The Makings of Great and Terrible Leaders During these tough political times in America the question of what makes a leader great or terrible has been the topic of discussion for numerous people. This question, however, has been around for centuries. The Three Theban Plays by Sophocles features a play called Oedipus at Colonus in which Sophocles looks at that question and introduces several types of leaders to help readers conclude what makes a leader great or terrible. In the play, Oedipus arrives on holy ground on the outskirts of Athens with his daughter Antigone. What follows is a battle for where his body will be buried. Traits of a great leader can be seen in Theseus while traits of a bad leader can be found in Creon. Theseus is the king of Colonus, the place where Oedipus has arrived with his daughter Antigone. He is summoned because Oedipus and his daughter are standing on holy ground that is sacred to the Eumenides. One trait that makes Theseus a great leader is his kindness. This kindness can be seen when he says,
“In the old days I often heard your legend, the bloody mutilation of your eyes. I know all about you, son of Laius…Tell me all. Your story, your fortunes would have to be grim indeed to make me turn my back on you. I too, remember well, was reared in exile just like you, and in strange lands, like no man
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In Antigone Creon lacks sympathy for his family. After the death of his nephew Polynices, Creon issues a decree to his people that states that Polynice “...must be left unburied, his corpse carrion for the birds and dogs to tear, an obscenity for the citizens to behold! – These are my principles” (68). In releasing this decree Creon is going against the beliefs and wishes of his people regarding burial rights and enforces it with threats of
Antigone is talking to Ismene and telling her all she has heard about the injustice that she has heard that Creon has created. She is very frustrated and wants only to bury her brother so he may have a peaceful afterlife and not go to the underworld or be stuck in purgatory. Creon’s edict stating Polynices cannot be buried under any circumstances is harsh because Creon most likely would have revolted against his brother if he was banish from Thebes just so he wouldn’t have to share the throne. After Antigone gathers up
In the beginning of Antigone, Antigone asks her sister, Ismene if “‘[Ismene] will join me in taking up the body?’(Sophocles 4). This resulted in Ismene's counterargument ‘“ You reckless girl! When has Creon has forbidden?”’. Antigone knows that Creon forbade any of the relatives to give Polyneices a burial. Antigone is determined to perform this action.
In the citizen’s eyes, Oedipus is seen as a good leader. He demonstrates great leadership through several events. When the Oedipus learned of the plague, he “sent away [his] brother-in-law, son of Menoeceus, Kreon, to Pythian Apollo’s shrine” to hear from Apollo on “what [he] might do or say to save our city.” He notified the people that he understands their pain and suffering for the “soul inside [him]
In Antigone, the main character, Antigone, wants to abide by the law of the gods and bury her beloved brother. Creon, the king of thebes, has made his own law of the land that prohibits the burial of Antigone’s brother, Polyneices. Creon has an overwhelming amount of pride and ignores any wisdom brought before him. Because of Creon’s blindsided thoughts, Antigone is sentenced to death. Later in the story Haemon, Creon’s son, challenges Creon’s decision but Creon ends up ignoring Haemon’s wisdom because Creon thinks he is right.
Creon meant to clarify to his son that anyone who commits a crime should be punished - even if the criminal is a member of one's family. Creon's doctrine says that once the state decides something, the law applies to everybody. Therefore, he sees no alternative other than to leave the body unburied for the state. Creon would do anything for the sake of the community whereas Antigone is devoted to her family. The situations mentioned above create tensions in the play because Antigone and Creon are bi-polar in their beliefs.
Antigone retaliates by saying that his law is not that of the Gods so it does not stand. He wants to have Antigone killed, but his son his her fiancé. He tries to explain to the king that the gods would have wanted Polyneices to be buried and that Antigone did the right thing that she should not be punished for it. Creon’s hubris however comes out yet again. He will not even listen to a word his son has to say; however now he does not want to kill her, but to send her away into a tomb, where the Gods can determine her fate.
Oedipus first demonstrated his ability to be a good leader in his helping the city escape the Sphinx. He continued his leadership in the same manner, doing good things for the city and winning esteem in the eyes of the citizens. The premise for the book is that he was trying to rid the city of a second plague. He showed no hesitation to give it his best effort, saying "Indeed I'm willing to give all that you may need; I would be very hard should I not pity suppliants like these" (Sophocles page #). Displaying this willingness to help his citizens and earning such lofty acclaim as being called "great" or "greatest," Oedipus could not have been a poor ruler or a tyrant. If Oedipus had ruled his subjects poorly then they would not have addressed him as "great," so he should be viewed as a good leader, one who cared for his charges, one who ruled justly. In this light, Aristotle would have judged Oedipus to be a good man, or more precisely, a good ruler because Oedipus' labor was "for the benefit of others," one of Aristotle's characteristics of a good ruler.
