Write a 150-word character analysis of one of the characters who appears in the portion of the play assigned for this week. Please be specific; you should have from three to five specific observations about the character’s personality as seen in his behavior. Please limit your comments to this first portion of the drama.
Please address comments to others by name so we can all follow along.
47 thoughts on “Week 2 Discussion”
Creon: Creon is an immediate member of the royal family, so we can assume he has been afforded a formal education. This is evidenced through the erudite style of his dialogue. Although not overtly stated, as the brother of Queen Jocasta he is likely older than Oedipus, perhaps in his late 40s or early 50s. the other characters in the first half of the play, Creon has a strong belief in the gods and the prophecies as revealed through their oracles.
It is in Creon’s response to the allegations of conspiracy by Oedipus that we gain the clearest impression of his character. He is level-headed and rational and maintains full command of his emotions. He is articulate in his defense, displaying reason and a deductive mind when explaining how Oedipus can determine that he is loyal. When Oedipus threatens to have Creon put to death, he does not shrink in fear but rather remains confident and respectful, projecting a strong sense of self-possession.
I appear to have had an error in copying my post to the board. My apologies for the error. The third sentence should correctly read:
Like the other characters in the first half of the play, Creon has a strong belief in the gods and the prophecies as revealed through their oracles.
Karl, thank you for getting things started here. You’ve offered a very observant discussion of the character of Creon. He presents as very calm and rational, especially in contrast to Oedipus when the king begins to lose his temper. He is reasonable and not given to bursts of emotion. He is also not easily wounded and doesn’t become defensive when attacked by his brother-in-law. On the other hand, I feel that he lacks Oedipus’s genuine love for the citizens. He wants to talk privately instead of in front of the people. He is emotionally guarded, which can be good or bad, depending on how you view this trait.
Prof. Conway, Thank you for your feedback. You raise some interesting points which, I admit, I did not share in my reading of the play. Creon seems surprised by Oedipus’ direction to have the prophecy revealed in public before first briefing him in private. I took Creon’s hesitation as a surprise to something outside of usual protocol, rather than him caring less for the people of the city. The city is in a volatile situation with crowds gathered in front of the palace. Some caution from Creon seemed appropriate as Oedipus, at that point, had no idea what revelation from the Oracle would be shared by Creon.
Since the assignment was to focus on a single character, I did not discuss Oedipis in my comment. However, since you draw the contrast in your reply, I can share that my reading of his character was less sympathetic. Oedipus’ comments to the people in the beginning of the play seemed to me to be insincere and pandering. Further, he comes across as conceited and boastful. He is a populist king, swept to the throne by a single act and with no hereditary basis. Indeed, he was not even from or known in Thebes before solving the riddle of the Sphinx. He was swept to the throne on popularity and, at some level his “genius” intellect must recognize that maintaining that popularity and public support enables him to continue to hold the crown, especially in the volatile and tragic environment the city finds itself in.
As you noted, when Oedipus resorts to a conspiracy theory, Creon again attempts to have the discussion out of the immediate public eye. However, doing so would benefit Oedipis more that Creon, as the latter would surely like to clear his name in public of the false accusation made against him. Creon put his own immediate need aside to benefit Oedipus, who he recognizes is acting in an irrational manner and potentially damaging to the king’s reputation. In doing so, Creon reinforces his loyalty to both Oedipus and the city of Thebes, over his own interests.
A few caveats to my reading and interpretation. Firstly, following the directions I tried to put aside any knowledge of the full play and broader story of Creon, and form my character analysis based solely on the first half of this play. Secondly, I have to admit that my reading must in part be shaped by the current events surrounding us, consciously or otherwise. However, I think you would agree that part of what makes these ancient tragedies and other texts hold our interest thousands of years later is their ability to speak through the ages and have relevance and reinterpretation for our own times.
I certainly will endeavor to also hold your interpretation of the character in mind as we proceed with the project.
Hi Karl
I enjoyed reading your response. I can imagine Creon as a guy who is high scholarly and well eloquent. He strongly believed in his standpoint for god and the moron. I also think he should be a little older than Oedipus from his convincing dialogue when he was alleged to scheme for throne. I assume he was in his late thirties because people in the past didn’t live long due to the lack of the appropriate medical treatment. During conversations with the king, he always showed humbleness and loyalty.
