Oedipus the King is a play that was written by Sophocles around 430 B.C and was performed during the decline of Athens, shortly after a plague took its course (Kirszner 1466). A main character in this play is Creon who is portrayed as honest, up-front, and even-tempered. Creon is the brother of Oedipus’s wife and practically has all the status of a king, without the stress of ruling. This essay is a character analysis of Creon and how his attributes make him a great ruler. One of Creon’s greatest attributes is his reasonable nature. This quality that is portrayed through his speech is shown during his encounter with Oedipus where he is accused of conspiracy. He calmly explains to Oedipus that he does not want the “anxieties of being king to untroubled sleep—if he has equal power” (Sophocles 590-591). Here Creon is trying to …show more content…
Creon keeps his even-temper when Oedipus does not. The first occasion in which Creon proves that he is the voice of reason is when he suggests that he and Oedipus discuss what he had heard from the god (91-92). He tries to subtly convince Oedipus that they resume the conversation indoors but Oedipus wants to discuss it out in the public. This public occurrence proves that Creon tries not to expose information randomly to the public and would rather discuss issues privately. Another part of the play where Creon shows that he is calm and reasonable is when he coolly revokes any accusations that Oedipus puts forth and remains calm while Oedipus is throwing false claims at him. When Oedipus proclaims out loud to Creon that he is the traitor and traitors should be punished, he refutes the statement by agreeing with it. Creon states that what Oedipus is saying is “perfectly just” (558-59) but entirely wrong. He reasons with Oedipus by putting forth the fact that he has equivalent status to a king and it would make no sense to try to steal the crown or commit a
Creon is a strong headed guy who will not listen to anybody but himself because he’s the king. When he speaks to everyone he always ends up insulting them and saying stuff that he ends up regretting like; “They did not want to obey me! And, I know this very well, whoever did this, did it because he was paid money by these malcontents.” Creon thinks that everyone has to listen to him that he’s the best Creon is very arrogant he is full of himself he thinks that no one is more powerful than him. Another quote is “Me nothing, with that i have everything.” He is the kind he controls everything but not anyone. Creon thinks everyone is like a slave to them because he’s the king his “power” goes to his head and he won’t listen to anyone.Creon is full of power in his head he is selfish and stubborn. He doesn’t deserve to be a king. Creon is prideful, he won’t let anyone speak up to him or tell him what to do. He also says “Am i to rule this land at someone else’s whim or myself?”
Leaders have unique character traits that ultimately determine how he or she act when faced with a difficult situation. Oedipus and Creon are noble leaders in the city of Thebes. Oedipus is the king, and Creon is the queen’s brother. Both of these men care dearly about the city of Thebes. Despite the similarities between Oedipus and Creon, they differ greatly in a number of important ways.
Creon came into power when Oedipus was exiled and died. Throughout the play, Antigone, Creon exemplifies many characteristics. Some are selfishness, stubbornness, and pride. He is selfish because he does only want he wants to do and listens to no one else. He shows his stubbornness when he is unwilling to let Antigone live even
Creon has no toleration for people who place personal beliefs over the common good. He believes that government and law is the supreme authority, and civil disobedience is worst form of sin. The problem with Creon’s argument is he approaches He approaches every dilemma that requires judgement through descriptive generalizations. In contrast to the morality defined by Aristotle in his Nicomachaean Ethics, Creon shows that he is deaf to the knowledge of particulars--of place, time, manner, and persons, which is essential for moral reasoning. In short, he does not effectively bring together general principles and specific situations Creon does not acknowledge that emotion, and perception are as critical to proper moral consideration as reason. This explains why he does not respond accordingly with the reasoning of the guard, Tiresias the prophet, Antigone, her sister Ismene, or even his own son Haemon. Throughout the whole play, Creon emphasizes the importance of practical judgement over a sick, illogical mind, when in fact it is him who has the sick, illogical mind. He too exhibits pride in his argument. To Antigone and most of the Athenians, possessing a wise and logical mind means acknowledging human limitations and behaving piously towards the gods. Humans must take a humble attitude towards fate and the power of the gods, yet Creon mocks death throughout the play. He doest not learn his lesson until the end of the play when he speaks respectfully of
