Sunday, May 24, 2020

Oedipus and Creon in Sophocles Oedipus the King Essay

Oedipus and Creon in Sophocles Oedipus the King At first glance, Oedipus and Creon are two very different people. But as time progresses their personalities and even their fates grow more and more similar. In Sophocles’s play â€Å"Oedipus the King†, Oedipus and Creon are two completely opposite people. Oedipus is brash and thoughtless, whilst Creon is wise and prudent. In â€Å"Oedipus the King†, Oedipus effectively portrays the idea of the classic â€Å"flawed hero†. He becomes arrogant and brash. He accuses Creon and Tiresias of treachery. Even worse however, Oedipus goes against the gods. This causes them to punish him severely. Creon is the exact antithesis of Oedipus. He thinks before he acts. Creon is wise and loyal. In Sophocles’ other†¦show more content†¦Soon enough however, a guard comes running in to tell him that Polynices has indeed been buried. Creon is furious. He immediately accuses the guard of burying him. â€Å"You are a born nuisance† (75), he says, â€Å"You squandered your life for money† (75). The guard summarizes Creon’s transformation from patient ruler to brash king when he says â€Å"Oh it’s terrible when the one who does the judging judges things all wrong† (75). Creon, just like Oedipus, accused the guard of something he didn’t do. He lacked proof and he had little evidence, but he proclaimed him to death anyway. 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 â€Å"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 â€Å"scum of the earth† (178). Oedipus is so enraged by his prophecies that he accuses him of â€Å"helping to hatch the plot† (178). Oedipus suspects that Tiresias is being bribed. â€Å"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 obviouslyShow MoreRelated Comparing Creons Metamorphosis in Antigone, Oedipus the Kin g, and Oedipus at Colonus1114 Words   |  5 Pagesin Antigone, Oedipus the King, and Oedipus at Colonus      Ã‚  Ã‚   Temptation is ever present in our society and always has been throughout human history. When a person gives into temptation, this is seen as a sign of weakness. Usually, after a person has given into temptation once, that person will find each successive temptation easier and easier to give in to. Before realizing it, this person has changed into a completely false, morally lacking being. 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