Comparing Oedipus And Antigone

Improved Essays
Show More
In addition, according to Aristotle’s Poetics, a tragic hero expresses exaggerated pride which narrows the hero’s perception of the reality and leads to his downfall. Besides the heroic qualities that distinguish Oedipus and Antigone from everyone else, they also possess hubris and flaws that every tragic hero contains. Both Oedipus and Antigone have pride for their actions and they do not miss a chance to point it out. For instance, Oedipus is proud of earning his kingly position due to his remarkable bravery and wisdom. Oedipus’ pride blinds his perception of whom he can trust. He is convinced that on the grounds of his heroic qualities and achievements, Creon is willing to overthrow him: “Wealth, power; craft of statesmanship! Kingly position, everywhere admired!
[…] Kreon desired in secret to destroy me!” (Scene I, l. 174-175, 180) …show more content…
The King of Thebes refuses to listen to Creon’s arguments and adheres to his point of view until the self-recognition moment, when he realizes that he failed Creon who was loyal to him all that time. Unlike Oedipus, the accomplishment of Antigone was not guided by the desire to bring good to the whole community. Rather, she acts for the benefit of her family and does not hesitate to mention that her actions are honorable be-cause she carries her duty. In the dialogue with Ismene, who expresses the desire to help Antigone, the latest accuses her sister of being unhelpful in performing their family duty, which Antigone herself was brave enough to

Related Documents

  • Improved Essays

    Similarities Between Oedipus Rex And Antigone
    • 133 Words
    • 1 Pages

    Similarities Between Oedipus Rex And Antigone

    For more than 2,500 years, Sophocles was one of the greatest playwrights, and his work continues to be studied. His two plays, Oedipus Rex and Antigone, are part of the Oedipus Cycle of plays. Oedipus Rex, the first play featured in the Oedipus Cycle, reveals the past of the main character, Oedipus. As a baby, Oedipus was meant to be killed to avoid a prophecy. Instead, he grew up to unknowingly murder his father, Laius, and marry his mother, Jocasta.…

    • 133 Words
    • 1 Pages
    Improved Essays
    Read More
  • Improved Essays

    Peripartia In Sophocles Oedipus The King
    • 546 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Peripartia In Sophocles Oedipus The King

    Sophocles’ Oedipus Rex flawlessly demonstrates Aristotle’s definition of a tragic hero through the protagonist, Oedipus. As required, the character exhibits errors of judgement, reversal of fortune due to such judgement, and acknowledgement of their self-inflicted misfortune. In addition, Oedipus exhibits extreme pride and receives a fate much colder than deserved. Shortly into the play, Oedipus reveals his hamartia, or flaw in judgement, when he refuses and mocks the advice of the blind prophet after it’s not to his liking. “You have no power or truth.…

    • 546 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
    Read More
  • Improved Essays

    Odysseus And Antigone Comparison Essay
    • 1243 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Odysseus And Antigone Comparison Essay

    During the relative time of Odysseus and Antigone, a hero could be a man or a woman, someone who belonged to a divine ancestry, who was favored by the Gods, and showed great courage and strength in one’s actions. When reflecting upon heroes from the works we have read, the first two that came to my mind were Sophocles 's Antigone, and Homer’s Odysseus. These two characters exhibit heroic actions throughout both works, and stick to their ways by portraying perseverance and confidence. Sophocles’ Antigone is about a passionate woman who arrives in Thebes to see that both of her brothers are dead. Her brother, Polyneices, is not being granted a proper burial because the infamous leader, Kreon, has prohibited a burial for him to occur.…

    • 1243 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
    Read More
  • Improved Essays

    Example Of Disobedience In Antigone
    • 895 Words
    • 4 Pages
    • 1 Works Cited

    Example Of Disobedience In Antigone

    Here, once again, Antigone displays severe disrespect to Creon’s position as king when she explains mockingly that she did not know that “[Creon] had such powers to enable [the powers of the gods]” for is a mortal and will die someday, making out that his declaration will be replaced whereas the gods will be forever. However, her disrespect to Creon is established by her belief that “there is nothing shameful in honoring [her] brother” (559). Here, Antigone illustrates once again that the love and loyalty that she has for her brother Polyneices was her true and honest purpose for being defiant, not to show loyalty to the gods but to follow what the message employed: to cherish and respect family. For Antigone, “if [she] dared to leave the dead man, [her] mother’s son, dead and unburied, that would have been [the] real pain,” not death (510-512). Her desire to free the spirit of her brother so that it can be at peace explains the true reason of her rebellious…

    • 895 Words
    • 4 Pages
    • 1 Works Cited
    Improved Essays
    Read More
  • Superior Essays

    Main Conflict In Antigone, By Sophocles
    • 1573 Words
    • 7 Pages

    Main Conflict In Antigone, By Sophocles

    Antigone is aware of the consequence but ignores it because according to her she is doing the will of her gods. When Antigone is confronted she admits to it without hesitation and is sentenced to death by Creon. The citizens of Thebes take Antigone’s side and consider Creon unjust but are too afraid to confront him. Creon’s son and Antigone’s fiancé, Haimon, describes the social unrest of the…

    • 1573 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Superior Essays
    Read More
  • Improved Essays

    The Responsibility Of Creon In Sophocles Antigone
    • 864 Words
    • 4 Pages

    The Responsibility Of Creon In Sophocles Antigone

    In the play Antigone by Sophocles, Creon has recently been appointed as king of Thebes due to the recent deaths of his nephews, Polyneices and Eteocles. Although he is new to the throne, he proves himself to be an extraordinarily well rounded king, simultaneously being reasonable, fair, and good to the City of Thebes, as well as his own family. Through his actions and words it is as clear that he wants simply the best for those around him. He also makes decisions for the interest of not only himself, but others. Creon is a good, reasonable, and fair king to his family and the City of Thebes by not sentencing Antigone to death, not allowing Polyneices to be buried, and imprisoning Antigone despite her being family.…