Karl, I thought it was very interesting as well when Creon said he did not want to have the title of a king; he was in a position of power without as much of the personal responsibility and he said something about only foolish people wanting to be a king. I do find Creon to be the most admirable character in the reading. I agree that Creon displays grace and confidence in the face of opposition. During the interaction that you described in which Oedipus threatens Creon, the contrast between Oedipus and Creon is dramatic. I think it is interesting that you brought up his upbringing and education. Being someone who always had public education available it is easy to forget that especially in ancient Greece (but also today in many parts of the world) the only people who had access to formal education were wealthy and royal. This is something that should’ve been obvious to me during the reading but it certainly is something to think about and look into – what was education like in 430 BC Greece?
Oedipus was the king of Thebes city, where the epidemic arrived in great numbers. The devastating loss of his people stimulated him to discover ways to make the city great again. He had the character of leadership and ran the city with intellect. He once bravely saved Thebes from the Spinx by answering her puzzle precisely. The winged female monster eventually annihilated herself and Oedipus gained power to become king. He was a dedicated king, always trying to rid his land from the unfortunate disease and regain the trust of his administration from people. Based on the universal belief in Greek gods, Oedipus sent his brother in law, Creon, to the shrine of Apollo at Delphi. There, he received a solution from Apollo, the god of the sun. The Apollo’s message indicated that the solution was to eliminate the last king’s murderer; Laius, which was the cause of the recently outbreak. He was the mature king when he endurably hold the whole conversation with the prophet who accused him as murderer and didn’t kill prosecutor. Plus, he was practically patient enough to inquire Creon who was suspected to seize the throne.
Hi KannikarI agree with you that Oedipus the hero of Thebes city. He Also a smart and a good king Thebes of City. My opinion he is an intelligent and nice for the people in for the people in Thebes City. In the story there is a lot of actions that he did for his people showing that he’s a Nice and intelligent and calm King It also shows that he or where we care about his people. It also shows that he or where we care about his people.
Hi Jiang Hua Liu
Thank you for your comment. I can feel Oedipus is the protagonist that represents realistic human beings. He wanted to do his best on his job as a king after the big changing point that he was the hero who save the city from sphinx. He had a strong intension to be a good king and protect people from epidemic. The complexed twist is that he committed a homicide from the prophecy which showed his greed in the power.
Oedipus is a flawed, selfish protagonist. He is a vehicle for various instances of dramatic irony throughout the play. Coincidence brings him great power and equally tragic circumstances. Oedipus is determined to save the city by finding the murderer of the former king, who he was told was the reason the city was cursed with plague. He even points out that he, himself, has a personal interest in finding out who killed the late king because perhaps the murderer would come to kill him too. I viewed this also as meaning he also was a danger to himself, and would be the source of his own undoing. However, once confronted with the reality that he was the murder of the king, his own father, and that he was married to his own father, he was no longer interested in saving the kingdom by finding the murderer. What really engaged me in this play and this character in particular was how universal he was as a leader, in particular a more authoritarian leader. I find it amazing that fundamental themes and characters largely remain the same throughout history even when our situations change so dramatically. He sought out the ‘truth’ but when the truth was not what he wanted to hear, he became defensive and condemned the information as false. At first, he seems to just be ‘blind’ to the truth, willfully ignorant, which is ironic because he was hearing this information from the literally blind oracle, who is able to see the truth. He was in search of a ‘truth’ that was of benefit to him, searching for alternative facts. Oedipus manufactured stories about the people who were telling him these truths in order to discredit them, and therefore prove the information false. He threatens to punish Teiresias and Creon for “complotting” against him for his power. His paranoia is also evidence of his wavering character and confidence.
