考虑到他在这三部戏剧中都出现过​​索福克勒斯的俄狄浦斯三部曲《克里恩》是一个复杂多样的人物。在里面​俄狄浦斯国王，他是一位顾问和道德指南针。在《科隆纳斯的俄狄浦斯》中，他试图与这位失明的前君主谈判，希望获得权力。在两兄弟之间的长期内战之后，克伦终于在年取得了王位，​埃托克利斯和波利尼西亚。俄狄浦斯的儿子埃托克利斯为保卫底比斯城邦而死。另一方面，波利尼西亚人则死于试图篡夺他兄弟的权力。

克雷恩的戏剧独白

在剧本开头的这段独白中，克里恩确立了冲突。陨落的埃特克利斯被授予英雄葬礼。然而，克里昂颁布法令，叛徒波利尼西亚人将被留在荒野中腐烂。当兄弟俩忠实的妹妹安提戈涅拒绝遵守克伦的法律时，这一王室命令将激起一场奇怪的叛乱。当克里昂惩罚她遵从奥林匹亚神仙的意志而不是国王的统治时，他招致众神的愤怒。

以下摘录摘自希腊戏剧。伯纳多特·佩林。纽约：D.阿普尔顿公司，1904年

CREON: "I now possess the throne and all its powers, by nearness of kinship to the dead. No man can be fully known, in soul and spirit and mind, until he hath been seen versed in rule and law-giving. For if any, being supreme guide of the state, cleaves not to the best counsels, but, through some fear, keeps his lips locked, I hold, and have ever held, him most base; and if any makes a friend of more account than his fatherland, that man hath no place in my regard. For I—be Zeus my witness, who sees all things always—would not be silent if I saw ruin, instead of safety, coming to the citizens; nor would I ever deem the country's foe a friend to myself; remembering this, that our country is the ship that bears us safe, and that only while she prospers in our voyage can we make true friends." "Such are the rules by which I guard this city's greatness. And in accord with them is the edict which I have now published to the folk touching the sons of Oedipus; that Eteocles, who hath fallen fighting for our city, in all renown of arms, shall be entombed, and crowned with every rite that follows the noblest dead to their rest. But for his brother, Polyneices—who came back from exile, and sought to consume utterly with fire the city of his fathers and the shrines of his fathers' gods—sought to taste of kindred blood, and to lead the remnant into slavery—touching this man, it hath been proclaimed to our people that none shall grace him with sepulture or lament, but leave him unburied, a corpse for birds and dogs to eat, a ghastly sight of shame."