The Impact of Truth in Oedipus Rex (the King) Essay example

Creon then tries to warn Oedipus about his condemning, “To slur a good man’s name/With baseless slander is one crime-another/Is rashly to mistake bad men for good./Cast out an honest friend, and you cast out/Your life, your dearest treasure.” [pg42]. As Creon tries to convince him to go about things in a more timely, and sensible way Oedipus hears none of it and still pursues his march of getting to the bottom laying the blame elsewhere all along the way. As Creon and Teriesas both note suggestions to Oedipus’ involvement he still pursues further investigation without the littlest consideration at his own guilt. This lack of foresight, and understanding again is another cause to Oedipus’ self-inflicted downfall. However, there are many factors that contribute his downfall that he could not have prevented and were truly acts of fate and destiny. His self-assurance to his wisdom that was bred by his “mother-wit and not by bird-lore” (as he takes a stab at Teriesas pg 37) really comes to surface during his encounter with a riddling Sphinx. This inflated view of his wisdom later leads to his downfall. But it was only by fate that he ignorant Oedipus was awarded a IQ freebie from the

Creon has more of a reserved personality. He likes to discuss things in private and talk things over before discussing information with the general public. When Creon brings word from Apollo that the murderer of King Laius must be punished, there is a short discussion between Oedipus and Creon about whether or not to publicly announce Apollo’s declaration.

Oedipus tells Creon that he is a traitor, because he thinks Creon told him to send the prophet, Tiresias, to find out who killed King Laius. Oedipus thinks that both Creon and Tiresias were plotting against him, by saying Oedipus was the person that killed the late king. Oedipus’s pride takes over and blames Creon for doing this in order to become the next king. Also Oedipus demonstrated his power by attacking Teiresias, “Monster! thy silence would incense a flint. Will nothing loose thy tongue? Can nothing melt thee, Or shake thy dogged taciturnity?”(Oedipus Lines 339-341). He refuses to listen to his advice and warnings due to him being blinded by excessive power and

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

     Oedipus and Creon are alike in yet another way. They both committed vile acts of hubris. Both of them went against the gods for feckless and pointless reasons. Oedipus committed hubris by insulting Tiresias. He accuses Tiresias of “betraying us, destroying Thebes” (177). Tiresias is a prophet of the gods. He is just telling Oedipus what he has seen. Tiresias’s refusal to tell Oedipus his secrets only results in more name-calling and humiliation. Oedipus calls him the “scum of the earth” (178). Oedipus is so enraged by his prophecies that he accuses him of “helping to hatch the plot” (178). Oedipus suspects that Tiresias is being bribed. “Who primed you for this? Not your prophet’s trade” (179), he says. Oedipus’ rashness lead him to accuse Tiresias, a prophet of the gods and a wise seer, that he is corrupt and a fraud. This is obviously

Creon’s was used to being the hero of Thebes after repairing the damage Oedipus’ horrifying end had caused, now he was faced with an uncomfortable choice. Being the new reigning monarch of Thebes, his morals were centered around keeping himself monarch. As a result, Creon’s selfishness tipped his internal scales3 of what was just and what was not. His pride was so great that he not only refused to bury the revolutionary, Polyneices, but declared, “he’ll have no burial mound, no

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

“Time, Oedipus, Time will show you the truth in this matter. Innocence takes time to be revealed; guilt can be announced far too quickly.” (Sophocles 614-615). Creon accuses Oedipus of making up fantasies. He tells Oedipus that wild accusations will only make the truth come out, which resulted in the truth coming out eventually.

He thinks everything through with intelligence and reason. For example, as Oedipus rants, Creon stays calm and collected instead of firing back. When Oedipus says Creon is plotting against him, he tells Oedipus “No. Reason it out, as I have done. Think of this first: Would any sane man prefer power, with all a king’s anxieties, to that same power and the grace of sleep. Certainly not I.” In Oedipus at Colonus he is much more ambitious. He decides things quickly and irrationally.  For instance, he kidnaps Oedipus’s daughters when Oedipus denies to return to Thebes and when the chorus threatens him he says “Your city will have war if you hurt

