Creon In Sophocles Antigone

In the book, Antigone, written by Sophocles The Oedipus Cycle, Creon is portrayed as a tragic hero. He literally came from the ground up. He was the despised one in the family that wasn’t really ever given much importance to. Creon was always living in the shadow of his big brother, Oedipus, which was the king of Thebes before Creon was. Straight off the bat you could noticed Creon’s hatred he would always feel against anyone and everyone who didn’t agree with him. Creon became the king of Thebes shortly after Oedipus blinded himself. At the begin of the book, there was a rivalry between two brothers, Eteocles and Polynices. They were both arguing about who would get the throne, but at the end they ended up splitting the kingship between them.

For example, in scene 1 Creon was arguing with Choragos about the laws and saying he wanted a strict society. “And death it is; yet money talks, and the wisest have sometimes been known to count a few coins too many,” (pg. 198). Creon was set on getting the things he wants whenever he wants. Although he is the king of Thebes, he is still kind of taking advantage of his power and step over the line. In another instance, in the same scene, Creon says, “Money! There is nothing more demoralizing as money. Homes gone, men gone, honest hearts corrupted, crookedness of all kinds, and all for money,” (pg. 201). Now, Creon is saying that anyone can be bribed into doing anything. He gave the example of “homes gone,” he also said that even the honest hearts can become corrupted, then he says, “crookedness of all kinds and all for money.” In the end his power as king and his hubris makes him cynical and makes him see all people in a negative way and assumes that they could be easily bribed into getting everything he wants at any