Kassandra, I very much appreciate your comments about the universality of authoritarian leaders and how the traits persist through the centuries and across cultures. You take a quite harsh view of Oedipus, but you back up all your comments with reference to demonstrated behaviors. I’m much more sympathetic to him because I think he truly does want to do the right thing. He has tried to do this all his life, beginning when he flees Corinth to spare himself and others the anguish of the terrible prophecy. I also appreciate your comments about his personal interest in finding the murderer for fear that person will destroy him. This is an example of irony I had not picked up on before, but you are so right that the murderer of Laius would also destroy Oedipus. Thanks for a very insightful post.
Hi Kassandra! Your view on this was much more different than mine which is why I am intrigued by it! First, it was very well written and persuasive. I understand the way you view him as ignorant and paranoid. The points match up very well, I even changed my mind a bit about the paranoia for the reason that I believe it is connected to his anger when he lashes out as I’ve mentioned in my own post. Although I mentioned that it comes from a different reason, I see your point on how he may have felt threatened or protective over his power against Creon and Teiresias. I look forward to reading more of your posts throughout the class!
Hi Kassadra, I really enjoyed your analysis. More specifically the first sentence completely captivated me because while reading the play that’s exactly what I thought about Oedipus. He was so unfit to rule and he thinks that just because he was able to save Thebes from the Spinks that made him such a great king which he isn’t.
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Oedipus, the King of Thebes: Oedipus is good king and responsible leader. He sent Creon to consult the Oracle of Apollo at Delphi on the matter. When he saw the Priest and the children he sympathized with them. He is an open person, when Creon asked to discuss the news from the Oracle in private he told him to deliver it in front of all the people who were with him at that time. Also he sent for Teiresias, the Prophet, to discuss the issue in the present of the Assembly. Oedipus is a proud and stubborn king. These show when he was having argument with both Creon and Teiresias. He likes to boast too. On the argument, he kept reminding them he is the king.
Daniel, I share your more sympathetic view of Oedipus. As you note, he is a bundle of good and bad traits. He is flawed, of course, but he is a human being. One of the questions raised by the play is whether his good traits outweigh the bad. I think you have to get to end of the drama to make that decision. Please be sure that your comments meet length requirements.
Hey Daniel Osei, I like the way you pointed out that Oedipus is a responsible leader, who loves his people. For example, when Creon suggests carefully that they ought to talk about the report from the prophet in private, Oedipus rejected. This shows that in his every decisions public must be involved and how much he loves his people. If he didn’t love his people, he could have agreed to talk to Creon alone and finish this matter privately. However, there is a saying “digging your own grave”. I think because of this same leadership skills that makes him responsible and a good king, has brought his own destruction which ultimately threw him out of the throne.
I think Oedipus is one of the most unluckiest person in this play, who has blood on his hands over murdering his own biological father for the throne without realizing it and when he discovered the truth, he handed himself for punishment for his guilts of sins.
Oedipus was a good king for Thebes. When, Creon tells him that they should discuss the news in private, Oedipus refused, this shows that his every decisions and plans must be discussed publicly which is a great quality of a good leader. Oedipus was also known for his incredible intellectuals and sharp minded for solving mysteries of the Sphinx which ultimately saved the city of Thebes. He is also a great planner who has a good decision-making skill. For example, the plans he made to deal with the plague to save the city from a crisis. Although, he is considered as a great leader and intelligent person for his various actions and plans, the same leadership skills and intellectuals have driven him into destruction. As a result, he lost his fame and the throne.
Mehedi, Thank you for sharing your understanding of the character of Oedipus. You have pointed out several characteristics that can be viewed as positive, including his intelligence and planning, as evidenced by his dispatching Creon to consult the Oracle about the plague on the city. To these I would even add the power sharing agreement he had with Creon and Jocasta, which is mentioned when Creon is mounting his defense. However, in your determination of him as a “good king”, I wonder if you have taken into consideration his other character traits displayed in the first half of the play. In his interactions with both Creon and Teiresias he seems to show himself to be quick to anger and outburst; in a sense hijacked by his emotions. This leads him to resort to public and false accusations of a conspiracy theory, which I would not consider to be the behavior of a good leader. As has been mentioned in other comments here, Oedipus is a complicated character who perhaps displays both virtues and defects.
