What do these plays reveal about the importance of maintaining a form of balance between passion and reason?

In Antigone , Oedipus , the King , and Medea , the authors convey very similar messages about the importance of maintaining a balance between passion and reason . The three selections all have a general overarching theme which illustrates that allowing passion to outweigh reason results in the execution of poor judgment . Although the characters in each selection allow passion to outweigh reason in their decision-making , the characters in each situation have a moment at which they are made aware of their overly passionate response , and they are given a chance to correct the poor decisions

they have made . Finally , in each scenario the characters fail to make amends for their passionate acts , and each story ends in tragedy

Antigone opens by explaining in the exposition that Polynices and Etocles , Antigone 's brothers and the sons of Oedipus , have killed each other while fighting on opposite sides in a battle . We also learned that Creon , Antigone 's uncle , is king (Antigone 633 . A very upset Antigone reveals to her sister that Creon has declared that Polynices , their brother who fought against Thebes , shall not be buried because he was a traitor . Creon has also declared that if anyone attempts to give Polynices a proper burial , that person shall be punished by death Distraught over the thought of her brother not receiving proper burial rites , Antigone proclaims to a reluctant Ismene that she will disobey Creon 's and bury their brother - even if she has to lose her life as a result . Ismene cautions her sister against behaving so irrationally (Antigone 654-55 . In the opening scene of Antigone , it is Ismene who conveys the message that to Antigone , the protagonist that though she is upset , she must maintain a balance between passion and reason . Ismene warns Antigone against her vehement hubris as she tries to convince Antigone not to go on her quest to defy the king 's s

At the opening of Oedipus , the King , the reader learns that Thebes is under a great plague . Determined to find a way to save the land , Oedipus sends Creon to an oracle to find out what he can do to save Thebes Creon returns and reveals to Oedipus that he must find the person who killed Lauis , the former king of Thebes . Determined to save his people Oedipus vows to find the killer . However , Creon cautions Oedipus against behaving irrationally and going on a quest to find the murderer Instead , Creon tells Oedipus that he should focus on the problem that is at hand . Despite Creon 's warning , Oedipus is determined to continue on his quest until he finds the answer (Oedipus 614-17 . Like Antigone Oedipus starts out on a mission that seems noble on its surface , but he becomes overwhelmed by hubris , which leads him to become preoccupied by the potential greatness he may attain if he is able to save Thebes once again by ending the plague . As a result , Oedipus begins a passionate prideful quest to solve the great mystery of who...