Creon And Achilles Essay Research Paper Both

Creon And Achilles Essay, Research Paper

Both Creon of Sophocles Antigone and Achilles of Homer s The Iliad end up leting the organic structure of their enemy a proper entombment. During the clip following the decease of Hector, Achilles is in a place really similar to that which Creon trades with in Antigone. Both work forces show similar defects, and face similar battles. The difference between the two work forces is merely subtly discernable until the stating minute when each adult male is faced with force per unit area to alter his stance on the destiny of the fallen warrior. Each adult male s initial reaction is rather stating of his character, and the motivations behind each adult male s determination ( although the motivations are problematic ) besides help to expose his true nature. In the terminal, there seems to be a quality within each adult male which lies above the defects, failures or victory. By proposing such a quality, Sophocles and Homer glorify or debase characters such as Creon and Achilles.

Fury, choler and retaliation are exhibited by both Achilles and Creon. Achilles shows his fury in Book I of The Iliad when he speaks out against Agamemnon and refuses to contend, every bit good as in Book Twenty-two when he avenges the decease of Patroclus by the slaughter of Hector. Book XXIV, nevertheless, is the book in which Achilles state of affairs most closely parallels that of Priam. To most objectively compare their characters, it is of import that the state of affairss we see them reacting to are every bit similar as possible. In Antigone, the conflict is over and all that remains are the remains of those fallen in conflict. We have really small cognition of how Creon behaved during the conflict, and hence should non overemphasise the elaborate history of Achilles actions during conflict that is supplied in earlier books of The Iliad. Creon ab initio exposes his fury and retribution with the edict that Eteocles will be buried and Polynices will non. Creon says this of Polynices No, he must be left unburied, his corpse/ carrion for birds and Canis familiariss to tear/ an lewdness for the citizens to lay eyes on! ( 231 ) . A similar fury can be found in Achilles intervention of the organic structure of Hector. Not merely did Achilles deny the organic structure a proper entombment, but he dragged the dead organic structure about tied to his chariot ( XXIV-18 ) . Later illustrations of fury are more plentiful in Creon s instance, as he rages against those who question the wisdom of his determination to allow Polynices decompose. Creon s strongest fury is his fury against Antigone for trying to bury Polynices. & # 8211 ; she ll ne’er escape/ she and her blood sister, the most barbarian decease ( 545 ) . This fervent choler is left alone by the actions of Achilles. Achilles shows merely one extra flicker of choler during the his conversation with Priam. Impatient for the return of his boy s organic structure Priam says to Achilles Give him back to me, now, no more hold & # 8211 ; / I must see my boy with my ain eyes ( XXIV-650 ) . To this Achilles responds angrily No more, old adult male, don T allure my wrath, non now! ( XXIV-656 ) , So don T anger me now. Don T splash my ramping bosom still more./ Or under my ain roof I may non save your life, old adult male & # 8211 ; ( XXIV-667 ) . Although the initial menaces are similar in nature, the actions that each adult male takes after doing the menace is a truer step of the fury within each adult male. Creon sends Antigone to her grave, while Achilles regains his calm leting for Priam s safe return to Troy and peaceable entombment of his boy Hector. Creon s fury is more powerful than Achilles in this state of affairs.

The importance of the Gods and the manner persons regard them in Grecian literature can ne’er be underestimated. Antigone and The Iliad are evidently non exclusions. It is a just to presume that both Achilles and Creon were withstanding the Supreme beings by their refusal to bury the fallen warriors. In The Iliad, there is really a scene where we hear the God s dissatisfaction with the province of Hector s cadaver. Apollo calls on the other God s to commiseration Hector and his household. He asks whether Hector has reverentially made rich forfeits to the God s and criticizes the inhuman treatment that Achilles patterns on Hector s cadaver ( XXIV-39 ) . Besides in support of Hector s right to burial is Zeus, who decrees that Priam shall pay a ransom, and Achilles shall manus over Hector s organic structure ( XXIV-93 ) . The God s don t approve of Creon s behaviour either, although we see their disapproval in a less obvious manner in Antigone. There are two illustrations of grounds that

