A Leading Tragedy (In both senses)
Leadership can cause tragic consequences if it is not executed properly. There have been many bad leaders in the past, both real and fictional. Creon, from The Oedipus Cycle by Sophocles, is no exception. He rises to power after Oedipus, his brother-in-law, is exiled from Thebes and Oedipus’ two sons kill each other. Soon after Creon takes the throne, troubles arise. Creon is not fit to be the king of Thebes because he oppresses women, is arrogant, and goes against the will of the people.
One trait that makes Creon unsuitable to be king is his oppression of women. When Antigone sprinkled dust and wine over Polyneices body, she was only trying to honor her brother. Yet she is “...chastised by Creon for acting outside of her assigned and accepted role as a private individual in this public struggle and Creon repeatedly states that he will not let Antigone turn him into a woman” (Cowell-Meyers 349). This conveys how Creon believes that being turned into a woman is something that is incredibly undesirable and insulting. …show more content…
In fact, the civilians never were in his favor. In the beginning he is desperate to prove to them that he is worthy to be a king, and throughout the play, fear towards their ruler is evident in the behavior or Ismene and the sentry. When Haimon is trying to save Antigone, he explains to Creon that the townspeople think that “...no woman has ever, so unreasonably,/ Died so shameful a death for a generous act/...She should have all the honor that we can give her!” (Sophocles 218-219) The townspeople do not think that Antigone’s punishment was deserved. Although they are too afraid to tell their king, Creon becomes aware of how they feel through Haimon, but he disregards it and carries out with Antigone's punishment. The betrayal of his duty to serve the citizens highlights just how poor of a leader he
Leadership can cause tragic consequences if it is not executed properly. There have been many bad leaders in the past, both real and fictional. Creon, from The Oedipus Cycle by Sophocles, is no exception. He rises to power after Oedipus, his brother-in-law, is exiled from Thebes and Oedipus’ two sons kill each other. Soon after Creon takes the throne, troubles arise. Creon is not fit to be the king of Thebes because he oppresses women, is arrogant, and goes against the will of the people.
One trait that makes Creon unsuitable to be king is his oppression of women. When Antigone sprinkled dust and wine over Polyneices body, she was only trying to honor her brother. Yet she is “...chastised by Creon for acting outside of her assigned and accepted role as a private individual in this public struggle and Creon repeatedly states that he will not let Antigone turn him into a woman” (Cowell-Meyers 349). This conveys how Creon believes that being turned into a woman is something that is incredibly undesirable and insulting. …show more content…
In fact, the civilians never were in his favor. In the beginning he is desperate to prove to them that he is worthy to be a king, and throughout the play, fear towards their ruler is evident in the behavior or Ismene and the sentry. When Haimon is trying to save Antigone, he explains to Creon that the townspeople think that “...no woman has ever, so unreasonably,/ Died so shameful a death for a generous act/...She should have all the honor that we can give her!” (Sophocles 218-219) The townspeople do not think that Antigone’s punishment was deserved. Although they are too afraid to tell their king, Creon becomes aware of how they feel through Haimon, but he disregards it and carries out with Antigone's punishment. The betrayal of his duty to serve the citizens highlights just how poor of a leader he