Creon S Defense To Oedipus S Accusations And Their

Creon+S Defense To Oedipus+S Accusations And Their Essay, Research Paper

Creon s Defense to Oedipus s Accusations and Their Relevance to the Ambivalence Nature of the KingshipThe function of the male monarch in the clip of Grecian calamities was at the same time desired and dreaded because of the male monarch s duty to the people and because of the effects of the place on the male monarch s character. Creon reveals such ambivalent ideas towards the kingship in his address supporting himself from Oedipus s confederacy accusal in Oedipus the King ; these ambivalent ideas reveal much about the nature of the kingship, particularly in concurrence with Creon s subsequently actions in Antigone. In trying to rebut Oedipus s averment that Creon has taken portion in a confederacy to obtain the kingship, Creon evaluates the nature of the kingship and of his present function. First, he says, & # 8220 ; Consider, foremost, if you think any one/ would take to govern and fear instead than regulation and slumber & # 8221 ; ( 36.584-585 ) . By this, Creon means that the chief difference between his place and the male monarch s is that of the attach toing action to opinion. In both places, one is a swayer who holds great power over the province. However, the male monarch is placed in a greater topographic point of answerability to the people. This answerability is what Creon says inspires & # 8220 ; fright & # 8221 ; in the male monarch, for if personal businesss of province or of the people fall into diminution, the male monarch is the first individual whom the people expression to fault. This is correspondent to executive leaders throughout history, as one can see in looking at American presidents and the correlativity between the present conditions and events of the state to the public s sentiment of the president, irrespective of the existent impact that his determinations may hold made in these conditions. Creon maintains that he has the same sum of power as the male monarch but without the answerability that necessarily leads a male monarch to straiten. Creon s concluding refering the equality between his power and Oedipus s leads him to province: I was non born with such a frenetic yearningto be a king- but to make what kings do. And so it is with every 1 who has learnedwisdom and self-denial. ( 36.587-590 ) He means that he has ne’er desired the place of male monarch, because he sees no advantage over his present place in the province. Rather, he sees the disadvantage of the fright that accompanies the place of male monarch. Creon has evaluated this state of affairs for his fortunes and so goes further in saying that anyone with wisdom and self-denial would come to such a decision every bit good. This could be interpreted as an abuse to Oedipus in two different ways. Creon could intend that Oedipus and anyone else who desires and assumes the kingship are by nature non people of wisdom and self-control- or he could be stating that the place of the kingship is one that strips an person of his wisdom and self-denial. In support of the averment that the kingship changes one s character, one could indicate to the events of Antigone and Creon s striking alteration in character in the drama. In Oedipus the King, Creon reveals himself to be a sensible swayer, who makes rational determinations and is non speedy to anger, as is revealed by his composure in his responses to Oedipus s heated accusals. However, in Antigone, Creon has become disdainful and irrational. His traffics with Antigone and Teiresias and his obstinacy in the drama indicate a alteration in his character. In fact, his actions, particularly in his traffics with Teiresias the prophesier, are really similar to Oedipus s actions in Oedipus the King. Just as Oedipus had done before him, Creon refuses to wholly contradict

ve Teiresias s prognostications for the province. Creon besides emulates his predecessor s actions in his accusal of graft directed towards Teiresias: “Out with it-/ but merely if your words are non for gain” ( 201. 1128-1129 ) . Creon s words and actions in Antigone indicate that he has taken on the negative features of male monarch that he describes in his address in Oedipus the King. He has same sum of power as male monarch, but he now seems to hold lost his wisdom and self-denial. This indicates that possibly his words to Oedipus are, in fact, chiefly an abuse to the place of male monarch and to what it evokes from a individual s character instead than an abuse entirely directed towards Oedipus.

Creon besides feels that the male monarch is by and large non antiphonal to the desires of the people: & # 8220 ; But if I were the king myself, I must/ make much that went against the grain & # 8221 ; ( 36.590-591 ) . By this, Creon means that in his present place, he is more disposed than the male monarch to cognize the will of the people and to react consequently. Again, this seems to be a defect inherent in the kingship based on Creon s actions in Antigone. As king Creon is blind to the fact that the people of Thebes are opposed to his actions refering the penalty of Antigone. One who is non king, Creon s boy Haemon, senses the will of the people: But what I can hear, in the dark, are things like these: the metropolis mourns for this miss ; they think she is dyingmost wrongly and most undeservedlyof all womenkind, for the most glorious Acts of the Apostless. ( 188.746-749 ) Haemon has sensed that the people feel Creon s actions are unfair, which is something that Creon is non cognizant of. However, in his address, Creon is besides asseverating that a male monarch, even when aware of the will of the people, does non react consequently. He demonstrates this in Antigone when he says, & # 8220 ; Should the metropolis state me how to govern them? & # 8221 ; ( 189.794 ) . Once once more, Creon s words in Oedipus the King and actions in Antigone correspond and indicate that his address reveals features that are built-in in the kingship and non merely in Oedipus s regulation. Creon finds these features of a male monarch to be ugly and prefers his ain present place. & # 8220 ; How should despotic regulation seem sweeter to me/ than painless power and an assured authorization? & # 8221 ; ( 36.592-593 ) . He is stating that his present power is less painful and even more effective than that of a male monarch. It is less painful in that he is non held straight accountable for the conditions of the province. It is more effective both in that he has a better sense of the will of the people and in that he is less likely to let selfish involvement and pride to interfere with his executing of the will of the people. Creon s speech serves two intents, both efficaciously. First, it is a convincing statement to turn out that he is non involved a confederacy to subvert Oedipus, although Oedipus s pride does non let him to be convinced by this statement. Second, and possibly more significantly, Creon s speech gives insight into the reversible nature of the kingship, for although it is a place of great award and power, it is besides a place that frequently corrupts the adult male who holds it. Creon believes that there is a certain type of adult male who desires such a place, a adult male who has non learned wisdom and self-denial. He believes that he is a adult male who has learned these properties ; therefore, he would non be susceptible to want for the kingship and the corruptness which would necessarily follow. However, his actions in Antigone show that there are really few work forces who will reject the kingship if presented with the chance and even fewer work forces who will non let the kingship to pervert them.