Throughout both Oedipus the King and Antigone by Sophocles, Oedipus and Creon fear of impairing their dignity; leading to their eventual ruin. Although at different times, both Oedipus and Creon were the kings of Thebes who both ended in isolation and suffering. A common hubris both characters manifest is their pride; something that frequently gets in the way of their leadership of Thebes. Both Oedipus’ and Creon’s pride leads to their ultimate suffering by making faulty decisions, ignoring family advice, and attempting to override fate.
Oedipus’ and Creon’s dignity leads to impulsive and flawed decision making and the collapse of both of their lives and kingship. In Oedipus the King, when Teiresias accuses Oedipus of being the man who “sowed …show more content…
Afraid that his destiny is set, Oedipus accuses Creon of overthrowing his power by bringing Tiresias to Thebes, and exiles him from the kingdom. Since the prophecy was filled with such serious accusations, Oedipus along with the Chorus are filled with confusion, unaware of “the past and...now”(187). Oedipus is logically shocked by the news that he may have killed his father and slept with his mother, but his rash decision to throw out Creon creates tension between him and the citizens of Thebes. The Chorus begs Oedipus and attempts to appease him by crying “[Creon’s] under oath--/don’t cast him out, disgraced”(197). The Chorus see that even a man of Creon’s stature in the kingdom can be exiled, and wonder what prevents them from being the victims of banishment the next day. Even under oath, Oedipus’ dignity blinds him from the truth behind Creon’s motivations. In Antigone, Creon puts himself in a controversial position by outlawing the burial of Polyneices, his nephew and a recent …show more content…
After Oedipus acquires an obsession of finding out the truth behind Tiresias's prophecy, he ignores his wife Jocasta’s advice to discontinue his search. Once Jocasta realizes what she had done in marrying her own son, she is quick to attempt to convince Oedipus to “Stop--in the name of god” and “call off this search!” (222). However, Oedipus shrugs his wife off, saying “Listen to you? No more. I must know it all,” (222). The thought of a women controlling him causes Oedipus to ignore Jocasta and ultimately realize his fate and live in agony. Thus, Jocasta’s endeavor to stop Oedipus is a failure because his own dignity pursues him to find out the truth. Similarly, Creon is full of shame when his own son undertakes changing his mind on Antigone’s ruling. Creon is determined to remain a man of power and decisiveness, and is mortified at the thought of taking the advice of his son, Haemon. At first, Haemon tries to gently suggest that his father is making the wrong decision to murder Antigone, his soon to be wife. Although Creon quickly becomes defensive at the fact that a man of his position and age was to be “schooled by a boy his age” (96). Creon accuses Haemon of “empty wisdom” although the king is the one absorbed in his own power, as his only wisdom stems off of his pride (99). Because he is arguing with his son, he feels it’s his responsibility as a father
Oedipus’ and Creon’s dignity leads to impulsive and flawed decision making and the collapse of both of their lives and kingship. In Oedipus the King, when Teiresias accuses Oedipus of being the man who “sowed …show more content…
Afraid that his destiny is set, Oedipus accuses Creon of overthrowing his power by bringing Tiresias to Thebes, and exiles him from the kingdom. Since the prophecy was filled with such serious accusations, Oedipus along with the Chorus are filled with confusion, unaware of “the past and...now”(187). Oedipus is logically shocked by the news that he may have killed his father and slept with his mother, but his rash decision to throw out Creon creates tension between him and the citizens of Thebes. The Chorus begs Oedipus and attempts to appease him by crying “[Creon’s] under oath--/don’t cast him out, disgraced”(197). The Chorus see that even a man of Creon’s stature in the kingdom can be exiled, and wonder what prevents them from being the victims of banishment the next day. Even under oath, Oedipus’ dignity blinds him from the truth behind Creon’s motivations. In Antigone, Creon puts himself in a controversial position by outlawing the burial of Polyneices, his nephew and a recent …show more content…
After Oedipus acquires an obsession of finding out the truth behind Tiresias's prophecy, he ignores his wife Jocasta’s advice to discontinue his search. Once Jocasta realizes what she had done in marrying her own son, she is quick to attempt to convince Oedipus to “Stop--in the name of god” and “call off this search!” (222). However, Oedipus shrugs his wife off, saying “Listen to you? No more. I must know it all,” (222). The thought of a women controlling him causes Oedipus to ignore Jocasta and ultimately realize his fate and live in agony. Thus, Jocasta’s endeavor to stop Oedipus is a failure because his own dignity pursues him to find out the truth. Similarly, Creon is full of shame when his own son undertakes changing his mind on Antigone’s ruling. Creon is determined to remain a man of power and decisiveness, and is mortified at the thought of taking the advice of his son, Haemon. At first, Haemon tries to gently suggest that his father is making the wrong decision to murder Antigone, his soon to be wife. Although Creon quickly becomes defensive at the fact that a man of his position and age was to be “schooled by a boy his age” (96). Creon accuses Haemon of “empty wisdom” although the king is the one absorbed in his own power, as his only wisdom stems off of his pride (99). Because he is arguing with his son, he feels it’s his responsibility as a father