Creon s orders about the intervention of Polynices are in rebelliousness of the Gods. The first is the innuendo that Creon s actions are unhallowed by Haemon. Haemon says Protect your rights? / When you trample down the awards of the Gods? ( 834 ) . Tiresias brings existent cogent evidence of the Gods disapproval with his history of the forfeits that weren t combustion ( XXIV-1112 ) and his account of the phenomenon. Tiresias explains And it is you/ your high resoluteness that sets this pestilence on Thebes./ The public communion tables and sacred fireplaces are fouled/ …..with carrion/ torn from the cadaver, the doomstruck boy of Oedipus! ( XXIV-1122 ) . When Achilles is placed in a similar state of affairs when he is faced with the message from Zeus that his female parent relays. Thetis tells Achilles he says the Gods are angry with you now/ and he is lifting over them all in deathless wrath/ that you in brokenhearted rage still keep Hector s organic structure, / here by your beaked ships, and will non give him back./ O give him back at once–take ransom for the dead! ( XXIV-163 ) .

Exposed by the initial reactions of Achilles and Creon are a adult male who is wholly reverent and submissive in the face of the Gods and a adult male who is noncompliant until he is left with no other pick. Achilles responds to his female parent s description of Zeus edict in this manner So be it./ The adult male who brings the ransom can take away the organic structure, / if Olympic Zeus himself insists in all earnest ( XXIV-168 ) . To Tiresias warnings Creon answers You ll ne’er bury the organic structure in the grave, / non even if Zeus eagles rend the corpse/ and flying their icky takings off to the throne of God! ( XXIV-1152 ) . Following this statement Creon attacks Tiresias credibleness ( XXIV-1157 ) , and although this can be seen as an alibi for Creon s reluctance to mind Tiresias warning, he has no alibi for oppugning the Gods authorization. Creon hypothetically assumes the cogency of Zeus desire for Polynices to be buried, and so states his rebelliousness. Creon is non simply withstanding the advice of the visionary Tiresias but is unnecessarily saying his rebelliousness of the Gods. Finally Creon is forced to subject, when Tiresias foretells the destiny of Haemon ( 1184 ) and Creon realizes that Tiresias has ne’er lied in the yesteryear ( 1217 ) . Even when faced with the words of a net income, Creon is loath to give his pride and give in. When Leader advises Creon to give in, he responds That s your advice? You think I should give in? ( 1226 ) and laments Oh it s difficult, / giving up the bosom s desire & # 8230 ; but I will make it & # 8211 ; / no more contending a losing conflict with necessity ( 1228 ) . The manner in which Achilles immediately submits to the will of the Gods suggests that his fury is less fervent, his psyche is more reverent and his will is more flexible than Creon s. Creon s reluctance to subject suggest fury deeper, a pride more powerful, and a psyche less reverent than Achilles.

The motivations behind Creon s entry, understanding to bury Polynices and allow Antigone populate were made in response to the menaces that Tiresias spoke. Obviously Achilles motivations in let go ofing Hector s organic structure for a ransom had something to make with obeying the Gods, and although the Gods will would hold been adequate ground for Achilles to give in, there is extra motivation revealed when Achilles feels commiseration for Priam, and thinks of his ain male parent. After crying with Priam, Achilles say to him Poor adult male, how much you ve borne & # 8211 ; hurting to interrupt the spirit! ( XXIV-605 ) . Following this is the aforesaid intervention of Priam, the respect for his life, and the allowance of clip for Hector s entombment. It seems as though Achilles attentions for the strivings of Priam, and accepts the ransom out of commiseration. Creon had no commiseration on Polynices or Antigone, and simply gave in when he was forced to make so for his well being and the well being of his household.

Achilles and Creon portion defects such as fury, retribution, rebelliousness of the Gods will. In Achilles, nevertheless, there is a alteration. When Achilles feels commiseration for Priam, he seems to hold learned commiseration, flexibleness, and given up his fury. It takes the self-destruction of his boy and married woman for Creon to see the mistake in his ways, and without these tragic events, it is dubious that Creon would hold realized anything of the kind. Behind the fury and retribution of Achilles, Homer has been revealed a compassionate being. Creon, on the other manus, seems to hold merely more pride, fury and anguish beneath his defects.