With Power Comes Responsibility
In the greek mythology play, The Three Theban Plays, Sophocles entails the story of Antigone, a daughter who rebels against Creon and his rules of the city in order to bring justice and glory to her brother. But through this journey, King Creon’s character develops from a cold hearted figure of authority, to a humbled and remorseful king. He finally stands down under the Gods and their power, that soon, the entirety of Thebes comes to fear and greatly respect, as is foreshadowed by the Chorus in the second ode. Not only does Creon get what is coming to him, but he also learns a valuable lesson about ego, and the difference between pride, and true authority.
The first stanza of the ode warns Creon about his cruel punishments, and reminds their Theban citizens how “Blest, they are the truly blest who all their lives have never tasted devastation. For others, once the Gods have rocked a house to its foundation from one generation on throughout the race like a great morning tide…(657-662).” Possibly foreshadowing Creon’s future, this ode reminds him that his future lies in the hands of the Gods, not in the hands of authority. They worry that perhaps Creon is making a mistake by punishing Antigone for burying her brother who died a sorrowful death, all the while going against the laws of the Gods. Of course, Creon justifies these doings by the enormous pride he feels, although the ode testifies against this moral, describing Oedipus’s fate before he died, and how he brought a curse upon his family that can never be broken through generations.
To show the true effects of the God’s powers, the ninth stanza describes how neither sleep nor time can overcome their power, to say that no matter how much man tries to postpone their forthcomings, their fate will always be determined by the power from the Gods. They show this by stating that, “Zeus, yours is the power… Power that neither sleep, the all-ensnaring no, nor the tireless months of heaven can ever override… And throughout the future, late and soon as through the past, your law prevails: no towering form of greatness enters into the lives of mortals free and clear of ruin (676- 688).” Although it is ironic how Creon forcefully ensues his power over Thebes, and threatens his men with death if they do not conform to his law, yet in all actuality his authority means little in the eyes of the Greek Gods, especially Zeus. This can also be tied to the punishment Creon later receives after exiling Antigone, where he remains suffering the loss of Haemon and his wife Eurydice.
Finally, the last stanza of this ode uses a metaphor to explain how mankind can often get too invested into themselves and their pride, especially with “... our dreams, our high hopes voyaging far and wide bring sheer delight to many, to many others delusion, blithe, mindless lusts, and the fraud steals on one slowly… unaware till he trips and puts his foot into the fire (690-693).” These materialistic values that people often become engulfed in can be a result of their need to control the way others perceive them, as well as to maintain their reputation. However, with the story of Antigone, the Gods show the citizens of Thebes that they cannot afford to be prideful, or ignorant in the way that they blindly follow greedy rulers such as Creon. Because of this, mankind is lead into a fiery flame of punishment from the Gods, and ultimately end up with a terrible fate that cannot be changed no matter how they try to fix their wrongdoings.
And so, by exposing these superficial parts of mankind, Sophocleaus aims to remind the people of Greek Mythology, that the Gods have true power and authority. Just as nature will always take its course, the God’s will always hold man’s fate. No matter how many times the Chorus rebukes the Gods, and fear their power, they still follow Creon’s law and rule without question. Afraid of the death or torture that Creon may ensue on them, his people suffer in silence, until a tradegy strikes them down and continues on through generation after generation. Overall, this ode from the Chorus exemplifies how fragile life can be, when one abuses their power and authority, an equal punishment is bound to come back around.
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Essay on The Three Theban Plays by Sophocles: Critical Analysis of Odes.
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