    • 864 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
    Read More
  • Improved Essays

    Gender Roles In Antigone
    • 2045 Words
    • 9 Pages

    Gender Roles In Antigone

    Antigone looks to free herself and family from the cycle of misery and pain. To do so she takes on the responsibility of honoring her family, which is traditionally seen by male figures, especially in Greek dramas. Antigone takes on this role with confidence and grace, which leads to her standing up to Creon later on. Antigone takes on a modern female gender role, which is fully expressed when she stands up to Creon on her view of honoring her brother. She is not afraid to admit that she went against the law of Thebes by burying a “traitor”; instead she openly admits it: “I did it.…

    • 2045 Words
    • 9 Pages
    Improved Essays
    Read More
  • Improved Essays

    Creon Is A Tragic Hero In Sophocles Antigone
    • 1225 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Creon Is A Tragic Hero In Sophocles Antigone

    The people of Thebes feel that Antigone should be honored and not killed, but the people of Thebes are too scared to let Creon know that he is wrong for stoning Antigone, with them saying how they have never known a woman that has died so unreasonably for doing something that is generous and should be honored and not punished…

    • 1225 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
    Read More
  • Superior Essays

    Theme Of Blindness In Antigone
    • 1285 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Theme Of Blindness In Antigone

    As Ismene predicted Antigone’s extreme stubborn loyalty leads to her blindness to the importance of Creon’s laws which ultimately brings tragedy to her, Creon and Thebes. Even though Creon went against the laws of gods, he did what was best for the state during a period of civil…

    • 1285 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Superior Essays
    Read More
  • Improved Essays

    Antigone Compare And Contrast Essay
    • 666 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Antigone Compare And Contrast Essay

    Like when Antigone gets caught burying Polynices body she does not deny it and she confesses to all the charges. While she is getting charged, Ismene walks in and decides that she wants to take the blame even though she has done nothing wrong. She decided that she cannot live without Antigone so she will die with her. And how Haemon, Antigone, and Eurodice, the three people that Creon cared most about, end up all committing suicide in the end. There are some little details that are similar too.…

    • 666 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
    Read More
  • Improved Essays

    Character Analysis: Character Analysis Of Oedipus The King
    • 1337 Words
    • 6 Pages

    Character Analysis: Character Analysis Of Oedipus The King

    Oedipus has a lot of character traits like anger, haste and truthfulness are really shown during his down fall as a man who knows nothing but later realizes he is the cause of the plague on Thebes by the end of the play. While the onion layer of the harmartia start to unfold Oedipus anger to really come full force and start to call everybody to palace to discover the truth. Sophocles in generally express concern through protagonist in Oedipus the King. Oedipus anger and arrogance leads him to a lot of red flag and more. Which cause dissatisfaction in all men such as Creon in the chorus.…

    • 1337 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Improved Essays
    Read More
  • Improved Essays

    Creon The Tragic Hero In Sophocles Antigone
    • 1164 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Creon The Tragic Hero In Sophocles Antigone

    The play Antigone by Sophocles translated by Ian Johnston, follows the guides for a tragic hero in which the main character, the king, merges to act the role as the tragic hero. He reveals his flaw as hubris and faces many challenges that make him take drastic decisions. His arrogance does not let him see that he has made mistakes and he would not assume them. He ends up losing everything that matters to him, in a devastating series of events. This makes him the perfect tragic hero in this play because he goes through excessive punishment as well as self awareness.…

    • 1164 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
    Read More
  • Improved Essays

    Antigone Moral Choices Essay
    • 1220 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Antigone Moral Choices Essay

    Going directly against the word of the king is a serious offence yielding extreme consequences. Antigone is going into this task behind Creon’s back, with him against her project, rather than on her side. Having made the decision that this is her best option, she feels that she should not embark in this task alone and requests the assistance of her sister, Ismene. Hearing this request, Ismene shoots down Antigone, feeling this would be too dangerous and not a smart decision.…

    • 1220 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
    Read More
  • Improved Essays

    Compare And Contrast Antigone And Oedipus
    • 1278 Words
    • 6 Pages

    Compare And Contrast Antigone And Oedipus

    Catatonic Stubbornness Hamartia. From Greek meaning a fatal flaw leading to the downfall of a tragic hero or heroine. In Sophocles’s Oedipus Rex and Antigone, Oedipus, Antigone, and especially Creon all display their flaw of being stubborn which ultimately leads to the tragedy in each play. When Teiresias challenges Oedipus by saying that he is the one plaguing the city, instead of listening to the other side of the argument, Oedipus tells him to be “Out of this place! Out of my sight!”…

    • 1278 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Improved Essays
    Read More
  • Superior Essays

    Compare And Contrast Oedipus And Creon
    • 1361 Words
    • 6 Pages

    Compare And Contrast Oedipus And Creon

    Creon, now due to being ruler, has become a weary, wrinkled man who agonizes his accountability of ruling. Previously in the plays, he was a dedicated man to art advocacy, but had left that life behind, to completely surrender himself to the throne. Creon is a constructive man, soundly separating himself from the appealing ambitions of his brother-in-law, Oedipus, and his lineage. During Antigone, he advises Antigone that his only passions now are in government and civil order. The play of Antigone shows how Creon takes to being a ruler, being just and fair, yet having similar characteristics of Oedipus.…

    • 1361 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Superior Essays
    Read More

Related Topics

Ready To Get Started?
Discover
Company
Follow
©2024 Cram.com
Privacy Policy |  About Ads |  Site Map |  Advertise  | 
  • Cookie Settings