Creons Speech - 3883 Words

English Essay Zita Chan 4G (7) How is Creon’s character introduced through his opening speech in the First Episode (lines 159-195) and how does this speech create tension? The bestowal of ruling legitimacy upon Creon sparks off the Greek tragedy. Polyneices and Eteocles, brothers of Antigone killed each other during their fateful battle for the Theban throne and Creon, as the closest surviving kinsman, rules as the Theban king. Creon then approaches the chorus of elders privately and pronounces his first speech, wishing to draw himself support from the group of elite elders to prevent further mutiny against his rule among the Theban public. Through declaring his legitimacy as a ruler, establishing his authority and outlining†¦show more content†¦As well as in ‘he must be left unburied’ (line 191), Creon employs the modal verb ‘must’. The declaration is dogmatic and affirmative in tone, thus the declaration itself is a ‘command’ that Creon has pronounced on the elders and his people. This in turn reveals Creon as an absolute and even arrogant ruler, who demands complete compliance from his subjects. Another means that Sophocles introduces Creon’s contradictory, polarised and cruel character from his opening speech is the inclusion of literary techniques in the speech: hyperbole, imagery and proleptic irony. Creon accused Polyneices of not only burning Thebes to the ground, but also ‘throw the rest into slavery’ (line 189). Creon condemns Polyneices of putting the entire nation under ‘slavery’ hyperbolically. The message of his message suggests an extreme state of suffering of the nation, which is merely Creon’s own projection. Creon here is thus shown to be polarised, by claiming Polyneices guilty of a hyperbolic crime of ‘enslaving’ the nation. This is also to show is arrogant and judgmental nature when he proclaims the position of the judge and jury, accusing Polyneices of a crime which had never occurred and which was a result of his own stereotypical mindset about a ‘traitor’. The Gothic imagery ‘drink b lood that he shared’ (line 188) echoes in a certain way with the Chorus usingShow MoreRelatedAnalysis of Creons Speech and Reflection of His Character1714 Words   |  7 PagesCrHow is Creon’s character introduced through his opening speech in the First Episode (lines 159-195) and how does this speech create tension? Time spent: 2 hours Starting in media res, the audience are informed of the death of Eteocles and Polyneices through the Oedipus’ family sisters, Antigone and Ismene’s heated conversation. Creon, as the closest blood relative of the throne, succeeds as ruler of Thebes and comes to power. Creon gives a full and honorable burial to Eteocles, praising his loyaltyRead MoreUse Of Eloquent Dictation Is Far More Powerful Than Actions1363 Words   |  6 PagesMeanwhile, Jeffers adaptation focuses on conversation and the way that they affect the characters. In the two versions of Medea, the authors put an emphasis on speech because Medea uses different speeches in order to sway her audience into believing what she wants them to in order to achieve her goal of manipulation. While both versions care for speech more than actions, the Norton version puts a bigger emphasis on it. When speaking, Medea is exceedingly deliberate in getting the response she craves.   Ã¢â‚¬Å"WomenRead MoreExample Of Pathos In Antigone880 Words   |  4 PagesThroughout Sophocles’ play Antigone, Antigone’s persuasion increases from his speech with Ismene to the speech with Creon because she develops from someone being ineffective when persuading through the use of Ethos and Pathos to someone who believes that she has the right for her brother to be buried properly, and that Creon is defying the laws of the god’s. This proves ineffective, as Antigones strong persuasion leads her to nowhere and death. This showcases Sophocles’ message of despite who youRead MoreCreons Role of King and His Responsibilities1273 Words   |  6 PagesCreons Role Of King and His Responsibilities The role of the king in the time of Greek tragedies was simultaneously desired and dreaded because of the kings responsibility to the people and because of the effects of the position on the kings character. 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Creon’s Masculinity In Antigone by Sophocles, Creon speaks to Haemon, his son, after he decides to execute Antigone, his fiancà ©e, so he convinces the prince that women can not be trusted and should be valued less than other men. Creon says to Haemon, â€Å"Better to fall from power, if fall we must, at the hands of a man–never be rated/ inferior to a woman, never† (760-761). Creon’s hubris in his superiority over all women seems to be his tragicRead MoreThe Tragic Downfalls of Creon and Antigone in Sophocles Antigone720 Words   |  3 Pagesin their individual downfalls. In his opening speech, Creon makes his motives clear, that â€Å"no man who is his country’s enemy shall call himself my friend.† This part of his declaration was kept to the letter, as he refused burial for his nephew, Polynices. However, when the situation arises where it is crucial that Creon takes advice, he neglects the part of the speech where he says â€Å"a king... unwilling to seek advice is damned.† This results in Creon’s tragic undoing. Being in power yields theRead MoreAntigone, by Sophocles996 Words   |  4 Pagesthe traitor despite the necessity of burial for proper passing into the afterlife. Believing that Creon’s decree is unjust, Antigone buries her brother. When she is brought to the king, Antigone uses this speech in defense of her actions. In the speech, she uses allusion, diction, and particular sentence structure to increase the effectiveness of her argument. A key factor in the power of her speech is Antigone’s consideration for her audiences. The first of these audiences is Creon the king ofRead MoreEssay about Antigone by Sophocles871 Words   |  4 PagesAntigone and Ismene. These brothers, fighting for control of Thebes, kill each other, making Creon king of Thebes. Creon, as king, gives an important speech to the citizens of Thebes, announcing that Eteocles, who defended Thebes, will receive a proper burial, unlike his brother Polyneices, who brought a foreign army against Thebes. This speech introduces the major conflict of divine law versus state law. Furthermore, Creon cherishes order and loyalty above all else. He cannot bear to be disobeyedRead MoreThe Tragedy Of Sophocles Antigone928 Words   |  4 Pageswas will not be given a proper burial, his corpse was to be left in the streets for the buzzards and crows to slowly pick at Polynices corpse while Eteocles was treated as a hero of Athens and was given a roya l burial. Antigone does not approve of Creon’s decision to leave Polynices corpse out to rot, so she decides to bury Polynices herself in the middle of the night. She does just that but Polynices keeps being unburied by guards; this back and forth goes on until Antigone is finally caught and brought