Mythology Greek Drama Agamemnon Sophocles' Oedipus - Essay Example

The Three Great Men in Sophocles' Oedipus Cycle Three men, Oedipus, Tiresias and Creon, stand out in Sophocles' Trilogy (Oedipus the King, Oedipus at Colonus and Antigone). Two of them (Creon and Tiresias) outlive the greatest man among them (Oedipus) who happens to be the one who made the most impact in the kingdom of Thebes. These men are characterized as: the proud, angry and intelligent Oedipus; the prophetic, blind yet knowledgeable Tiresias; and the tyrannical, powerful and heraldic Creon. Proud, angry and intelligent Oedipus Oedipus, the king, is a proud person because he knows and he believes he has the qualities that make him a great leader. In fact, he is the savior of the kingdom of Thebes. His rise to fame started when he was able to answer correctly the riddle of the Sphinx and saved the kingdom from the Sphinx. From then on, he has assumed the throne and has led the kingdom successfully until the plagues came. Since there was no way to decipher what causes the indignation of the gods, the Thebeans along with the king's consent sought the help of the prophet Tiresias. Though a little hesitant, the sage boldly revealed the truth that it was King Oedipus's crime that brought the curse on the land of Thebes. His ego is hurt when Tiresias told him that he is the cause of all the ill events in the kingdom by killing Laius and marrying Jocasta who happen to be his parents. This humiliation leads to anger, not only towards Tiresias but also to Creon, his uncle turned brother-in-law. He suspects that Tiresias was in connivance with Creon in putting an end to his reign as king of Thebes. Publicly he denies the crime and admits his innocence. His anger leads to his suspicion that the two men are in to overthrow his throne. However, his abilities and intelligence did not spare him from the destiny that the gods have fated on him. At birth, his parents, King Laius and Queen Jocasta were told that their son would kill his father and marry his own mother. Even if he was sent away, the prophecy did not escape him. The reason why he left his foster parents is to escape his tragic destiny because it was revealed to him also. But it is something that only the gods can control. It is beyond human intervention and power. His hubris or excessive pride brings him to his own destruction for upon realizing that he has actually killed his own father at the crossing of the three roads and has married his own mother, he blinded his own eyes and decides to be banished from the kingdom of Thebes. He stood by his own words that the culprit must be severely punished. However, throughout his life even when he was at Colonus, he firmly opines that all that happened to his life and his loved ones were not his own doing but that of the gods who controlled his destiny. He claims that he was not entirely responsible for all that happened to him and the kingdom of Thebes but that he was only a victim of fate. Prophetic, blind yet knowledgeable Tiresias The man who outlived the two kings is not a political leader but a sage and a seer. He is often consulted when the people and the king want to find explanation and solution to certain phenomena which are beyond human comprehension. Greek mythology tells us that Tiresias lost his eyesight when Hera struck him for he sided with Zeus. Since Zeus cannot undo what Hera did, he chose to bless Tiresias with the gift of knowledge of future events, thus he became a prophet. In this trilogy, he paradoxically is physically blind, but his vision goes beyond the material into the spiritual realms. In Oedipus the King, he humbly accepts Oedipus' insults and accusations but he remains true to his prophecy even if the truth hurt so much and even if it was the king he was addressing. He is not afraid of Oedipus when he reveals to him that Oedipus is the cause of the plagues in Thebes. In reality, he is often proven right in the end. His physical blindness may be symbolic of his impartial and objective revelation of the truth. He sees beyond what human eyes can perceive: the will and doings of the gods. Tyrannical, powerful and heraldic Creon Of the three men, the one who remains in power all through the three plays is Creon. He assumed the throne when Laius died, ruled when Oedipus was banished, and reigned again after Eteocles was killed in the battle with his brother Polynices. His power only ends in his old age when Thebes was finally overthrown by Laodamas. Creon may be described as the man who is at the right place at the right time. In Oedipus the King, one can see a milder Creon. He is shown as a man who was angered by the suspicion and slander that Oedipus threw at him. He reacts angrily but he was silenced by his sister Jocasta. Then, when he finds out that Oedipus was to be banished from Thebes, he first seeks the will of the gods before allowing it. His evil side heightens in Oedipus at Colonus where he forcibly took Oedipus' daughters from him and brought them back to Thebes. He is not considerate of the feelings of Oedipus neither that of his nieces being a father himself. The height of his tyranny is seen in Antigone where he orders severe punishment for his nephew Polynices for rebelling against the proclaimed king, his brother Eteocles. When both brothers died in the battle, Creon decrees that Eteocles be given a decent burial and Polynices be left to rot in open air. When his niece Antigone defied the decree by "burying" Polynices symbolically by sprinkling dust over his dead body, Creon orders her to be entombed alive as punishment. He emphasizes the severe consequence of disobedience and demands that everybody must adhere to the strict compliance of the laws of the land. All through his life, however, he is shown to have dependence on the will of the gods. He constantly seeks advice and approval from the deities through the prophet. In addition, he always supports his actions with solid explanation of the gravity of the deed or decree. Conclusion The three major personages in Sophocles' Trilogy have distinct characteristics that differentiate them from each other and at the same time connect them to one another. Oedipus is related to Creon as his sister's son and husband making him both a nephew and brother-in-law in that order. Creon, on the other hand, is Oedipus' uncle and later a brother-in-law. He is the brother of Jocasta, Oedipus' mother who later became Oedipus' wife. Tiresias serves as the spiritual adviser and soothsayer to the two and to the whole kingdom. He is not always welcomed and heeded but his presence is so important that the fates of the two kings depended on his revelations. In the Trilogy, we can see an Oedipus who is confident of his skills and knowledge that leads to his excessive pride. When put in a controversial position of having been the cause of the kingdom's misfortune, his anger is as severe as his pride. He declares harsh punishments that he himself has to suffer in the end. He is also suspicious of Creon and Tiresias to be threats to his throne. On the other hand, Creon is the leader who happens to be at the right place at the right time. He succeeded the throne of the three generations of Oedipus' clan. Despite his stern leadership, he still consults the gods for direction and inspiration. Finally, Tiresias serves as the balancing power in the kingdom of Thebes. He points the people back to the truth and then showing them the consequences of transgressing the truth and the will of the gods. Works Cited Antigone by Sophocles. (13 December 2007) Oedipus the King by Sophocles. Translated by F. Storr (13 December 2007) Oedipus at Colonus by Sophocles. (14 December 2007) Read More