Regarding Oedipus wanting to hear the prophecies in public, this might represent some leaning toward a desire toward transparency. However, it is perhaps also worth considering that it serves as a type of plot armor, since all of the action of the play needs to take place in front of the palace. The genre conventions of the period did not allow for “cut away scenes” in other settings, that we are so used to today in contemporary entertainment. The prophecy has to be revealed in front of the palace and lends to the tension of the scenes. I also wonder if in the context of a 5th century BCE Athenian tragedy there could be a depiction of a “good king”. Athens was a democracy and understandably proud of their system of governance, which differed from other parts of the world known to them. Negative depictions of royalty could also serve the purpose of bias or propaganda in support of Athens’ system of governance, so I wonder if Oedipus was intended to be viewed as a “good king”. Admittedly, I do not know the answer to that question, but I think it is interesting to consider how the character was originally intended to be viewed, beyond just entertainment.
All that said, without question I would agree with your appraisal of him as the unluckiest person in the play (although few are untouched).
The character i chose was King Oedipus. His character seems to have hit a interesting turning point, almost like a full 360 in his nature. This is shown by his reaction to the sight of young children suffering, and the state of his kingdom. The kings land appears to be under a “dark times” type of setting, one that could be closely described as cursed. When the King enters, and notices the children and his city he comes off very concerning and selfless, he speaks to the children of their plight and tells them that their pain is his pain, if not more. He expresses a somewhat shared in experience in what his people are going through. Outside of a selfless nature he does have somewhat of a boastful one, he references his greatness or value to his people often. It somewhat comes off as though, his awareness of self is contingent on the respect or views from others around. The people have considered him wise, so he magnifies the view of himself as such, much of his telling of self almost always come from the view of someone else. However once he is told, that to save the land, he is the one to be removed from the land, he becomes very much the opposite. He appears to be very closed minded and shut off from any type of logic or reasoning. He lashes out against T, the one who told him the news, in his disregard for her prophecy. Posing threats and showing great disrespect, is not in the character that we see in the beginning. Without any real proof He also links Creon, the only other possibility, to the prophecy. this appears to me as someone who strongly rejects his hand in any wrongdoing, so much, that they will only see another person to blame. There were moments when he would rationalize his being involved with the very same positive views of the people, as if him saving the people or becoming highly respected negates that he is the man in the prophecy. Before those views were used to boost his self image, but now its used as scapegoats to mentally remove himself from blame.
Anthony, you have an interesting point here. The reaction of King Oedipus when he saw the children. He sympathizes with them and told them their pain is his pain. That shows he is a concern King and he cares for his people. He was prepared to do anything to ease the suffering of the citizens. Yes, he is very boastful person. He like to boast of his achievement . Always reminding the people he is the King and how he achieved that.
Anthony, I agree with you on most of your character analysis on Oedipus except for the last part when you said “However once he is told, that to save the land, he is the one to be removed from the land, he becomes very much the opposite. He appears to be very closed minded and shut off from any type of logic or reasoning”. It is not that he is close minded or trying to blame someone else it is that the tragedy itself is beyond belief. As when the truth was revealed he took responsibility and he inflicted the punishment on himself as a matter of fact I believe that Oedipus’s character qualifies him to be a Hero rather than being a King as he is more passionate rather than rational.
Hi Anthony, I love how you referred to the king as ” closed-minded and shut off by any logic or reasoning”. When he is confronted by Tiresias he definitely does not seem to consider what she has to say regarding the death of Laius. He allows for his reasoning to overcome the reasoning of others making it seem as if they are unaware of what has taken place. However, given that he is willing to put the needs of the city of Thebes first he can be seen as a king who is honoring his people, reminding the citizens why he is fit to be king.
I am choosing to analyze the character OEDIPUS, the king of Thebes city. Oedipus is a very smart and intelligent King. You can see he really cares about his people in the way he speaks. He is also very proud of himself. In the story it is clear he is trying to act like a king and be a good king. For example, when he heard the people pleading outside his palace, he immediately came outside to speak with them himself. In the story he sends his brother-in-law to the temple of Apollo and he gets very angry that he comes back late. This shows he was a person who is concerned with time. In front of his people he’s an unassuming and approachable person. The people in the city like him to be the king. Part of it might be because he’s seen as a hero after killing the monster but I think the most part is that he’s a good leader of the city.