Creon is characterized as an authoritarian tyrannical ruler. He created the law stating that nobody was to bury the body of Polynices because he betrayed the city of Thebes. Creon was right to make his law because Polynices was a turncoat and died on Theban soil. Although his law was harsh, he believed that he was in the right because a villain such as Polynices did not deserve a proper burial. Creon was especially enraged when Antigone disregarded his law because Polynices was her brother, “Oh but I hate it more / when a traitor, caught red-handed, / tries to glorify his crimes (Creon 552-554).”
Antigone lost both of her brothers, but only one, Eteocles, was allowed by Creon to receive a proper burial. No matter what shame someone may have caused, they are deserving of a respectful and proper burial. This is especially important, for the afterlife and respect for the dead are of great importance and significance Ancient Greek culture. Antigone should have been able to bury both brothers with equal consideration and honor. Creon degrees that the burial of Polynices is prohibited. Regarding Creon’s decree, Antigone says that there is “a city-wide proclamation, rumor has it, forbids anyone to bury him, even mourn him,” (Sophocles, lines 33-34). Creon declares that Polynices
In the play Creon rejects the burial of Polyneices but still seems to value family heavily. When Creon speaks with Haemon he expresses that he should listen to his father’s choice over anything else “Stand by your father’s ideas in all things.” (Page 37), showing that Creon values family honor. Sophocles shows moments of family love throughout the play, Creon knows letting Antigone go after burying her brother is the right thing to do so he makes the decision to let her go free for the action she performed “I myself, since my judgement has turned and seen better ways, I bound her up and I will go and release her.” (Page 54), this shows that Creon truly loves Antigone and chose family over authority by freeing her. As Haemon finds out Antigone has hanged herself, in
In the play Oedipus Rex by Sophocles, Oedipus can be seen as the “leader” of his society. As can be compared to today’s society being a leader doesn’t make you superior or a good person. As a matter of fact a leader usually establishes more negative things than positive for their society. Being a leader can lead to fueds due to someone having too much power. Additionally, leaders can develop to show too much hubris, which is known to be a terrible characteristic. Not only that but being the head of a society also leads to major impacts between small groups such as family. This can occur by simply trying to do something for the better. The play shows numerous negative traits of a leader that can be compared to today’s society.
The opening events of the play Antigone, written by Sophocles, quickly establish the central conflict between Antigone and Creon. Creon has decreed that the traitor Polynices, who tried to burn down the temple of gods in Thebes, must not be given proper burial. Antigone is the only one who will speak against this decree and insists on the sacredness of family and a symbolic burial for her brother. Whereas Antigone sees no validity in a law that disregards the duty family members owe one another, Creon's point of view is exactly opposite. He has no use for anyone who places private ties above the common good, as he proclaims firmly to the Chorus and the audience as he revels in his victory over Polynices. He sees Polynices as an enemy to
Though this order was made, Antigone disregarded it and buried her brother. The main point for her doing this was to stand up for her religious beliefs, which she was then oppressed for. While she was being confronted by Creon about her actions, she said, “Nor could I think that a decree of yours—/A man—could override the laws of Heaven” (453-454). Antigone believed that it was the law of the gods for a person to have a proper burial so, she disobeyed Creon’s law in order to obey the gods, who she deemed as more important due to their eternal state (457).
From the very beginning, what makes Oedipus ' actions in his quarrel with Teiresias and also throughout the play so dramatically compelling, is the fact that the audience knows the outcome of the story. We know Oedipus ' fate even before he does, and there is no suspense about the outcome itself, instead, the audience anxiously awaits Oedipus to reveal his fate unto himself in his desperate quest to rid his city of the terrible plague, or maybe even more so, to simply discover his own unfortunate tale. Oedipus is relentless in his pursuit of the truth, and his determination is commendable. There is nothing that compels him to act in this way, instead he freely chooses, with much zeal, to initiate the chain of events that will ultimately lead to his downfall. It is this interplay between Oedipus’ own free will and his fated eventuality that is the crux of the play, and constitutes the main dramatic power.
After a battle between Antigone’s two brothers, who both die in the end, King Creon declares that Polyneices who fought against the city of Thebes does not deserve a correct burial. Antigone is outraged by this due to the fact that it is the gods wish to give everyone a proper burial, so they may proceed into the afterlife. She attempts to bury her brother in secret in a moral attempt to please the gods and to follow her conscience to clear her own guilt. She is unsuccessful and is taken by guards to Creon. Drowning in his own pride Creon refuses to listen to Antigone and give up his previous verdict. He informs the audience of his disdain for women and their apparent