Pride And Stubbornness In Oedipus Rex And Antigone By...

â€Å"Think: all men make mistakes, but a good man yields when he knows his course is wrong, and repairs the evil. The only crime is pride.† As a writer, Sophocles examined the interactions between truth and ignorance. He wrote plays in which the hero has a tragic flaw, many times that being the lack of wisdom caused by many different character flaws. In Sophocles’ Oedipus Rex and Antigone, pride and stubbornness obstruct the senses of Oedipus and Creon in a classic play about seeing the truth. Sophocles delves into the meaning of seeing, in a conventional way, and also in terms of insight. Pride in itself is a good character trait: pride in your country; pride in your heritage; pride in yourself. However, excessive pride, hubris, can lead to†¦show more content†¦She is to no avail as Oedipus’ stubbornness abets her death and his exile. After Oedipus sees Iocaste dead, he gouges out his eyes. The choragus ends by saying, â€Å"Your fate is clear, you a re not blind to that.† (72). Creon meets a similar fate in Antigone. Thebes, under the rule of King Creon, successfully thwarted an attack from Argive. Antigone and Ismene, Oedipus’ daughters, hear Creon’s startling decree about their two dead brothers. Eteocles was buried with military honors, while Polyneices†¦ â€Å"No one shall bury him, no one mourn for him, but his body must lie in the fields, a sweet treasure for carrion birds to find as they search for food.† (190). While this may seem justifiable, in ancient history, the dead must be buried for their soul to pass into the Underworld. If a body was not buried, the person would be stuck wandering the earth as a spirit. It was considered a violation of the will of the Gods to leave a body unburied. Creon’s punishment for anyone who tried to bury Polyneices was death. Nevertheless, after Antigone decided to bury his body, Creon charges her with the crime, but she unflinchingly says,  "It was not God’s proclamation†¦ the immortal unrecorded laws of God. They are not merely now: they were, and shall be, operative for ever, beyond man utterly.† (208) Creon does not relent, his hubris his downfall. The chorus augurs Creon’s demise, when they question, â€Å"What mortal arrogance transcends the wrath of Zeus?... No pride on earth isShow MoreRelatedOedipus Rex Vs. Antigone1417 Words   |  6 PagesComparative Essay 11-20-01 Oedipus Rex Antigone It is only natural that an author use similar vessels of literature, such as figurative language, literary devices, and elements in his/her work. It is even more apparent between works that are connected by character, time, and theme. Sophocles did this when he wrote Oedipus Rex and Antigone. When comparing the two pieces, it becomes evident that very similar vessels connected these very different plays. Sophocles uses a specific type of figurativeRead MoreEssay about Tragedy in Sophocles Oedipus The King and Antigone 1403 Words   |  6 PagesTragedy in Sophocles Oedipus The King and Antigone The Greeks considered tragedy the greatest form for literature.   However, the tragic ends for the characters were not ordained or set by fate, but rather caused by certain characteristics belonging to that person.   Such is the case with the characters of Sophocles plays Oedipus the King and Antigone.   Oedipus from King Oedipus, and Antigone and Creon from Antigone posses characteristics, especially pride, that caused their tragic ends.   AsRead MoreEssay on Creon as the Tragic Hero in Sophocles Antigone1326 Words   |  6 PagesCreon as the Tragic Hero in Antigone     Ã‚   This essay will compare two of the characters in â€Å"Antigone†, Antigone and Creon, in an effort to determine the identity of the tragic hero in this tale.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   To identify the tragic hero in Sophocles’ renowned play â€Å"Antigone†, we should first consider both the elements present in Greek tragedies and what characteristics define a tragic hero. Aristotle’s definition of tragedy is: â€Å"Tragedy is a story taking the hero from happiness to miseryRead MoreCharacter Development in the Oedipus Cycle875 Words   |  4 PagesIn the Oedipus Cycle Sophocles conveys a powerful message through his charactersÂâ€"that with experience comes wisdom, and with wisdom comes the ability to see the truth. Oedipus is the man of unyielding pride and arrogance, Creon, his brother, is the crafty politician, and Antigone, the daughter of Oedipus, is perceptive and righteous. These three characters personae play a major role in making the idea of truth tangible. In the beginning of Oedipus Rex, Oedipus is still riding on the powerRead MoreThe Tragic Characters Of Sophocles Antigone1652 Words   |  7 Pagesare from Sophocles’ Greek play Antigone from the trilogy dealing with Oedipus and his children (Oedipus Rex, Oedipus at Colonus, and Antigone). The two Aristotelian tragic characters are Creon, the king of Thebes in Antigone, and Antigone herself. Creon‘s hamartia, his flaw that causes his downfall, includes his stubbornness which causes him to not listen to the opinions of others, including Tiresias, additionally, this also connects to hubris since he also did this because of his pride. In AntigoneRead MoreAnalysis Of Oedipus The King By Sophocles819 Words   |  4 PagesSophocles’ plays are among some of the best-written performances of the 5th century, and they have evolved into several modern theatrical productions and movies. Although not written as part of a trilogy, Sophocles’ three interconnected plays focus on the same dysfunctional family: Antigone, Oedipus Rex (Oedipus the King) and Oedipus at Colonus. His second play Oedipus the King continues to awe the audiences today as much as it entertained Sophocles’ audience. There existed then and now a fascinationRead MoreOedipus the King1164 Words   |  5 Pagesexcessive pride, which usually serves as the driving force of the play’s ac tion. It is common, even beneficial, to have pride in oneself, but when it becomes expressed as arrogance or in defiance of one’s fate, it is considered excessive and often leads men to engage in activities that will lead to their downfall. Aristotle (1998) stated â€Å"the tragic hero falls into bad fortune because of some flaw in his character of the kind found in men of high reputation and good fortune such as Oedipus.† ThisRead MoreEssay on Antigone - The Tragic Flaw2238 Words   |  9 PagesAntigone - The Tragic Flaw  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚           Antigone, Sophocles’ classical Greek tragedy, presents tragic flaw as the cause of the destruction of Creon, the king of Thebes. This essay examines that flaw and the critical perspective on it.    Robert D. Murray, Jr. in â€Å"Thought and Structure in Sophoclean Tragedy† gives the perspective of the Greek audience, and thereby the reason why there has to be a tragic flaw in Sophoclean tragedy: â€Å"A Greek of the fifth century would, of course, haveRead MoreAntigone : A Portrait Of Ancient Greece2905 Words   |  12 PagesKelly Devlin Dr. Anna Peak IH 0951-002 10 December 2014 Antigone, a Portrait of Ancient Greece Famous for its production of tragedies, Ancient Greece often employed the use of drama and conflict to illustrate tales relevant to the society at the time. The playwright Sophocles is a prime example of this. In his tragedy Antigone, Sophocles tackles issues such as the role of the gods, the proper behavior of women, and the power of a leader. These motifs not only add value to the narrative, but offerRead MoreThe Tragic Heroes Of Sophocles Oedipus Rex And Antigone Essay2374 Words   |  10 Pagessuffering. The plays Oedipus Rex and Antigone, written by Sophocles, display the themes defined by Aristotle. Are we the authors of our fate or is our fate written and destined to happen? In both plays, Oedipus and Antigone face their downfall because of self-will. They bring on their own doom because of their actions. The author explores many themes such as the high-standing and heroic traits of the tragic heroes as well as to the flaws and pride of Antigone and Oedipus. Finally, the author explores