Jiang Hua, I share your sympathetic view of King Oedipus. I agree that the text shows that he is both rational and emotional. He suffers with the afflicted people and at the same time takes steps to try and help them and get to the source of the problem. I’m glad you mention the feelings of the people towards King Oedipus. These deep emotions are expressed by the Chorus, which represents the citizens of Thebes as they look to their king for leadership. At times Oedipus is reassuring, and at other times, his questioning of the gods will terrify them.
Forever he’s not a good son if I stand on the family side he’s a terrible son although I know he’s not knowing killed he father
The character of Oedipus in the story shows brilliance and determination that made him capable to solve the riddle of Spinx. He is a good king for Thebes, he shows responsibility and good leadership which appears in his decisiveness and insistence to save the city from the epidemic. He is a good and kind king, which appears in the way he addresses the crowd and the Priest in front of his palace in the first scene. Oedipus` character is more passionate rather than irrational. Which appears clearly when he insists that Creon speaks in front of the people rather than in private. And it became more obvious when he confronted Teiresias in front of the people and continued in putting pressure on him in order to force him to speak even when the conversation between them was not going well for him. His character is more of a people’s champion rather than a Ruler .
Oedipus the king I view as someone who has a heavy heart. I say this because he feels for his people in the beginning of the story, he is genuine when he speaks of his pain because he is responsible for them. We can see his temper when speaking to Creon or Teiresias however I do not blame him for his frustration. There is a plague that is killing his people and he has no background knowledge of what it is, how to help the people, or the cure. Not even the slightest idea on how to ease their symptoms. Also, both Creon and Teiresias seem very nonchalant when speaking of this subject and aren’t much help to him on this matter. They added more to his plate, an even bigger problem. I do not think it is okay to wrongfully accuse someone or judge as quickly as he did, however I understand that that is just how it was during that time period. I think of times I get overwhelmed and it is so easy to take the easy path to just give up; at that time period they made countless false accusations, so did the king really want to think about it or eliminate this problem as quickly as he can to make himself feel better? Oedipus just can’t seem to get it right, has all of this pressure and a huge burden to carry. My heart goes out to him, I understand what it feels like. To feel like you are just drowning deeper in a sea of problems.
Hi Florijana, I agree at the beginning of the story you can tell that he cares a lot about his people and also knowing that he is responsible for them. Yes, as you mentioned he does have a temper, and we can understand being in his position, not having any information about the plague, and what should he do to help his people. Creon did speak dispassionate about the situation, and I wonder if that’s the reason why he assumed that it was him.
The character that I choose is the king of Thebes, King Oedipus. I want to say Oedipus is very prideful, he gives this “know it all” attitude at the beginning of the story, but he is also caring when it comes to the people of Thebes. When the priest tells him the worries of the city about the plague descending to Thebes, Oedipus states that he “given many tears to this” in figuring out how to help his city and finds a way to protect them because he knows that it’s his responsivity and he cares. Oedipus sends Creon to the oracle to end the plague, Creon returns with the oracle’s message saying the plague will end when the murderer of Laius is killed or banished. He also appears to be stubborn and close-minded when figuring out the riddle from Teiresias (which I enjoyed reading that part). He then lashes out with no logic and assumes that Creon murdered Laius.
OEDIPUS: Oedipus seems to conduct himself as a man with reason to justify all his actions. After Ceron returns with news regarding the plaque and city of Thebes, Oedipus determines himself to set out and find the killer. Although he portrays to be a king with such kindness and concern, Oedipus also portrays aside as a king who can not be trusted with discretion. When Ceron suggests that Oedipus should discuss what was determined about the oracle in private, he disagrees and demands that every decision conducted should be announced to the public. Oedipus seems to acknowledge everything that is said regarding himself or the city of Thebes. When he seeks for answers from Tiresias, and is given a riddle to determine his answers, his thrive and will to know allows for his determination and cleverness to solve the riddle, making sense of what Tiresias has given. Oedipus can be seen as very unreliable but sagacious enough to know what must be done for the city of Thebes.
