In 'Antigone,” says Ismene, “To those who walk in power; to exceed is madness, not wisdom." His statement makes it clear that those who “walk in power” allow themselves to be corrupted. Throughout human history there has been a correlation between those with excessive power and corruption. Webster's Dictionary defines corruption as “impairment of integrity, virtue, or moral principles.” In the story of Antigone, the tragic hero Creon, displays all the common characteristics of corruption. Before we can analyze the character of Creon, we should first look at the story of Oedipus the King. In Oedipus the King, a plague has fallen on the city of Thebes. Forced to act, Oedipus sends Creon to the oracle of Delphi to free the city from this plague. Creon returns with the message that the plague will end when the murderer of Laius, the former king of Thebes, is captured and expelled; the killer is inside the city. Tiresias tells Oedipus that he is the murderer. Oedipus accuses both Creon and Tiresias of conspiring against the king; accuses the prophet of madness and threatens to put Creon to death. In the end it is revealed that Oedipus is the murderer of Laius, his father, and sleeps with his mother. Oedipus' arrogant behavior manifests itself when he refuses to accept his fate. His ignorance of seeing the truth leaves him blind and unable to see the error of his ways. Oedipus' blindness and corruption are clear to everyone but him. Creon displays similar arrogant behavior in almost parallel circumstances. Creon believes that his law goes above God's law, which gives everyone the right to a formal burial. Creon's arrogant behavior and arrogance also lead to his downfall, where everyone close to him took their own... middle of paper... it is clear that power corrupts. Those in power are usually corrupted by it. Creon turns into a tyrant seemingly overnight when the position of king is entrusted to him. Oedipus and Creon's arrogance, blindness, and arrogant behavior really get the better of them. Someone who displays behavior of arrogance similar to that of the antagonists is only preparing for his own destruction. Works Cited"Anderson Crispim «"Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely"." Anderson Crispim « ::: Dispatches from my world :::. Np, nd Web. 29 April 2011. .Dictionary and Thesaurus - Merriam-Webster Online. Np, nd Web. 29 April 2011. .Sophocles. Antigone. Oxford: Oxford UP, 2003. Print.Sophocles and R.D. Dawe. Oedipus Rex. Cambridge: Cambridge UP, 1982. Print.