Brother-in-law of Oedipus, Creon becomes king of Thebes when Oedipus's two sons die while battling each other for control of the city. Creon believes in the rule of law and the authority of the state above all else. Bending the rules leads to anarchy, in his opinion, and anarchy is worse than anything. Creon's stubborn refusal to honor Antigone's desire to bury her slain brother and to acknowledge the opinions of the Theban people, his son Haemon, and the seer Tiresias, leads to the deaths of his wife Eurydice, Haemon, and Antigone.
Creon Quotes in Antigone
The Antigone quotes below are all either spoken by Creon or refer to Creon. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
).
Lines 1-416
Quotes
And speech and thought, quick as the wind
and the mood and mind for law that rules the city—
all these he has taught himself
and shelter from the arrows of the frost
when there's rough lodging under the cold clear sky
and the shafts of lashing rain—
ready, resourceful man!
Never without resources
never an impasse as he marches on the future—
only Death, from Death alone he will find no rescue
but from desperate plagues ha has plotted his escapes.
and the mood and mind for law that rules the city—
all these he has taught himself
and shelter from the arrows of the frost
when there's rough lodging under the cold clear sky
and the shafts of lashing rain—
ready, resourceful man!
Never without resources
never an impasse as he marches on the future—
only Death, from Death alone he will find no rescue
but from desperate plagues ha has plotted his escapes.
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Lines 705-1090
Quotes
Spit her out,
like a mortal enemy—let the girl go.
Let her find a husband down among the dead.
like a mortal enemy—let the girl go.
Let her find a husband down among the dead.
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Anarchy!—
show me a greater crime in all the earth!
show me a greater crime in all the earth!
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Whoever thinks that he alone possesses intelligence,
the gift of eloquence, he and no one else,
and character too…such men, I tell you,
spread them open—you will find them empty.
the gift of eloquence, he and no one else,
and character too…such men, I tell you,
spread them open—you will find them empty.
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Am I to rule this land for others—or myself?
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What a splendid king you'd make of a desert island—you and you alone.
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If a man could wail his own dirge before he dies,
he'd never finish.
he'd never finish.
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But if these men are wrong, let them suffer
nothing worse than they mete out to me—
these masters of injustice!
nothing worse than they mete out to me—
these masters of injustice!
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Lines 1091-1470
Quotes
Then reflect, my son: you are poised,
once more, on the razor-edge of fate.
once more, on the razor-edge of fate.
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These arrows for your heart! Since you've raked me
I loose them like an archer in my anger,
arrows deadly true. You'll never escape their
burning, searing force.
I loose them like an archer in my anger,
arrows deadly true. You'll never escape their
burning, searing force.
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Take me away, quickly, out of sight.
I don't even exist—I'm no one. Nothing.
I don't even exist—I'm no one. Nothing.
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The mighty words of the proud are paid in full
with mighty blows of fate, and at long last
those blows will teach us wisdom.
with mighty blows of fate, and at long last
those blows will teach us wisdom.
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Creon Quotes in Antigone
The Antigone quotes below are all either spoken by Creon or refer to Creon. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
).
Lines 1-416
Quotes
And speech and thought, quick as the wind
and the mood and mind for law that rules the city—
all these he has taught himself
and shelter from the arrows of the frost
when there's rough lodging under the cold clear sky
and the shafts of lashing rain—
ready, resourceful man!
Never without resources
never an impasse as he marches on the future—
only Death, from Death alone he will find no rescue
but from desperate plagues ha has plotted his escapes.
and the mood and mind for law that rules the city—
all these he has taught himself
and shelter from the arrows of the frost
when there's rough lodging under the cold clear sky
and the shafts of lashing rain—
ready, resourceful man!
Never without resources
never an impasse as he marches on the future—
only Death, from Death alone he will find no rescue
but from desperate plagues ha has plotted his escapes.
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Explanation and Analysis:
Lines 705-1090
Quotes
Spit her out,
like a mortal enemy—let the girl go.
Let her find a husband down among the dead.
like a mortal enemy—let the girl go.
Let her find a husband down among the dead.
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Explanation and Analysis:
Anarchy!—
show me a greater crime in all the earth!
show me a greater crime in all the earth!
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Explanation and Analysis:
Whoever thinks that he alone possesses intelligence,
the gift of eloquence, he and no one else,
and character too…such men, I tell you,
spread them open—you will find them empty.
the gift of eloquence, he and no one else,
and character too…such men, I tell you,
spread them open—you will find them empty.
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Explanation and Analysis:
Am I to rule this land for others—or myself?
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What a splendid king you'd make of a desert island—you and you alone.
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If a man could wail his own dirge before he dies,
he'd never finish.
he'd never finish.
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But if these men are wrong, let them suffer
nothing worse than they mete out to me—
these masters of injustice!
nothing worse than they mete out to me—
these masters of injustice!
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Lines 1091-1470
Quotes
Then reflect, my son: you are poised,
once more, on the razor-edge of fate.
once more, on the razor-edge of fate.
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Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
These arrows for your heart! Since you've raked me
I loose them like an archer in my anger,
arrows deadly true. You'll never escape their
burning, searing force.
I loose them like an archer in my anger,
arrows deadly true. You'll never escape their
burning, searing force.
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Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
Take me away, quickly, out of sight.
I don't even exist—I'm no one. Nothing.
I don't even exist—I'm no one. Nothing.
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Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
The mighty words of the proud are paid in full
with mighty blows of fate, and at long last
those blows will teach us wisdom.
with mighty blows of fate, and at long last
those blows will teach us wisdom.
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