Hi Jisarella,
I agree that Oedipus’ behavior was not always the best and that his conduct fluctuated. I wonder do you think this could be because his father wanted to kill him after he was born and his mother abandoned him? Do you think he would have been a more stable minded if he did not have that burden to think of? I imagined It was like he was covering up a dirty secret about himself.
Oedipus is a tragic hero. His father, Laius received an omen from the oracle that he was doomed to parish be murdered by his son and wanted to him killed at birth. Jocasta, his mother did not go along with this plan. Despite his tragic beginnings Oedipus showed goodwill toward the people of Cadmus who were in terrible condition because of the blight, pestilence, and death in the land. The priest reminded Oedipus that he solved the riddle of the Sphinx and saved the city once before, and the Sphinx kills herself. Oedipus did something that no mortal could do on his own. It was believed that he received help from a god and that perhaps he would hear another “wise word” from some god and save them again. The priest was like a god since he came from Zeus and an elder amongst the 20 with suppliant garlands. I think that since the priest called Oedipus the “greatest” in the eyes of all the men around him and they worshiped him like a god and asked for him to rescue them, he probably thought he was a god. The Priest’s words probably gave him hope in his own tragic state. He had to admit that he was the sickest amongst the people. He replied to the priest saying that “he knew the story before it told and talked of his groaning spirit and tears, he cried” about the sad state condition of Cadmus. I wonder if he also pitied himself since he had a tragic beginning. My first impression is that Oedipus was a boastful self-indulgent king looking down at the downtrodden subjects that were heavily burden by war. Although, he was a proud a king, he pitied the people and wanted to help them so he sent Menoeceus, his brother in-law son to Apollo 80 to his Pythian temple to find out if there was a “word” or “way” to save the city. Menoeceus, was a descendant of the Sparti and the father of Jocasta and Creon, who sacrificed himself to end a plague in Thebes. Delphi was an important ancient Greek religious sanctuary sacred to the god Apollo, the sanctuary was home to the famous oracle of Apollo which gave cryptic predictions and guidance to both city-states and individuals. In my opinion, Oedipus bore his father’s sins and paid for them too. I think he wanted to be a good and highly revered leader and person but even if he attained his personally coveted desires as a mortal or a god he would not be able to keep them because he would always be man-god that murdered his father and married his mother. These seem like unforgivable taboos and no matter the time or place he or she lives in, even if he considered a god.
Lisa I agree Oedipus has a harsh and tragic situation, when he learns of the omen from the Oracle, this made him paranoid, as it would make anyone behave in an unnatural way. The fear of knowing you will be kills by your own flesh and blood seem to put him in a panic. In my opinion, your analysis of Oedipus being a self-indulgent king is a great first look into who he was as king. As we look throughout history, the persona of a king is almost always seen that way at first glance. His pity for other could just be his way to dealing with his own shortcomings. I also agree with your last point that he wanted to be loved and revered but his unsavory behavior would never elevate him to that status as king.
Creon: Creon is the brother in-law of Oedipus. He seems to be different from Oedipus by his demeanor and overall poise in this play. He embodies strength and resiliency and seems to be the voice of reason. As Oedipus storms, and accusation of treason by the Oracle are presented, Creon maintains his calm and presents an argument to try and prove otherwise. This is a helpful trait to have, it promotes a trusting aura and helps others believe in him. When Oedipus cries out to be banished, Creon protects him with gentle firmness. This in my opinion is the mark of a good leader.
I do agree with you in Creon’s case, when he first returned with the news, he gave Oedipus an option to hear what his news in private or public. If he was at all trying to be devious he would’ve just shouted out all the ill hearing that he was told, instead he allowed Oedipus to find out first hand. Once Creon heard he was being called a traitor he stood up for his self which speaks highly of who he is and how he wants to be viewed as an honest and loyal man. That why he asked Oedipus to speak with the Oracle.
