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What Was The Difference Between King Oedipus And Creon

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Oedipus Rex
The author of Oedipus Rex, Sophocles, was born in the village of Colonus c. 496 BCE. At age 16, Sophocles was chosen to lead the paean celebrating the Greeks' victory in the Battle of Salamis. He also won his first drama victory in 468 BCE against Aeschylus at the Dionysian Dramatic festival. In addition to this, Sophocles invented scene painting and was the first playwright to introduce a third actor into dramatic performances. Up until his death in 406 BCE, Sophocles lived through the Peloponnesian war, the Persian invasion of Greece and witnessed the fall of the Peisistratus tyranny in Athens.
Oedipus Rex is set in the city of Thebes in Greece. The play takes place during the mythical times of ancient Greece. More specifically, …show more content…

Based on his choice of words and actions King Oedipus appears to the audience as being insightful, determined, and confident. His trait of determination is made evident when he says, "Then once more I must bring what is dark to light." (Sophocles, Prologue). King Oedipus also makes the audience aware of his confidence by saying, "I say I take the son's part, just as though I were his son, to press the fight for him and see it won! I'll find the hand that brought death to Labdakos' and Polydoros' child, Heir of Kadmos' and Agenor's line." (Sophocles, Act I, Scene I, Lines 52-57). The audience can tell from the script that Creon is eager, honest, and reasonable. An example of Creon's honesty is shown during a conversation with King Oedipus, "The god commands us to expel from the land of Thebes an old defilement we are sheltering. It is a deadly thing, beyond cure; We must not let it feed upon us longer." (Sophocles, Prologue). Creon's reasonable character is shown briefly to the audience as he speaks to Oedipus about his fate. "I should have done that before now --- only, God's will had not been wholly revealed to me." (Sophocles, Éxodus, …show more content…

However, the most interesting part of the plot occurs when King Oedipus becomes angry with the blind prophet Teiresais because he refuses to tell Oedipus what he knows. Once Teiresais breaks his silence and tells Oedipus that he is the one who killed Laius, Oedipus gets enraged by his accusations (Sophocles, Act II, Scene i). This is most interesting because Oedipus kept trying to make Teiresais tell him what he knew, even after Teiresais said he should not say anything, and once Teiresais did speak his truth he became furious. This scene was interesting to read because it highlighted the irony that King Oedipus should have been more careful of what he asked for. The most important part of the lot takes place when King Oedipus began to realize that despite everyone else's opinion, he should have listened to the prophecies that he had been told. Throughout the course of the play, King Oedipus had been told prophecies that suggested that his wife, Jocasta, is also his mother and that he had killed his father, Laius, which simultaneously solves the riddle of Thebes. Also, it is alluded to multiple times that Oedipus' parents were not his biological parents (Sophocles, Act III, Scene IV). This stood out as the most important scene because it confirms what had already been previously revealed to the audience. In addition, this scene paints the

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On September 1, 1939, Germany invaded Poland. This would spark the start of WW2, a war between the Axis powers and the Allies. The Axis powers consisted of Germany, Italy, and Japan, while the Allies consisted of France, Great Britain, the United States, and the Soviet Union. By the end of WW2, “40,000,000–50,000,000 deaths incurred in World War II make it the bloodiest conflict, as well as the largest war, in history.” (Britannica).

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Atlas Lewis Mrs. Gray Classical Literature 9 February 2023 With Great Power - Labeling the Source of Creon’s Downfall Creon was a good person throughout Oedipus Rex, but suddenly he switched. In Sophocles’s works Oedipus Rex and Antigone, Creon changes from a fairly important supporting role to the villain of the trilogy. A change like that does not occur naturally in an earnest person. The sudden responsibility thrusted upon Creon on multiple occasions led to his harsh and corrupt nature.

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Another scene in the play which demonstrates Creon’s ineffective rule is when Teiresias comes to deliver Creon’s prophecy. Teiresias first addresses Creon by informing him to listen to what the prophet has to say. Here is where it is evident that Creon is often one minded in his thinking. As soon as Creon is asked to listen he snaps back at Teiresias, “I am not aware that I have ever failed to listen.” (Sophocles 835)

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In the play, Creon makes many decisions based on his intuition, and it is these choices that develop him as a tragic hero. An example of an event that contributes to his eventual downfall is when Creon declares his proclamation regarding the fate of Antigone's brother: "Polyneices, who returned from exile, eager to wipe out in all-consuming fire his ancestral city and its native gods, keen to seize upon his family’s blood and lead men into slavery—for him, the proclamation in the state declares he’ll have no burial mound, no funeral rites, and no lament. He’ll be left unburied, " (Sophocles, lines 227-234). In this passage, Creon shows his self-assurance in his authority as a ruler. His belief in his own judgments and unwavering commitment to punishing those he deems traitors based on his own assumptions demonstrates his trait of being self-assured.

