Similarities Between Oedipus The King And Antigone

Sophocles was the author of the two Greek tragedies: Antigone and Oedipus the King. Although written by the same person, they have their differences. Antigone deals with the conflict of age versus youth, while Oedipus the King deals with man versus fate. In Antigone, Creon is shown to be an undesirable king while in Oedipus the King, Oedipus is presented to be a respected king likes by the people. Lastly, Antigone focuses more on what is morally and ethically right while Oedipus the King focuses more on the idea of unawareness of a situation. Despite their differences, both plays show how stubborn and prideful people usually must experience a traumatic event to see the reality of a situation, and how not being flexible can cause harm to people.

In Antigone and Oedipus the King, both plays show brazen characters facing the consequences of their immature behavior and decisions. In Oedipus the King, Oedipus causes harm to his family by not listening to Tiresias. After being sent out, Tiresias comes back with a prophecy on the pollution surrounding the city. Tiresias says that his knowledge of the prophecy is a burden and that it would be better for everyone to send him home (58-59). After being accused of the murder by Oedipus, he says that Oedipus is “the man whose crimes pollute” the city (60). Oedipus strongly rejects this statement and keeps going on to accuse him and Creon and boasts how he was able to “put the sphinx to flight” (61). Because of his attitude, Oedipus loses his authority and must orphan his four children. His two daughters especially will have a tragic and difficult life (97). The four children, who had nothing to do with their father’s actions, are a group of people who must face the outcome of this tragedy. This ties back with the idea of not being flexible harming people. A person can try to avoid the consequences of another, but sometimes they are powerless in that choice. Although the perpetrator usually faces the consequences as well, it is unfair to others to go through them. The same concept reoccurs in Antigone as well. In Antigone, Creon’s choices and Antigone’s actions bring harm to other people who had little to nothing to do with anything. After the guard turns in Antigone, Creon decides to sentence death upon her (17). Also believing that Ismene had something to do with this, he forces her inside the castle. He assumes that since they are sisters they plotted this together. Creon calls Ismene a serpent lurking in his house, and Ismene says that she had a part of this plan. Antigone gets upset and this and says that Ismene really did not have any part of burying the body and that it was only