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Oedipus was king of Thebes city, Oedipus is an interesting character to play and it all depends on the protagonist, the character is very intriguing . The devastating loss of his people stimulated him to discover ways to make the city great again. He is a vehicle for various instances of dramatic irony throughout the play. He was a very strong leader and ruled with great intelligence,he was a king who always wanted to seem to do good by protecting others. Based on the universal belief in Greek gods, Oedipus sent his brother in law, Creon,to investigate the shrine of Apollo at Delphi. Creon is a member of the royal family, so we can assume he has been afforded quality education There, he received a solution from Apollo, the god of the sun. Apollo’s message stated that the solution was to eliminate the last king’s assasin; Laius, which was the cause of an outbreak in recent times.
In my opinion the king is caring, arrogant and unlevel headed. In the beginning Oedipus seemed to come off as a very caring and compassionate king, who cares for his city. When he spoke with the priest and children who claimed to be suffering more than they do, because he takes on the city, the people and his personal pain, so in comparison he is suffering more. Instead of hearing the children and priest speak about their pain and acknowledge it, he turned the conversation to focus on his feelings therefore, I also think the king thinks very highly of himself and is very conceited. When he speaks of saving his city and getting rid of the pollution, he also spoke about how the people would view him as a champion and as a God. He then went on to focus more about how finding the killer would benefit him more in the long run. He seemed to think of himself and personal gain more than he actually cared about saving the city. As the story continues you, it became clear to me that the king is easily angered and acts quickly with out thinking. This type of behavior is not one of those who should be a leader. When Creon makes a good case defending himself and ask the king to seek the oracle to see if he’s misleading him, the king dismisses his suggestion and wants to put Creon to death even though there’s no proof of any wrong doing. At first, he trusted him and with out any proof he will just as easily sentence his brother in law to death, that does not seem to be wise to me at all. I think he answered that Sphinx by luck.
Shyvonne, I think your comment has made my mind on Oedipus’s character, as I was conflicted as to whether his threat towards the previous king’s murderer came from a good place or if it was for his own benefit. I believe you made a very thorough analysis based on his actions early on in the play, but personally I would not be so quick to vilify him! Though he does have a very short temper and can be conceded, Oedipus’s fate is one so miserable and awful that it is hard not to feel sorry for him.
Oedipus is a compelling case: a short-tempered ruler that wants what is best for his kingdom. From the reading so far, it seems that Oedipus took the king’s place after his unfortunate demise (at Oedipus’s hands) and for the safety of his family and citizens, declares war against the king’s murderer. I am unsure whether this action is out of arrogance/hubris or because he wants to be a great king to his people, but it’s possible it could even be a combination of the two. Oedipus is also quick to draw conclusions and to anger, which could be a very dangerous trait for someone in a position of power to have (as implied by his threats towards Teiresias and Creon within the first ten pages of the play). Oedipus, upon first glance, possesses more negative traits than positive. However, I find his actions and anger a tad pitiful considering his grim fate later into the play. He is stubborn and unwavering, but it’s possible his denial does not come from a place of ignorance, rather from one of pain or fear.
As far as Oedipus is concerned, I do believe that he is arrogant and he speaks very highly of himself and only wants to be viewed as a savior or God. And he is quickly tempered but maybe that’s due to the fact that he didn’t have a usual upbringing from what we can piece together from the first 10 pages. He may be acting out because he feels threaten that someone is trying to take away what he has (his crown) after having nothing, being abandoned as an infant, to being a king, that can be concerning and in that case I can understand why he was angry. However I do believe he cares some deal for his city that adores him. As far as him killing the king, other than the clip we watched I cant comment under the circumstances that takes place.
Oedipus is the king of Thebes because of solving the riddle of the Sphinx. He is portrayed to be a famous and successful leader due to his sharp mind and fast reaction to problems. This is reflected in the play during the petition about the plaque that has hit the city, as he already has a plan (Grene, n.d.). In the entire play, Oedipus makes quick and bold decisions, rendering him to be a wise man. However, as he attempts to unweave the truth behind Laiu’s murdering, he forces a shepherd to tell his story and even falsely accuses Creon and Tiresias of treachery. This is because he is the murder, and the central tension arises due to a mixture of unwitting sinfulness and nobility. The same problem-solving skills and high intellect lead to his destruction.