The protagonist of Oedipus the King and Oedipus at Colonus. Oedipus becomes king of Thebes before the action of Oedipus the King begins. He is renowned for his intelligence and his ability to solve riddles—he saved the city of Thebes and was made its king by solving the riddle of the Sphinx‚ the supernatural being that had held the city captive. Yet Oedipus is stubbornly blind to the truth about himself. His name’s literal meaning (“swollen foot”) is the clue to his identity—he was taken from the
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Creon‚ the King of Thebes‚ and Bernarda‚ who is the head of her household are the most powerful characters in their plays. Both characters want to have complete control over everything and everyone around them; however both suffer losses as a result of their attitudes and use of power. The main difference between Creon and Bernarda is how they react to these losses and to the challenges to their authority. It is this aspect which the essay will explore. The House of Bernarda has an interesting
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In the second choral ode in the second episode of Oedipus The King‚ written by Sophocles and translated by Robert Fagles the Chorus‚ begins to question their faith to the Gods they have put all trust in. The city of Thebes is a situation where a prophet has come and made ‘wild claims’ to their king while their city is dying. “Never again will I go to reverent to Delphi‚ the inviolate heart of the Earth or Apollo’s ancient oracle at Abae or Olympia of the fires- unless these prophecies all come true”
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as a very stubborn ruler for Thebes. I think he goes wrong with not being able to see all aspects of not wanting to bury Polynices. Polynices was not just a traitor that tied with other countries‚ to attack his brother in order to become the king of Thebes. Creon fails to recognize the familial ties between Antigone and her brother Polynices. Antigone just wants her brother to have a proper burial. Creon rules that anyone who tries to give Polynices a proper burial will be stoned to death. His
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and just lost both her brothers‚ Eteocles and Polynices‚ in a war between the city-states of Thebes and Argos. Eteocles was fighting the war on Thebes’s side‚ Thebes is where they live‚ but Polynices was fighting for the Argos army. Creon‚ the king of Thebes as well as Antigone’s uncle‚ has made a law that Polynices may not be given proper burial rights on the account of him being a traitor to Thebes. Antigone feels personally victimized by this law‚ she feels as though Creon has created this
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have on the characters’ lives Antigone is a daughter of the marriage between King Oedipus of Thebes and his mother Jocasta. She is the subject of a popular story in which she attempts to secure a burial for her brother Polynices‚ even though he is seen as a traitor to Thebes and the law forbids even mourning for him‚ punishable by death. The burial of Polynices takes place during Oedipus’ reign in Thebes‚ before Oedipus marries Jocasta. Sophocles’ tragedies Oedipus at Colonus and Antigone‚ it occurs
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because people do not like to be ruled over. In this world‚ the amount of power one has dictates the amount of respect and trust they receive. Like Creon‚ if one has a large amount of power they will almost always be disliked. Creon‚ the king of Thebes‚ is an extremely powerful ruler‚ so much so that many people fear him. In fact‚ he is so feared‚ he could even be called a tyrant. The sentry that reports Antigone’s “crime” is nearly shaking in his boots when he tells Creon. In lines 85-87 he says
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the king and queen of Thebes that if they had a son then he would kill his father and marry his mother. In order to prevent the oracle’s prophecy from happening when Oedipus was born the king and queen gave the baby to a shepherd and ordered him to take the child into the pasture and leave him to die. Unable to do as told the Shepherd took the child to a nearby town where he was adopted. When Oedipus got older and found out we was adopted he ran away‚ on the road to Thebes Oedipus met King Laius
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Even though he committed a crime and unknowingly married his mother‚ there is some merit to his accomplishment of defeating the Sphinx. Because Oedipus granted Thebes salvation from this terrifying creature‚ the Theban people continue to feed his ego and reinforce his false sense of authority. They believe that without Oedipus‚ their city would be extinct. In addition‚ Oedipus incites a sense of community and belonging
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A priest and the chorus of Thebans arrive at the palace to call upon their King‚ Oedipus‚ to aid them with the plague. Oedipus had sent his brother-in-law Creon to ask help of the oracle at Delphi‚ and he returns at that moment. Creon says the plague is the result of religious pollution‚ caused because the murderer of their former King‚ Laius‚ had never been caught. Oedipus vows to find the murderer and curses him for the plague that he has caused. Oedipus summons the blind prophet Tiresias for
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