Creons Changes in Oedipus the King and Antigone Essay

In all works of literature you will find characters that change. From Oedipus the King to Antigone, Creon changes a great deal. In Oedipus the King, Creon has no intention whatsoever of being king. By the end of the play he makes it clear that his intentions have changed and he does want to take Oedipus’s power and become King of Thebes. When we see Creon in Antigone he has become king and he begins to make his mistakes. Creon, who is Iocasta’s brother, claims in Oedipus the King that he does not wish to have the power and responsibility of being king. Towards the beginning of Oedipus the King, Oedipus has announced that Creon is to be banished from Thebes. Oedipus was exiling Creon because he said that Creon and Tiresias were trying†¦show more content†¦We see that he becomes a lot like Oedipus. Instead of allowing both brothers, sons of Oedipus the former king, to both be buried in an honorable manner he declares that Polynices cannot be buried or mourned for and must be left to be eaten by animals. Anyone who goes against this law will be put to death. Tiresias tells Creon that his decree to not allow Polynices to have a proper burial is not what the g-ds want. Creon, like Oedipus, denounces what Tiresias has to say, even though Tiresias’s prophecy in Oedipus the King was right. Antigone, the daughter of Oedipus, does not see any justice in Creon’s decision and decid es to give her brother a proper burial. Antigone is caught for her crime and sentenced to death. She is left in a cave to die. Haemon, the son of Creon and future husband of Antigone, is not okay with this decision. He tries to convince his father to not kill Antigone. Haemon goes to find Antigone and has found her dead, hung by a noose. In turn, Haemon kills himself with his own sword. Creon having listened to Haemon and the citizens of Thebes he goes to set Antigone free and finds both Antigone and his son dead by their own hands. When Creon finds them both dead he realizes that it was his power as king that has caused this to happen. He begins to realize mistakes he has made. He has followed quite closely in the footsteps of Oedipus. Through his suffering we begin to see him as a human rather than a powerful tyrant. 3. There are peopleShow MoreRelatedCreons Role of King and His Responsibilities1273 Words   |  6 PagesCreons Role Of King and His Responsibilities The role of the king in the time of Greek tragedies was simultaneously desired and dreaded because of the kings responsibility to the people and because of the effects of the position on the kings character. 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