Creon’s Perspective in Oedipus Rex and Sophocles Antigone :: Antigone essays

Creons Perspective in Oedipus Rex and Antigone The role of the world fountain in the time of Greek tragedies was simultaneously desired and dreaded because of the kings office to the people and because of the effects of the position on the kings character. Creon reveals such incertain thoughts towards the kingship in his speech defending himself from Oedipuss conspiracy accusation in Oedipus the King these ambivalent thoughts reveal much about the nature of the kingship, especially in connector with Creons later actions in Antigone. In attempting to refute Oedipuss assertion that Creon has taken fragment in a conspiracy to obtain the kingship, Creon evaluates the nature of the kingship and of his demo role. First, he says, Consider, number one, if you think any one/ would choose to rule and fear sooner than rule and sleep (36.584-585). By this, Creon means that the main difference surrounded by his position and the kings is that of the accompanying action to ruling. In bot h positions, one is a ruler who holds great power over the state. However, the king is placed in a greater place of accountability to the people. This accountability is what Creon says inspires fear in the king, for if affairs of state or of the people fall into decline, the king is the first person whom the citizenry look to blame. This is analogous to executive leaders passim history, as one can see in looking at American presidents and the correlation between the present conditions and events of the nation to the publics opinion of the president, no matter of the actual impact that his decisions may have made in these conditions. Creon maintains that he has the same amount of power as the king but without the accountability that inevitably leads a king to distress. Creons reasoning concerning the equality between his power and Oedipuss leads him to state I was not born with such a manic yearning to be a king- but to do what kings do. And so it is with any one who has learn ed wisdom and self-control. (36.587-590) He means that he has never desired the position of king, because he sees no advantage over his present position in the state. Rather, he sees the disadvantage of the fear that accompanies the position of king. Creon has evaluated this attitude for his circumstances and then goes further in stating that anyone with wisdom and self-control would convey to such a conclusion as well.