipus thought he became the king of Thebes because he killed the dreadful Sphinx, which at the time was the only reason he could’ve became king, but as we progress on into the story, we see that he was actually the son of Laius. Laius was the king of Thebes before Oedipus, so Oedipus would have been king because he was the heir to the throne.