Compare Oedipus and Creon's Rule

In the stories of Oedipus Rex and Antigone, there are many similarities between the rules of Thebes. Oedipus Rex is about a man who tries to escape his fate by running away from his supposed mother and father, just to end up fulfilling his destiny by killing his father and marrying his mother. Antigone is about a woman who has buried her brother against her king’s orders. Imprisoned in a cave as punishment, she proceeds to kill herself. Two of the rulers of the city of Thebes were Oedipus and Creon. In the two stories that depict these kings, many similarities arise in the areas of their hubris, their unmitigated disregard for Teiresias, and the rationalization of their fate of whose hands they have fallen victim to.

Hubris is fully depicted in both Oedipus Rex and Antigone. “Now twice you have spat out infamy. You’ll pay for it!” (Oedipus Rex 20) Oedipus shows his pride in his disregard for the warnings given to him. “You two, Ismene, snake in my ordered house, sucking my blood stealthily – and all the time I never knew that these two sisters were aiming at my throne!” (Antigone 785) Creon cannot accept that he could possible be wrong, and instead, blames Ismene and Antigone for the situation at hand.

Both Oedipus and Creon are given sound advice, but both of them deem Teiresias as nothing but a fool. Oedipus says in his argument against Teiresias, “Am I to bear this from him? – Damnation take you! Out of this place! Out of my sight!” (Oedipus rex 23) Oedipus has no consideration for what his actions against Teiresias could mean. The answer he seeks is laid out in front of him, and he declines to accept it. When it is Creon’s turn to receive the advice of Teiresias, he also replies similarly saying, “All my life long I have been a kind of butt for the dull arrows of doddering fortunetellers.” (Antigone 800) Creon has essentially had a life full of sayings and prophecies and when one is finally centered on him, telling him that he is at fault, he cannot accept his fate.

There comes a point in Sophocles’s stories where the hero of the story, whether it be Oedipus or Creon, finally realizes that they have played into fates hands. Oedipus reaction is one of the more spectacular of these because of what he does to himself. When he realizes what