Theme Of Self Image Of Creon And Okonkwo - 1009 Words

Sara Franklin Memorial 5B March 25, 2015 MYP English Theme of self-image of Creon and Okonkwo â€Å"He who wishes to be obeyed must know how to command-Niccolo Machiavelli†. In the novel â€Å"Things fall apart† by Chinua Achebe and the play â€Å"Antigone† by Sophocles, the leading men who rise to power try to fulfill their perceptions of leadership. In â€Å"Antigone† Creon the king becomes the ruler of Thebes after his two nephews killed each other at battle; he must try to civilize his nation and act in the image of a true leader. Okonkwo starts of respectable man who plans on being the hero of the clan by being the man his father was not and saving the clan from converts. The tragic heroes Creon and Okonkwo have self-images that initially portray the expected qualities of a leader, but by being steadfast and overly pompous, their insecurities draw them to ironic fates. In the patriarchal societies of Thebes and Umofia, honor, strength, pride, heroism, and success characterize leadership. Therefore, to become leaders, Okonkwo and Creon depend on the image seen by their societies to define their social status. Upon Creon’s first decree he expresses the importance of his peoples perceptions of himself, questioning his son Haemon about following through with his laws ‘’Do you want me to show myself weak before the people† (Antigone sc.3 line 26)? Creon must stay true to his threat in order to â€Å"earn the world’s obedience† even though his niece, Antigone will suffer (Antigone sc.3 line 31).Show MoreRelatedQedipus. a Blind King Essays1098 Words   |  5 Pagesmental flaw some people posses. The author uses physical blindness, as well as intellectual blindness to illustrate Oedipus status as a tragic hero. Throughout the play, blindness is seen as a main theme, where Sophocles explored not only physical blindne ss, but also intellectual blindness. The theme of blindness is split into two main categories, where one is the ability to see, while the other is the willingness to see. Oedipus, who sets out to rescue the city of Thebes by bringing the killer of