Dominique Cain-Defense of Oedipuss Leadership- 25 September 2012- 7B Oedipus illustrations effective leadership by that he runs with his emotions

and craves immediate results for the outlook of his society, rather than always going by the book, like his courter-part, Creon. A distinction that separates the leadership quality between Oedipus and Creon is the fact that Creon has become the paradoxical of himself in the Greek Drama Antigone. For example Oedipus blames Creon with the murder of King Laius; Oedipus states that you venture in my house although you are proved manifestly the murderer of that man (Sophocles pg.487), and Creon states that Oedipus accused me in this fashion? (Sophocles pg.487) letting the reader know that Creon felt that he was missed judged. Yet in Antigone, Creon wrongfully blames Antigone with treason, though she was doing what was morally right by Greek values. Yet throughout Oedipus the King, Oedipus tends to up to the leadership quality of being the savior of the city of Thebes rather than becoming the opposite of himself: saved our city, freed us from tribute which we paid of old to the Sphinx (Sophocles pg.470) pleads a Priest of Thebes; he cries out to Oedipus in hope for help, although Oedipus has bathed himself with his own pride, he holds still stays the savior of the Thebes. Another contrast that qualifies Oedipus as a more enhance leader is that Oedipus was that determinate to do what was morally right for the people of Thebes, in the fact that he looked to drive pollution from the land (Sophocles pg.474) and find out who was the murdered of the former King Laius. Though Oedipus himself was the killer of Laius, Oedipus listened to his fellow people by searching to find the pollution that affected Thebes. Yet Creons way of protecting the city was to get rid of what he thought as pollution to the city, he never does right by his fellow citizens. Creon states They shake their heads and have not kept their necks under my yoke, as they are duty bound to do if they were men who are content to me (Sophocles lines338-340), from this statement the audience can infer that Creon thought of his people as slaves, so with a mindset like that how can Creon know whats right for the peo ple of Thebes? Not at all. Though both Oedipus and Creon are both insincere tragic heroes, and exert a haughty determination that became the tragic flaw that consumed and destroyed the ones they loves, as well as them themselves, Oedipus stood out because of his determination to save the city of Thebes and be the protector to his people. Whether his motive was out of pride, pure interest, or content to his citizens, Oedipus became the superman to Thebes.