Who Is Creon In "Antigone?"

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Who is Creon in Antigone? Every country is under some sort of authority, whether they’re presidents or kings; they all rule. Often, those in authority seem to go overboard with their power. In the brilliant Greek tragedy, Antigone, by Sophocles, one of the main characters, Creon, does just that. It is one of only seven of more than one hundred plays by Sophocles to survive in its entirety ( Rosoft). The play tells of a family dispute between two very defiant and unyielding individuals. Oedipus, the father of Antigone, had mistakenly married his mother and killed his father. When he comes to the realization of his pollution, he is ashamed, and he pokes his eyes out and flees the town. After which, his two sons, both products of incest, Polyneices and Eteocles have an agreement about taking control; Eteocles will rule for a period, then Polyneices. However, when the time comes for Polyneices’s reign, Eteocles is not ready to be relieved of his duties. Polyneices, filled with rage, decides to build an army and attack the city; however, each brother ends up losing his life. Creon, being the next male relative, is now ruler, and he makes an impulsive decision to bury only Eteocles. Antigone, sibling of the two, is infuriated by her uncle’s bad decision making; thus the play evolved. In the drama, Creon seems to be an extremely autocratic ruler; he also seems to be a very stubborn and paranoid dictator. Antigone demonstrates morals and values that can be applied to this day. The author, Sophocles, son of a wealthy merchant, was born in 495 B.C., in Athens, Greece; he is considered one of the great playwrights of the Golden Age. He was also an accomplished actor, who performed in his own plays (Rosoft). Creon is the epitome of a bad ruler; he is very autocratic and overbearing. He makes decisions on impulse, and he doesn’t take all factors into consideration. His
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