Oedipus's brother-in-law (and uncle), Creon comes to Colonus to persuade Oedipus to return to Thebes. When Oedipus refuses, Creon has his men kidnap the old man's daughters. Creon tries to take Oedipus by force, but Theseus prevents him. While Oedipus tends to give long and dramatic speeches, Creon is direct and to-the-point.
Creon Quotes in Oedipus at Colonus
The Oedipus at Colonus 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 577-1192
Quotes
Now, by our fathers' gods, listen to me,
hide your own disgrace, consent—
return to Thebes, the house of your fathers!
hide your own disgrace, consent—
return to Thebes, the house of your fathers!
That's precisely how your offers strike me now:
your words like honey—your actions, drawn swords.
your words like honey—your actions, drawn swords.
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Explanation and Analysis:
Given time, you'll see this well, I know:
you do yourself no good, not now, not years ago,
indulging your rage despite the pleas of loved ones—
blind rage has always been your ruin.
you do yourself no good, not now, not years ago,
indulging your rage despite the pleas of loved ones—
blind rage has always been your ruin.
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Explanation and Analysis:
You have come to a city that practices justice,
that sanctions nothing without law, but you,
you flout our authorities, make your inroads,
seize your prizes, commandeer at will!
Tell me, did you imagine Athens stripped of men,
peopled by slaves? Myself worth nothing?
that sanctions nothing without law, but you,
you flout our authorities, make your inroads,
seize your prizes, commandeer at will!
Tell me, did you imagine Athens stripped of men,
peopled by slaves? Myself worth nothing?
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Explanation and Analysis:
My isolation
leaves me weak, however just my cause.
But opposing you, old as I am,
I'll stop at nothing, match you blow for blow.
A mans' anger can never age and fade away,
not until he dies. The dead alone feel no pain.
leaves me weak, however just my cause.
But opposing you, old as I am,
I'll stop at nothing, match you blow for blow.
A mans' anger can never age and fade away,
not until he dies. The dead alone feel no pain.
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Explanation and Analysis:
And if,
once I'd come to the world of pain, as come I did,
I fell to blows with my father, cut him down in blood—
blind to what I was doing, blind to whom I killed—
how could you condemn that involuntary act
with any sense of justice?
once I'd come to the world of pain, as come I did,
I fell to blows with my father, cut him down in blood—
blind to what I was doing, blind to whom I killed—
how could you condemn that involuntary act
with any sense of justice?
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Explanation and Analysis:
So now I cry to those Great Goddesses,
I beg them, I storm them with my prayers—
Come to the rescue, fight for me, my champions!
So you can learn your lesson, Creon, learn
what breed of men stands guard around this city.
I beg them, I storm them with my prayers—
Come to the rescue, fight for me, my champions!
So you can learn your lesson, Creon, learn
what breed of men stands guard around this city.
Related Symbols:
The Grove of the Furies
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Explanation and Analysis:
Get the entire Oedipus at Colonus LitChart as a printable PDF.
Creon Character Timeline in Oedipus at Colonus
The timeline below shows where the character Creon appears in Oedipus at Colonus. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Lines 1-576
...fled to Argos and now is raising an army to attack Thebes, where Eteocles and Creon rule jointly.
(full context)
Lines 577-1192
Just then, Antigone gives an alarm that Creon is approaching. Creon enters and says he has come not with force but to persuade...
(full context)
Oedipus responds with an impassioned angry speech. According to Oedipus, Creon would not exile him when he first wanted exile, and then when Oedipus changed his...
(full context)
Creon responds that Oedipus is a disgrace to old age. He orders his guards to take...
(full context)
Theseus refuses to let Creon leave until the girls are returned safely. He says that Creon has shamed Thebes with...
(full context)
Creon doesn't back down. He says that he didn't expect the people of Athens to protect...
(full context)
Oedipus lets loose another forceful speech against Creon and in defense of himself—his own terrible deeds were done unknowingly, without intent to harm....
(full context)
Theseus orders Creon to take him to where Oedipus's daughters are being held. Creon submits, but remains defiant—things...
(full context)
