Choices - 905 Words

Choices The concept of choices and their role in a character’s demise is explored in both the plays Antigone and Oedipus through the characters Creon and Oedipus. These characters are faced with many paths that they may choose and their decisions, in the end, affect everyone around them. While some may attribute these plays tragic ending to fate, the fact is each character was given choices and these choices shaped their very existence. Choices made by Creon and Oedipus are similar in the sense that their repercussions cause the downfall of themselves and those around them; but, differ in terms of the motive behind them. At first glance, it appears that Creon is totally responsible for the tragedy that befalls him and that Oedipus has†¦show more content†¦His actions are motivated by selfish reasons and he disregards all family ties focusing only on the state. Creon states, I say to you at the very outset that I have nothing but contempt for the kind of Governor who is afraid, for whatever reason, to follow the course that he knows is best for the State; and as for the man who sets private friendship above the public welfare, - I have no use for him, either†¦ No one values friendship more highly than I; but we must remember that friends made at the risk of wrecking our Ship are not real friends at all (Antigone, Scene 1 line 18-27). In this passage he overtly explains that he will under no circumstance risk the public good for that of maintaining a relationship. Creon’s stubbornness and refusal to grant mercy unto Antigone comes from his need to be in control. On the other hand, Oedipus makes his choices based on his denial of situations and in order to protect individuals he cares about. Oedipus moves away from his home in order to protect his parents and stop the prophecy from being fulfilled; in no way are his actions selfish in action or do they come from a hunger for power but more from ignorance. We can draw from the text that Oedipus makes his decision with good intentions when he says, Apollo said through his prophet that I was the man/Who should marry his own mother, shed his father’s blood/With his own hands. And so, for all these years/I haveShow MoreRelatedChoices Commercial871 Words   |  4 PagesThe Nutrigrain Choices commercial begins with a woman getting off the subway and moves to her working in her office. The screen splits and two scenarios are set forward: one where she chose to eat a Nutrigrain bar on the left and the other where she chose a donut on the right. There is a voice-over about one decision leading to another. The woman on the left is shown eating a burrito, brownie, and pasta as the commercial continues. On the right, we see her choosing a salad, a cup of fruit, and vegetablesRead MoreThe Paradox of Choice1827 Words   |  8 Pagesit better when you have more choices or when you have fewer choices? Most people would answer more choices as they would feel less limited because it is common to associate having more choices with havin g more freedom and having more freedom with having more welfare. In fact, this is not always correct as you may not have enough knowledge to know which may be the most beneficial to you in the long run. This is turn relates to what is best known as the paradox of choice because we may think we haveRead MoreThe Paradox of Choice Essay1705 Words   |  7 Pagesevery day they encounter numerous choices. The way they decide and the outcomes of their decisions define their lives. Their day to day life essentially revolves around the choices they make. As a whole, a community benefits or suffers from the outcomes of its choices. Freedom of choice is the grant to an individual or community to make its own choices out of free will and without restrictions (Pereboom,2003). This is essay will discuss that though freedom choice leads to variety in life, it doesRead MoreChoices and Consequences in â€Å"aP†749 Words   |  3 PagesChoices and Consequences In â€Å"AP†, the author John Updike demonstrates the importance of choices and their consequences. It is important that someone considers everything that could occur before making a decision. Updike uses the characters of Sammy, the three girls in bathing suits, and Lengel in the story to show how important it is to carefully contemplate the consequences of their choices. All of the main characters in the story make a choice and must endure the consequences. Sammy, the cashierRead MoreFree Will And Free Choice1122 Words   |  5 Pagesday to come. The freedom you have always known permitted the choice, your free will grants you this privilege. Or does it? Free will is a false concept often confused with free choice. Free will does not truly exist, the limitations set by nature and the influence of other people hinder the ability to choose without the impact of past experiences. As Barbara Smoker, a British Humanist activist and freethought advocate stated, â€Å"Free choice means you are not forced by other people or what is outsideRead MoreConsumer Society and Choice1317 Words   |  6 Pages 2009). As our relationship with consumerism has changed so too have the choices available of why, when, where and how we consume. The first part of this assignment will look at the characteristics of a consumer society, the choices available and identify the divisions created from unequal choices. The second part will consider the role of the Big four supermarkets (TESCO, Asda, Sainsbury and Morrison’s) in providing choice to people. The term consumer society goes beyond the mere act of shoppingRead MoreChoices In The Giver, By Lois Lowry1243 Words   |  5 PagesLife is a matter of choices, and every choice you make makes you. – John C. Maxwell. In the novel The Giver, Lois Lowry shows the reader how choices in life are important, and should be made by us, not for us. Lowry uses characters such as Jonas and the giver to illustrate how choices should be made by us. She uses other characters such as Jonass father to reflect how people are often blinded by the standards of society and do not realize they can actually make their own choices. With these charactersRead MoreEssay on Choices in the Epic of Gilgamesh1308 Words   |  6 PagesChoices: The Journey of Life The story of Gilgamesh expresses the idea that all of the life choices we make throughout this journey are ours and ours alone. It is through these choices that determines how we live our lives from day-to-day. It is within the beginning of this story that one is introduced to the life choices of Gilgamesh. He is the King of Uruk-a ruler full of vanity, selfishness, and materialism. His arrogance has no bounds by day or night. Every choice that he makes is basedRead MoreChoices with Regard to the Process of Consumption1657 Words   |  7 PagesConsumer choice refers to the decisions consumers make when considering the products and services they want to purchase. Presently, in this post-industrial society, many analysts believe that social strata in many parts of the world have led to the emergence of â€Å"consumer society† (Smart, B 2014). Reasons for this are because individuals are being portrayed as having a wide range of choice as they are being presented with a wide range of products and services. As Ellis at al. (2012) notes, privatizationRead MoreLife Is Made Up Of Choices1404 Words   |  6 Pagesis choices. Life is made up of choices. I believe life is just a series of decisions we make, and depending on our choice, must live with the result of that decision. The choices usually consist of a multitude of possibilities and, whether real or imagined, we must recognize that in some way the decision will change our life forever. Therein lies the rub. Because there are so many factors involved with our decision-making and with its unknown result, many of us hesitate to even make a choice, thinking