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Antigone

 

            
             There are several similarities between the stories of Antigone and Oedipus Rex. Kreon appears in both of the stories, but there is much more than this that the stories have in common. Kreon and Oedipus both get in a fight with Teiresias because they believe that he is not telling them the truth about his prophecies. Also, at the end of each story many of their family members are killed because they did not believe this. Kreon and Oedipus seem to have the same attitude towards their crown. This is what leads to their downfall.
             In the story of Oedipus Rex, Oedipus is told from Teiresias that he was the one that killed the former king of Thebes, his father. Oedipus gets angry with Teiresias and forces him to tell him the whole story. He was the man who killed the former king of Thebes, his father. A similar situation occurs in Antigone. Teiresias come to Kreon to tell him he must bury Antigone's brother. Kreon refuses and accuses Teiresias of just being a prophet for money. Teiresias is forced to reveal that Kreon's son will be killed by the gods if he doesn't bury Antigone's brother, and release Antigone. Both Kreon and Oedipus refused to believe Teiresias, but found that his prophecies were true.
             There is also a parallel with the conclusion of the two stories. At the end of Oedipus, Jocasta, Oedipus's wife commits suicide; Oedipus gouges his eyes, and goes into exile. This was the penalty for the one who killed the former king. In the conclusion of Antigone, many of Kreon's family are killed. His wife commits suicide, as does his son. We learn that his other son had been killed earlier, and Oedipus's daughter, Antigone, committed suicide when she was punished to death. Kreon and Oedipus caused their families great harm.
             The stories of Oedipus and Antigone are both tragic. It was the fate of the family of Oedipus to have so many of their family members killed. It was prophesized by the Teiresias that this would happen, and it did.


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