Changing Relationship Between Oedipus and Creon - Essay Example

The trust Oedipus has for Creon is obvious from the first time he is mentioned. Oedipus explains, “I have sent Menoikeus' son, Creon, my own wife's brother, forth alone To Apollo's House in Delphi” (Sophocles 6). The city is in despair and the oracle is Oedipus’s last hope, so he sends his most trusted companion on this important journey. Oedipus’s faith in him is obvious, and Creon seems to warrant this trust. His sensitivity to Oedipus is apparent when he says, “Shall I speak now, with all these pressing close, Or pass within?” (Sophocles 7). Creon tactfully states he would not openly express anything that Oedipus would prefer to remain private. As Creon relates the news he’s heard from the oracle, Oedipus hangs on every word, questions him about the particulars, and generally believes the story. At the scene’s end, he has accepted everything Creon has told him, and announces his intent to act upon this news, saying, “It falls on me then. I will search and clear This darkness” (Sophocles 10). On Creon’s advice, he also summons the seer, Teiresias, for further instructions. There is no doubt of the trust that exists in their relationship.

            Once Teiresias enters the picture, things begin to change. Threatened by the accusation, Oedipus grows paranoid and his relationship with Creon grows strained. The news is so awful and amazing that Oedipus cannot believe it. It’s easier to suspect foul play, and his suspicions fall immediately on the man who stands to gain the most from his downfall. He asks Teiresias, “Ha! Creon!--Is it his or thine, this plot?” (Sophocles 23) and refuses to believe it when the seer insists it is not a plot at all. “For this crown Creon the stern and true, Creon mine own Comrade, comes creeping in the dark to ban And slay me” (Sophocles 23), Oedipus insists. He insults Creon, calling him, an “assassin” (Sophocles 30) and “robber of my crown” (Sophocles 30) as well as a coward, a snake, and an idiot. Creon defends himself against false charges, leading to a long argument. Eventually, even his patience wears out, and he tells Oedipus, “I see thou wilt not think” (Sophocles 35). The disagreement degenerates into name-calling; Oedipus will not see reason and Creon will not admit to something he has not done.

            Only late in the play, when the shepherds have produced the evidence that convinces Oedipus of his crimes, does he realize that he has wronged his brother-in-law. Jocasta is dead, Oedipus has put out his own eyes, and Creon has returned, “Not to make laughter, Oedipus, nor cast Against thee any evil of the past” (Sophocles 81). This is true compassion on Creon’s part. Not only has he been wronged, but he has learned that Oedipus is the cause of all the turmoil in Thebes, including his sister’s death, and still he is kind. Even Oedipus doubts that Creon can deal kindly with him, saying, “How to make him trust me more? He hath seen of late So vile a heart in me, so full of hate” (Sophocles 81). Showing the same sensitivity as earlier in the play, when he asked whether he should make a public announcement of his findings, he offers Oedipus privacy, saying, “Quick within! Guide him. -- The ills that in a house have been They of the house alone should know or hear” (Sophocles 81). Creon’s compassion is further demonstrated when Antigone and Ismene enter, and Oedipus shows his gratitude, saying, “Creon of his grace Hath brought my two, my dearest, to this place. Is it true?” (Sophocles 84). To the very end, Creon is kind to Oedipus, refusing to condemn him for his part in the death of Laius or his abusive behavior in the middle of the play. Instead, he insists Oedipus be judged only by the gods.

            Oedipus and Creon have a complicated relationship. As Jocasta’s brother, Creon shares some part in ruling Thebes, and trust is necessary for such an arrangement. However, although Creon is honest and deserving of such trust when Oedipus feels backed into a corner, he pounces upon the last person in the world who deserves his scorn. It is a testament to the original trusting nature of the relationship that Creon can keep his temper and respond to Oedipus’s accusations in a rational way. Creon’s good nature assures that the relationship is only strained, as opposed to completely shattered. In the end, it is Creon’s good nature again that that salvages the relationship between the two men and allows him to express his compassion while Oedipus can admit his gratitude.