Nicole Civitarese Civitarese, 1
English 10 Honors/ Mr. George
10/27/08
Essay on “Antigone”/ “Oedipus”
Creon’s downfall
In the two plays “Oedipus the King” and “Antigone” we all recognized the dramatic change and downfall that Creon experienced. During the first play, “Oedipus the King”, Creon was more calm and understanding because Oedipus was in power. He tried to settle Oedipus from being angry and controlling. Creon changed severely in “Antigone” because he gained power in Thebes. In “Antigone” Creon’s understanding was lost because of power, disrespect to higher authority, because he started to become sexist, and because he stopped listening to his loved ones.
In the play “Oedipus the King”, Creon is looked upon as a wise and understanding person. Creon is the character in this play who tries to calm down Oedipus of his anger. He is furious and comes to believe that Creon is only doing this because he wants power. He says to Creon, “That very point, we’ll leave alone: that you’re no traitor eh?”(30). Oedipus is accusing him of being a traitor. Creon tells him, “I could not covet kingship for itself when I can be a king by other means” (33). Creon is trying to tell Oedipus that he does not want power, and that he can be a king with better means and understanding. Oedipus is enraged about Creon’s response and still believes Creon wants the power that Oedipus has. Creon still does not want power and is content with where he is at this point. He is under control and calm because he has no power over Thebes. He is still the respectful, calm, and understanding character we all know. Creon says to Oedipus at the end of the play before he takes his children away, “Stop this striving to be
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master of all. The mastery you had in life has been your fall”(80). Creon says this to Oedipus now because he has been a stubborn man who tried to control everything. What Creon does not realize is that he will become just like Oedipus in the play “Antigone”.
In “Antigone”, Creon became just as Oedipus was when he gained power over Thebes. All the qualities he had in “Oedipus the King” have been lost because he let the power get the best of him. When Oedipus’ two sons fought in Thebes they were both killed. The gods thought whenever someone died there should be a proper burial for them. Creon thought that since Polyneices was attacking his own city that he should not get a proper burial, and not be allowed to enter Hades: “I’ve sent the edict out that none shall bury him or even mourn”(199). Now that was going against the gods rules. Creon was judging Polyneices when the gods should be doing that. The power is making him this way, and he is letting it control how he acts.
When Creon finds out Antigone buried her brother so he may enter Hades, Creon was furious. In anger Antigone says to Creon, “Naturally! Since Zeus never promulgated such a law, Nor will you find that Justice, Mistress of the world below, publishes such laws to humankind”(210). Antigone is telling Creon that the gods never made a law as harsh as this. The gods never said she could not bury her brother, so he could not enter Hades. She does not see the wrong she did in what she has done for her brother. Creon starts to act more like Oedipus when he gets into an argument with his son, Haemon. Haemon becomes more like the Creon we knew in “Oedipus the King”. In the argument Creon loses more respect for the gods and becomes very sexist towards women.
In “Antigone” Creon becomes very sexist towards women, especially Antigone: “Guards take them away and lock them up. No more roaming. They are women now”(217). This is what
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Creon said after he questioned Antigone and Ismene. He said this because he believed they did a man’s job and should be locked up like women for it. Creon said to his son, “You woman’s slave! Don’t come toadying to me!”(225). He says this to his son because Haemon is standing up for his future wife, Antigone, and does not believe it is right for her to be killed for something good she has done. Creon is just irritated because someone disobeyed his edict and he thinks they deserve to be killed. The argument enraged Creon more and this is when he started to stop listening to his loved ones.
During the argument, his son was trying to give him soothing advice and letting him know he is being a bit stubborn: “See the trees in the floodtime, how they bend along the torrent’s course, and how twigs and branches do not snap, but stubborn trees are torn up roots and all”(222). Haemon is just telling his father he is being a little too stubborn about things, and that he needs to slow down and think about everything: “So let your anger cool, and change your mind. I may be young but not without some sense. Let men be wise by instinct if they can, but when this fails and nature won’t oblige, be wise by good advice”(222). Haemon is also telling his father that he may be young, but he can give him some good advice. Creon becomes enraged and this leads to his corruption because he thinks he can use his power to control everything.
Creon does change drastically between the two plays. In the first play he is very understanding and calm. In the second play he changes completely to becoming more like Oedipus when he finds out someone disobeyed his edict. He becomes stubborn, controlling, demanding, and sexist after that. When he finally listens to someone it is already too late. Antigone was dead, his son was killed, and his wife Eurydice killed herself because Haemon was gone. Sophocles showed corruption through Creon’s actions made, the way he treated women,
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his loved ones, and the way he changed into Oedipus when he became powerful. At the end of the play Creon realizes that losing his family is not worth being powerful. He learns that being understanding, calm, and wise is more important: “Where wisdom is, there happiness will crown”(252).
