In episode 2 and stasimon 2 of Sophocles's Oedipus Rex, of what does Oedipus accuse Creon, and how does Creon defend himself?

In Sophocles’ play Oedipus Rex,
Tiresias tells Oedipus that Oedipus himself is the unintentional killer of his own
father, Laius, and that he has also unknowingly wedded Laius’s widow, Jocasta, who is
Oedipus’s own mother. Unwilling at first to accept the truth of Tiresias’s revelations,
Oedipus initially accuses Creon, his brother-in-law, of plotting Oedipus’s overthrow and
of using Tiresias as a tool:

readability="8">

Creon, my old trusted family
friend,
has secretly conspired to overthrow me
and paid off a
double-dealing quack . . .
 (462-64)

Later, when Creon
himself appears, Oedipus levels several charges against him, including the
following:

• murder of Laius
  (640)


• treason against Oedipus and a desire to replace him
  as king (641)


• conspiracy
  (643-44)


• cunning deception
  (646)


• madness (648)


• verbal
  manipulation (655)


• being a troublemaker
  (657)


• disloyalty to an in-law
  (663-64)

In defending himself, Creon suggests
that Oedipus is being stubborn and ignoring common sense (661-62). He defends himself
persuasively by

• agreeing with Oedipus whenever
  Oedipus seems reasonable (667)


• asking reasonable
  questions rather than responding in anger
  (668-69)


• admitting any claim that is really true
  (672)


• claiming that he only likes to talk about what he
  knows is true (685-86)


• showing that he can ask
  reasonable, probing, relevant questions (692ff)


• offering
  reasonable arguments to prove that he has no desire to be king
  (703-19)


• showing the real benefits of his own current
  rank (720-24)


• confidently challenging Oedipus to
  double-check with the oracle to make sure that Creon hasn’t lied about the oracle’s
  words (728-30)


• stating that he is willing to be arrested
  and executed if he is lying (733)


• asking not to be
  condemned before proof of guilt has been established
  (736)


• reminding Oedipus of the value of their friendship
  (739-40)


• calmly urging Oedipus to take his time
  (741)

Creon speaks very reasonably and
convincingly (unlike Oedipus), and thus it is not surprising that the Chorus Leader says
to Oedipus:

readability="7">

For a man concerned about being
killed,
my lord, he has spoken eloquently. 
(745-46)

Most readers and
audiences would clearly agree.  The fact that Oedipus nevertheless still continues to
accuse Creon shows the depth of his own irrationality.