Creon in In Sophocles Tragedies Oedipus the King and Antigone :: essays research papers

In Sophocles tragedies Oedipus the world-beater and Antigone Creons character experiences great change throughout his life. Creon goes from being a respectable, honorable man with good judgment, to a disrespectable, dishonorable, female monarch. The first impression of the young Creon is he very religious. He is also obedient to his friend & king Oedipus. Also when Creon is younger he takes advice from people. Creon in Antigone will not get word to anyones advice or leadership. He becomes so conceited he makes a law against the gods. Perhaps Creon becoming king was the reason he saturnine out to be such a tyrant. Theses major flaw in his character is the cause of his cataclysm.Oedipus sent Creon to consult the gods of what to do to abolish the smite that was destroying Thebes. Oedipus actions illustrate that Creon is a man of immense honor and respect. Oedipus assures to a non-Christian priest that everything is going to be fine because he has sent Creon to seek erudition fr om Apollo, he says, I acted at once. I sent Creon, my wifes brother, to Delphi Apollo the Prophets oracle to learn what I might do or say to save out city (1369). However, later in life Creon went against the gods. His law fobbing the burial of Polynices shows disrespect and dishonor to the gods. Creon declared, But as for his blood brother, Polynices, who returned from exile, home to his father city and the gods of his race, consumed with one desire to can them roof to roots who thirsted to drink his kinsmens blood and sell the perch to slavery that man a proclamation has forbidden the city to entitle him with burial, mourn him at all. No, he must be left unburied, his stiff carrion for the birds and dogs to teat, an obscenity for the citizens to behold (1443)In Oedipus the King Creon demonstrates his compassion and forgiveness, by service Oedipus even after Oedipus called him a traitor and conspirator. When Creon is called back to the palace Creon says to Oedipus, I havent com e to mock you, Oedipus, or to criticize your causality failings (1428). His sympathy for Oedipus depicts that Creon is not heartless, at this point in his life. Indeed, this changed in the tragedy of Antigone, he did not use any empathy with Antigone, his own niece. Creon developed into a fulsome king, he had no difficulty in convicting Antigone to death.