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In his essay, Holt argues that Creon, according to Greek eyes is not as evil as many modern readers assume (660). He is most likely to follow the law passed by his father to protect his regime and expects the same from his son. Creon asserts, “[t]hat’s the way to behave: subordinate Everything else, my son, to your father’s will. This is what a man prays for, that he may get Sons attentive and dutiful in his house,” (Sophocles 505). Creon tries to justify his kingship as he says “no one is so foolish that he is eager to die” (Sophocles 220 cited by Holt 676), he could have ordered to kill people who went against his law.

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Creon’s conflict involves two choices that seem equally righteous—that is, between the stability of the state and obedience to divine law. Initially, he wants to protect his people and stand against all odds. He is willing to listen to advice, take no man who does not support Thebes as his friend, and bury all bodies according to divine law. Instead, Creon opposes the gods’ law and does not follow through with his initial plans. Therefore, his tragic flaw is hubris, or excessive pride that causes his transgression again the gods.

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There were many major movements and goals of the antebellum reform. Before the Civil War, almost 100 reform communities were instituted. Some were democratic, others were ruled over by an interesting leader. Most of them were motivated by religion, but some had desires to reverse social and economic changes. Almost all of these communities wanted to have a cooperative society, to revive social harmony in an individualistic society and to close the growing space between the rich and the poor.

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Another characteristic of Creon that is highlighted during the conversation is defensive when it came to the uncertainty of his ruling. In lines (831-833) Haemon says, “the people here in Thebes all say the same- they deny she is”, and Creon responds with,” so the city will instruct me how I am to govern.” Haemon explains all the citizens of Thebes think Antigone performed a heroic act by burying her brother, and they think she shouldn’t be considered guilty. Creon becomes over sensitive and foolishly says the city will tell him how to govern. This shows how defensive Creon is when it comes to the uncertainty of his ruling and him not listening to Haemon develops the belief of creon’s downfall of a tragic

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From the beginning Oedipus was destined to fulfill a terrible prophecy, but through particular events that follow the steps of the Hero’s Journey, Oedipus becomes a powerful king of Thebes, only to be destroyed by the prophecy that should have ended his life as a child. The Hero’s Journey typically leads to self-confidence and power, however; the Hero’s Journey of Oedipus leads to his tragic demise. The Hero’s Journey lays out the steps of Oedipus’s future actions, which create suspense, fear, pity, and other emotions that captivates the audience. Similar to many famous stories, Oedipus the King, written by Sophocles in 430 B.C., follows the Hero’s Journey path, which is evident in Oedipus’s departure, initiation, and return.

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Creon is defiantly a tragic hero who is seen good by some people and then also bad. The large fall that Creon takes is when he looses his respect from the town’s people. It is stated, “Your people are beginning to question your judgment and

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The reader feels pity for Creon for his lack of time to grieve and his tragic mistake that led to the loss of his family, this demonstrates his goodness. Creon, recently succeeded to take the throne of Eteocles, making him king. Therefore, giving him the title of royalty and showing superiority. His power and control over Thebes makes him important, and this power and importance leads to a lack of mercy for criminals.. CREON. I have summoned you here this morning because I know that I can depend on you: your devotion to King Laius was absolute; you never hesitated in your duty to our late ruler Oedipus; and

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Creon has many admirable qualities but within them a tragic flaw that causes great misfortune. Creon as a newly instated king of Thebes, makes a decree that Eteocles will

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686 Words | 3 Pages

Oedipus the King is a tragedy that was written by Sophocles that emphasizes the irony of an irony of a man who was determined to trace down, expose and punish an assassin who in turn became him. Oedipus the King is also known as Oedipus Rex or Oedipus Tyrannus. The art is an Athenian play that was performed in ages approximated to be 429 BC. Oedipus the King would later in the play fulfill the prophecy that he would kill his father and later on marry his mother. There is a twist of an event in the play where Oedipus is looking for the murderer of his father to bring to a halt the series of plagues that are befalling Thebes but only to find he is in search of himself (Rado, 1956).

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1497 Words | 6 Pages

And chiefest part Is wisdom, and to hold The gods in awe. This is the law That, seeing the stricken heart Of pride brought down, We learn when we are old.” (Sophocles 162). Therefore, Oedipus is the better

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Countless times, Creon was implored to change his mind to preserve the safety of others. However, due to his uncompromising and egocentric nature, he repeatedly denied this aid, and therefore caused the tragedies of the deaths of his niece and his son. The events that occurred in the play Antigone accurately represent the characteristics of a tragic flaw and subsequent suffering that define a

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