Oedipus and Antigone: themes and tragedy

¶ … Creon of Oedipus and the Creon of Antigone., it does seem that he is a different character within each story because he is young and sensitive in Oedipus while he becomes wiser and cold in Antigone. For example, Antigone, daughter of Oedipus, the late king of Thebes, in defiance of Creon who rules in his stead, resolves to bury her brother Polyneices, slain in his attack on Thebes. She is caught in the act by Creon's watchmen and brought before the king. She justifies her action, asserting that she was bound to obey the eternal laws of right and wrong in spite of any human ordinance. Creon, unrelenting, condemns her to be immured in a rock-hewn chamber. His son Haemon, to whom Antigone is betrothed, pleads in vain for her life and threatens to diewith her. Warned by the seer Teiresias Creon repents him and hurries to release Antigone from her rocky prison. But he is too late: he finds lying side by side Antigone who had hanged herself and Haemon who also has perished by his own hand. Returning to the palace he sees within the dead body of his queen who on learning of her son's death has stabbed herself to the heart" (Antigone). Therefore, as Creon becomes older, he takes out his bitterness and pain on other people when he became king, which means within Oedipus and Antigone, he is like a different character.

Discussion

Within Oedipus, Creon wanted to help Oedipus to rid of the plague that the gods were giving to them while being accused of stealing the kingship. From there, he speaks, "This accusation against me by our ruler Oedipus, it's outrageous. (514)" by the end of the play, Creon tells Oedipus that "I'm always as good as my word; I don't speak before I think" (1520). He is hurting from being blame for this crime, however in Antigone, he falsely accuses people. He becomes heartless between both stories due to the personal experience he went through, which made him a different character in each one.

King Creon decrees that Polynices the traitor is not to be buried, but his sister Antigone defies the order. She is caught, and sentenced by Creon to be buried alive - even though she is betrothed to his son Haemon. After the blind prophet Tiresias proves that the gods are on Antigone's side, Creon changes his mind - but too late. He goes first to bury Polynices, but Antigone has already hanged herself. When Creon arrives at the tomb, Haemon attacks him and then kills himself. When the news of their death is reported, Creon's wife Eurydice takes her own life. Creon is alone (Notes & Discussion of Sophocles' tragedy).

Conclusion