Oedipus and Creon are similar in this sense, that their differing characters allow us to analyze one character at a time. Creon serves as a foil character to Oedipus in Sophocles’ Oedipus Rex through his personality, style of power, and views of their lifestyle. During the time of the play, Gods were worshipped not in the theological sense, but in the belief of them being the forces of nature. When Oedipus is informed of his city’s turmoil, he expresses concern for his people, but when he hears the Chorus desperately crying to the gods, he answers with “You pray to the gods? Let me grant your prayers.
Reverend Hale, who enters Salem Naïve and convinced of his greatness in discerning spirits, realizes he has cause irreparable damage. In order to right one of his many wrongs, he wishes for Elizabeth Proctor to convince John Proctor to sign a false confession in order to save his life. John Proctor stated a quoted, “I speak my own sins. I cannot judge another. I have no tongue for it.” Proctor confesses to witchcraft yet refuses to incriminate others.
“All glory will be ours if now we conquer this unprecedented foe and risk the woe that frightens others” (Tablet III, Column III, 46-69). The two brothers travelled to the woods, which Humbaba guarded, and with divine aid, triumphed over Humbaba. As a result Gilgamesh would gain the praise of a goddess, Ishtar. Ishtar attempted to seduce Gilgamesh but failed and to add to her humiliation Gilgamesh would mock her relentlessly with a song “Ishtar is the hearth gone cold, a broken door that cannot hold, a fort that shuts its soldiers out, a commandant who’ll only pout.” (Table VI, Column I, 41-44). The suitor goddess wanted reconciliation for Gilgamesh’s unbelievable disrespect; Ishtar pleaded, successfully, convincing her father, Anu, to unleash the Bull of Heaven.
Because of the hubris, or hurtful, over bearing pride, of each of the characters, destruction descends upon them. Antigone’s destruction comes from her being to stubborn to back down, but Creon’s downfall comes from attempting to be just and right by enforcing the law. Since Creon acted as he thought right and just, then suffered tragedy because of an error he made, he displays the image of a tragic hero. Antigone is the law of the gods in her beliefs. She also holds her family above the laws of man.
When Proctor had to go to the court to get his wife out of being accused of upholding witchcraft he eventually confess to his sins he committed. Talking to Danforth, Proctors says “I lusted, and there is a promise in such sweet. But it is a whore’s vengeance, and you must see it; I set myself entirely in your hands” (page 49 act three) confessing to the crime he did. He realizes what he did was wrong which was why he tried to hide it for so long. But the only way for
When the witch trials begin, Reverend Hale questions John and asks him to recite the Ten Commandments and misses one Commandment (ironically, the Commandment regarding adultery), and thus begins Proctor’s quest to prove himself not to be of the devil. Later on in the play, Proctor makes a false confession to save his life, however, he tears it up stating “Because it is my name! Because I cannot have another name in my life! Because I lie and sign myself to lies!” (Miller 143). The previous quote is important to Proctor’s crucible because it proves that he has failed his quest and has given in rather than continuing to try and prove he is not an associate of the
He says that Haemon’s life will be the payment to Creon’s debts to the Gods and that Creon has now gone beyond forgiveness. When Teiresias is led away by his acolyte the chorus reminds Creon that no one has ever known Teiresias’ prophecies to be false and Creon finally realizes he needs to undo what he has done but it is too late. Creon’s failure does not go unnoticed by the Gods and he is punished for the bad decisions he has made. Throughout the play, Creon’s failures cause much calamity. Though at the time of the bad decisions, Creon believes he was doing what is best for Thebes, his stubbornness and pride prevents him from being a good leader.
However Death of a salesman, by Aristotle’s definition of tragedy, is only partially a tragedy. In Medea, mimesis takes place when Medea mimicked the wrongdoings of Jason and wanted to get revenge on Jason by causing him grief and agony. Immediately, Medea thinks of a plan to get revenge on Jason. This is considered mimesis because Medea forces Jason to feel the same pain she felt when Jason broke his vows. Medea used dialogue when she spoke to Aegeus and told him to “Swear by the Earth on which you tread/Swear by the Sun, my father’s father dread/Swear by every god and godhead” to protect her.
In the play king Lear, mercy is an insatiable trait which is surrounded by so much hate and malice every time love is given it makes those moments so much more enjoyable. In the begging of the Play King Lear, Cordelia the king’s daughter, is outcast, cheated of her inheritance accused of being a wicked child and one that nature is a shamed of (I,i,215-219). Even though at the beginning of the play king Lear disowns his daughter and she has every right to be unloving to him; when they are reunited King Lear offers to harm himself but Cordelia turns that idea away and forgives him when she asks to take a walk with her father (4,VII,83). People want to see mercy, they want to see those that deserve worse receive compassion and mercy Lear deserved to be turned away but Cordelia showed tenderness to her aging father and
Shakespeare subverts gender roles like this throughout the play, such as when Lady Macbeth decides her husband is unable to commit the atrocities to sit on the throne and taunts him, insinuating things about his manhood and claiming he has "th' milk of human kindness" (Act 1, 5.15) implying that he isn't strong enough to kill King Duncan. There is also a moment during a soliloquy where she wishes she could unsex herself so she could do the job without an inkling of guilt. (Act 1.5.38-41). This goading, as Lady Macbeth is aware, became a powerful tool in emasculinating her husband and forcing his hand to prove that he is in fact up to the task. This is the first time we see where the power lies, and this dynamic proves that it resides with Lady Macbeth; she's the one that's controlling things, despite the times.