English 10 Honors/ Mr. George
10/27/08
Essay on “Antigone”/ “Oedipus”
Creon’s downfall
In the two plays “Oedipus the King” and “Antigone” we all recognized the dramatic change and downfall that Creon experienced. During the first play, “Oedipus the King”, Creon was more calm and understanding because Oedipus was in power. He tried to settle Oedipus from being angry and controlling. Creon changed severely in “Antigone” because he gained power in Thebes. In “Antigone” Creon’s understanding was lost because of power, disrespect to higher authority, because he started to become sexist, and because he stopped listening to his loved ones.
In the play “Oedipus the King”, Creon is looked upon as a wise and understanding person. Creon is the character in this play who tries to calm down Oedipus of his anger. He is furious and comes to believe that Creon is only doing this because he wants power. He says to Creon, “That very point, we’ll leave alone: that you’re no traitor eh?”(30). Oedipus is accusing him of being a traitor. Creon tells him, “I could not covet kingship for itself when I can be a king by other means” (33). Creon is trying to tell Oedipus that he does not want power, and that he can be a king with better means and understanding. Oedipus is enraged about Creon’s response and still believes Creon wants the power that Oedipus has. Creon still does not want power and is content with where he is at this point. He is under control and calm because he has no power over Thebes. He is still the respectful, calm, and understanding character we all know. Creon says to Oedipus at the end of the play before he takes his children away, “Stop this striving to be
Civitarese, 2
master of all. The mastery you had in life has been your fall”(80). Creon says this to Oedipus now because he has been a stubborn man who tried to control everything. What Creon does not realize is that he will become just like Oedipus in the play “Antigone”.
In “Antigone”, Creon became just as Oedipus was when he gained power over Thebes. All the qualities he had in “Oedipus the King” have been lost because he let the power get the best of him. When Oedipus’ two sons fought in Thebes they were both killed. The gods thought whenever someone died there should be a proper burial for them. Creon thought that since Polyneices was attacking his own city that he should not get a proper burial, and not be allowed to enter Hades: “I’ve sent the edict out that none shall bury him or even mourn”(199). Now that was going against the gods rules. Creon was judging Polyneices when the gods should be doing that. The power is making him this way, and he is letting it control how he acts.
When Creon finds out Antigone buried her brother so he may enter Hades, Creon was furious. In anger Antigone says to Creon, “Naturally! Since Zeus never promulgated such a law, Nor will you find that Justice, Mistress of the world below, publishes such laws to humankind”(210). Antigone is telling Creon that the gods never made a law as harsh as this. The gods never said she could not bury her brother, so he could not enter Hades. She does not see the wrong she did in what she has done for her brother. Creon starts to act more like Oedipus when he gets into an argument with his son, Haemon. Haemon becomes more like the Creon we knew in “Oedipus the King”. In the argument Creon loses more respect for the gods and becomes very sexist towards women.
In “Antigone” Creon becomes very sexist towards women, especially Antigone: “Guards take them away and lock them up. No more roaming. They are women now”(217). This is what
Civitarese, 3
Creon said after he questioned Antigone and Ismene. He said this because he believed they did a man’s job and should be locked up like women for it. Creon said to his son, “You woman’s slave! Don’t come toadying to me!”(225). He says this to his son because Haemon is standing up for his future wife, Antigone, and does not believe it is right for her to be killed for something good she has done. Creon is just irritated because someone disobeyed his edict and he thinks they deserve to be killed. The argument enraged Creon more and this is when he started to stop listening to his loved ones.
During the argument, his son was trying to give him soothing advice and letting him know he is being a bit stubborn: “See the trees in the floodtime, how they bend along the torrent’s course, and how twigs and branches do not snap, but stubborn trees are torn up roots and all”(222). Haemon is just telling his father he is being a little too stubborn about things, and that he needs to slow down and think about everything: “So let your anger cool, and change your mind. I may be young but not without some sense. Let men be wise by instinct if they can, but when this fails and nature won’t oblige, be wise by good advice”(222). Haemon is also telling his father that he may be young, but he can give him some good advice. Creon becomes enraged and this leads to his corruption because he thinks he can use his power to control everything.
Creon does change drastically between the two plays. In the first play he is very understanding and calm. In the second play he changes completely to becoming more like Oedipus when he finds out someone disobeyed his edict. He becomes stubborn, controlling, demanding, and sexist after that. When he finally listens to someone it is already too late. Antigone was dead, his son was killed, and his wife Eurydice killed herself because Haemon was gone. Sophocles showed corruption through Creon’s actions made, the way he treated women,
Civitarese, 4
his loved ones, and the way he changed into Oedipus when he became powerful. At the end of the play Creon realizes that losing his family is not worth being powerful. He learns that being understanding, calm, and wise is more important: “Where wisdom is, there happiness will crown”(252).