In Oedipus Rex, Oedipus believes Tiresias and Creon are working together to overthrow him. During this time Creon gives a prolonged speech, how he doesn’t want to be the King, but in Antigone, Creon is seen as a unswaying sovereign, unwilling to listen to anyone. Creon is likewise blinded by his own corruption. His excessive pride gets the best of him. Antigone, Haemon, and Tiresias warn Creon
At first glance, Oedipus and Creon are two very different people. But as time progresses their personalities and even their fates grow more and more similar. In Sophocles’s play “Oedipus the King”, Oedipus and Creon are two completely opposite people. Oedipus is brash and thoughtless, whilst Creon is wise and prudent. In “Oedipus the King”, Oedipus effectively portrays the idea of the classic “flawed hero”. He becomes arrogant and brash. He accuses Creon and Tiresias of treachery. Even worse however, Oedipus goes against the gods. This causes them to punish him severely. Creon is the exact antithesis of Oedipus. He thinks before he acts. Creon is wise and loyal. In Sophocles’ other
Throughout the whole play, Creon has not kept himself from showing his unruly attitude towards all the characters about his decisions for the people. There were many occasions in
Creon, who is Iocasta’s brother, claims in Oedipus the King that he does not wish to have the power and responsibility of being king. Towards the beginning of Oedipus the King, Oedipus has announced that Creon is to be banished from Thebes. Oedipus was exiling Creon because he said that Creon and Tiresias were trying
Many people try to warn him and beg him to reconsider. First, Haemon tries to appeal to his father’s sense of reason when he says, “The gods have given men the gift of reason, greatest of all things that we call our own…do not feel your word, and yours alone, must be correct” (line 625). Creon, because of his pride, becomes furious with his young son for trying to teach him wisdom, and says, “One thing is certain: You are going to pay for taunting and insulting me” (line 709). Next, Tiresias comes to warn him that he “stands upon the brink of ruin” (line 918). But Creon refuses to heed his warning and accuses Tiresias of profiteering. Finally, after Tiresias’s doomful prophecy, the Chorus tries to change the King’s mind. At first Creon resists the advisement of the chorus by stating “To yield is bitter. But to resist and bring a curse on my pride is no less bitter” (line
Creon has just become the king of Thebes and is letting his great power go to his head. He is deaf to reason and even accuses those who try to change his mind of “selling their soul
The first two plays of the Oedipus trilogy, Oedipus Rex and Oedipus at Colonus, were written by Sophocles around 430 BC. The first story is about Oedipus, the king of Thebes and the prophecy that leads to his downfall. The second is about the events leading up to Oedipus’s death. Oedipus’s brother-in-law, Creon is a major supporting character in these retelling of the Oedipus legend. In these plays, Creon undergoes a transformation from a loyal, diplomatic, and logical patron of Oedipus to a manipulative, aggressive, and ambitious antagonist.
In the first paragraph of the play it reads, "My darling sister Ismene, we have had a fine inheritance from Oedipus. God has gone through the whole range of sufferings and piled them all on us, -grief upon grief, humiliation upon humiliation"(1042). This just shows how terrible fate has treated the family of Oedipus. Creon has a different fate, one that he brought upon himself but it is much more dour than anyone else's. Creon's fate was to lose all of all of his family and the rest of his life knowing it was his entire fault because of his selfish actions and his stubborn ways. In the end of the play Creon says, "Nobody else to share the blame. Just me . . . I killed you. I killed you my dear"(1078-1079).
In the two plays written by Sophocles (Oedipus the King and Antigone),Creon displays hypocritical mannerisms in Antigone, the sequel of Oedipus Rex. In the First play of the Oedipus Cycle, Oedipus the King Creon acts humane wishing peace from the Gods and eluding controversy with their punishment of the plagues. He listens more than
Creon, who received the throne after the banishment of Oedipus, begins “Antigone” with high status as the king of Thebes. He is fortunate to be honored as Thebes’ appointed king during her triumph over the army of Polynices, “Creon, son of Menoeceus, Whom the gods have appointed for us in our recent change of fortune” (Antigone, 130).
Creon in an astonishing display of “sound common sense and executive ability” (Peterkin 265), offered marriage to Iocasta, as well as the position of king, to anyone who could solve this riddle and free the country of the suffering inflicted by the Sphinx. Oedipus bested the Sphinx, and claimed the kingdom and his spouse. Although Creon could have remained in power, he proved to be a man of his word. He relinquished the dominant authority in Thebes to Oedipus and seemed to “have ac-cepted the situation with good grace” (Peterkin 265).