Before advancing to the throne, Oedipus had unknowingly killed Laius, his father and the king of Thebes. Shortly after killing the king, he married the dead king’s wife, his mother. He had committed incest by marrying and having children with his own mother. As a result he became father of Polyneices, Eteocles, Antigone, and Ismene. Oedipus stabs his eyes out and his sons, Polyneices and Eteocles killed themselves in combat, over the power of the throne. Creon was in the process of reconstructing Thebes from the ruins that his own family created. He also had to make a name for himself, after all the chaos the past rulers had made. If Creon did not set an example for civilians they would simply rebel. Creon was to stand firm by his word because no one is above the law, no matter who committed the act. In other words Creon was not a villain; he was the antagonist of Antigone. Imagine how biased Creon would appear to the Theban population if he did not pursue the punishment that he himself had instituted. In agreement to his law, Creon’s intentions were just. There’s no doubt about it, Creon’s law was harsh but when truly analyzing the situation, Polyneices was a traitor because he allied with other cities and attacked his homeland. Creon’s strong and steadfast attitudes were to support Thebes. But unfortunately, he was a little too late to understand that his fierce dedication to his decree was an error on his part.

The character Creon in “Oedipus the King” and in “Antigone” is quite present in both plays. He is a vital character. In “Oedipus the King”, Creon was sent to the Oracle of Delphi to find out how the city could be saved from the plague. He was later accused of being against Oedipus when Creon brought the news that he was the killer of King Laius, Oedipus must die to end the plague. After all the truth was released, Creon tries to convince Oedipus to be buried in Thebes when he was dying, because a prophecy once said that the land would be blessed wherever Oedipus eternally rests. In “Antigone”, Creon is the new king of Thebes. One of Antigone’s brothers were fighting for the country and one was fighting against it. Creon’s edict was that Eteocles, the brother fighting for the country, would have a traditional burial and will be honoured. On the other hand, Creon forbids that Polyneices has a burial. He wants his body to rot because he was fighting against the country. He proclaims that anyone who buries him will be sentenced to death. By the time Creon reconsiders and realizes how stubborn he was acting, it is too late and he is cursed with death upon his family.

Sophocles’ tragedy, Oedipus the King, stresses the idea of who is blind and who can see by demonstrating that one cannot simply just run away from their mistakes and issues. As the story unfolds, each character makes several attempts to hide from the truth. Though the foul truths may seem to be masked within the darkness, they are eventually brought into the light, shining over the devious lies placed before it. Nevertheless, the real question lies within whether or not the person receiving the truth can endure it. By coping with the truth, one sees, but by denying it, one stays blind. One way or another, however, problems arise, secrets come out, and chaos ensues because one cannot stay blinded from the truth forever.

murder. He tells Creon "you will find me a firm ally, and together we shall exact vengeance for our land and for the god?And with the help of God, we shall find success ? or ruin" (5) He knew what his duty was and that was what he wanted to follow. He needed to save thousands of people and Oedipus would go to any means to save them. This is an innocent person and a trustworthy King. "My words are uttered as a stranger to the act, a stranger to its tale"(7). He tells us that he cannot solve the "riddle the very skill that proved him great" (11). He cannot do it alone. Why is this? If he is so guilty of this crime and he is the "murderer that he seeks" then why does he go on with the search? (10). The reason is that he does not know that he has caused the grief for his people. He does not know that he is the murderer. "Ask what you wish. I am not the murderer.", is what he uttered to Creon because he believed that he was not the murderer (14). The fault behind Oedipus? fate lies partly on Apollo and on the prophecy that he was told. Had he been blind to that prophecy he would have remained in Corinth and ruled as a true ruler. He would not have wed his mother nor murdered his father. But why do these things happen to Oedipus? Why when he tries to be the best does he get the worst? His fate led him there. He was doomed to follow the prophecy at

for his own profit--seer blind in his craft!” (437-442). Oedipus is driven to protect his throne. When Tiresias puts the blame on him for the

After a long established rule as king, a plague afflicted the land. Over the years, Oedipus had “delegated much of his authority, in complete reliance on his efficiency and dependa-bility” (Peterkin 265) to Creon. In trying to relieve his subjects suffering, Oedipus sends his valued right hand man, Creon, to consult the oracle. Oedipus was hoping to receive some revelation as to why his kingdom was suffering so. Upon his return, Creon prudently wanted to speak privately with Oedipus. During this exchange, Creon is presented as a cautious, yet matter-of-fact kind of person. The King would not hear of a private conversation as he wanted everything to be in the public’s eye, so as not to hide the truth. Creon reveals, as tactfully as possible, that the Gods were angry that King Laios murder went unpunished. This is what was causing the plague to besiege