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Emotions In Antigone And Oedipus The King

Decent Essays

Wrong Way Emotions play a huge role in people’s life directing them on decisions to make, actions to perform, etc. Sometimes in a tough situation people act on their emotions when they should be thinking twice about what they are about to do and act on reason instead. In the plays Antigone and Oedipus Rex, written by Sophocles, the protagonists don’t think twice about their actions therefore causing huge problems that will affect their whole life such as deaths, isolations, and suicides. In the play Oedipus Rex, Oedipus kills a man on his journey which later will cause all sorts of issues that lead to his downfall. In the play Antigone, the character Creon does not make good decisions because he is too caught up in his kingdom and tends to …show more content…

Creon makes a rule about forbidding the burial of Polynices which therefore upsets Antigone. Creon, although he is Antigone’s brother, made “A proclamation forbid[ing] the city/ to dignify him with burial, mourn him at all./ no he must be left unburied, his corpse/ carrion for the birds and dogs to tear” (Ant 227-230). Even though Polynices defied his country and fought against it, Creon should still have respect for his own blood. Creon tends to only think of himself and does whatever he wants without thinking twice about or what harm it could cause others. Haimon heard that Creon was being rude and unfair and proclaimed, “Now Don’t please,/ be so single-minded, self-involved,/ or assume the world is wrong and you are right” (Ant 789-791). Haimon sticks up for himself allowing him to stop being controlled by his powerful father. Creon then decides to lock Antigone away for good. Creon says “True. Not a word of hope--- your doom is sealed” and decides to give Antigone a much slower less public death and lock her in a secluded cave. (Ant 1027). Creon’s overreaction and selfishness shows what kind of ruler he is and how little family means to him. Although Creon is considered the tragic hero of the play, he shows no emotion or morals for his family and should not be considered a strong

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