<P> Creon is pitted against Antigone, who holds up the will of the gods and the honor of her family above all else; and thus he appears to be against these values . His behavior, however, suggests otherwise . He aggressively preaches the concept of family honor to his son, Haemon . Creon also believes that his decrees are consistent with the will of the gods and with the best interests of the people, whether true or not . When a legitimate argument is raised against his course of action by Tiresias, he is in fact completely open to changing course, even before he learns of the deaths of his family members . </P> <P> The Creon of Oedipus Rex is in some ways different and in some ways similar to the Creon of Antigone . In Oedipus Rex, he appears to favor the will of the gods above decrees of state . Even when Oedipus says that, once dethroned, he must be exiled, Creon waits for the approval of the gods to carry out the order once he has been crowned king . </P> <P> Some explanation for these discrepancies in personality may be drawn from his characterization in the third of the Oedipus plays by Sophocles, Oedipus at Colonus . Here, Creon takes on another persona: that of the "hard - faced politician". He is reasonable and modest, staying calm and maintaining his dignity when condemned by Theseus . He is a "colorless figure" beyond his official position, which suggests that his differing personality traits in the books are because he is a flexible figure whom poets can characterize as they please . </P> <P> There is also a major plot discrepancy between the two plays concerning Creon's ascent to the throne . At the end of Oedipus Rex, Creon takes the throne directly from Oedipus . Antigone, however, implies that Eteocles and Polynices had been given shared rule following Oedipus' excommunication, that Eteocles had taken control, and that only afterwards did Creon rule . </P>

Who becomes the ruler of thebes at the end of the play