HAEMON
“Father, I’m yours,” (720) begins Haemon, and with a solemn oath of loyalty to his father, contributes his own spoke to the wheel of fate set in motion by Creon. Haemon loves his dad but he also loves antigone he don’t go to antigone’s side at first he is defending both sides. Haemon tries to tell his father that if he has Antigone killed then there will be another death Creon tries to make that about him but really haemon kills himself. Haemon’s love for his father is slowly turned into hatred as he recognizes that Creon’s anger comes from selfishness and fear, not concern for the laws of the gods or the well-being of Thebes.
Haemon’s approach to Creon is indirect: he does not immediately jump to Antigone’s defense, but reminds his father of his debt to the gods, “the gods instill good sense in men” (776) but still professes love for his father above all things: “I could not find your words somehow not
…show more content…
“You’ll never marry her while she’s alive,” blusters Creon, to which Haemon retorts: “Then she’ll die and in her death kill someone else” (859). Haemon means he will commit suicide, but Creon interprets this as Haemon’s threat to kill him. While Haemon’s efforts to establish ethos with his father his unquestioning love and his loyalty are a promising first step towards making Creon listen to him, this approach is ineffective as Creon is unable to see beyond his own selfish paranoia in the matter of Antigone, and Haemon is unable to reach his father through logical arguments. In the end, even the Chorus Leader doubts that any good will come of Creon’s “iron will:” “He’s angry [Haemon] in a young man at his age/ the mind turns bitter when he’s feeling hurt” (878-79). The second Ode is the turning point in the play, where the Chorus sings of how loyalty (to the law) and love (to one’s lover and family) are
However, he goes to a higher extreme than most of the fathers did or should have gone. He is very controlling over Haemon, and he tries to dictate his views with force. Creon questions Haemon of his loyalty saying, “And have you now come here angry at your father? Or are you loyal to me, on my side no matter what I do?”(717-719). At first, Haemon abides by his controlling ways and is mostly loyal to Creon, but when Creon gets angrier with his views and forced Haemon to abide by them, Haemon has to find some sort of common ground.
( Antigone 842). Because of Creon’s poor made decisions, he has lost the trust of his people which leads them to question his authority and most importantly his own son, whom because of his brazen actions
During their conversation about Antigone’s punishment and how the public are reacting to it, he tells Creon “because of who you are, you can't perceive all the things' men say or do” which consequentially not only reveals how narrowminded Creon is by jumping to conclusions, but it also reminds Creon to listen to what people have to say (782-783). This subsequentially contrasts Haemon's logical thinking and open mind with Creon's intolerant thinking highlighting Creon's trait of narrow mindedness by displaying Creon's inability to listen, perceive and acknowledge what people say. In addition, this shows that Creon could be misinterpreting what others say or do, in this case Haemon thinks he does so with Antigone, telling him “Surely she deserves some golden honour,” suggesting to Creon that death is unfair for her punishment (792). Implying that his punishment is unfair again displays that Creon is narrowminded because the fact that he does not want to listen to what anybody says including his son Haemon, is more than enough proof that Creon is narrowminded. Overall, both pieces of evidence exhibit Haemon being a foil to Creon with Haemon being calm and logical vs Creon's narrowminded
But of who you are, you can’t perceive all the things men say or do or their complaints. ”Even the people have discussed how Creon may be wrong and that Antigone should be rewarded for her courageous act to bury her brother who was left by creon for the dogs. Haemon believes that his father Creon should give Antigone the right to be free. “They say of all the women here she least deserves the worst of deaths for her most glorious act. When in the slaughter of her own brother died, she did not just leave him unburied, to be ripped apart by carrion dogs or birds.
Haemon, Creon’s son, knew that his father’s decisions are not in the best interest for Thebes, so he tries sharing his perspective in the most respectful way, but ends up failing to get through to him. Sophocles portrays Antigone’s ambition, Creon’s stubbornness, and Haemon’s perspective, indicating that “unshakable
In the short story titled “Antigone,” the author portrays Creon as a tragic hero by displaying flaws in Creon's character shown throughout the story. Creon’s character contains many flaws which lead to many problems. His decisions end up deciding the fates of his son, his wife, and Antigone. Creon finally realizes that what he has done is sinful to the gods. He has put his own pride over the appreciation of the gods.
Courage is the quality of mind or spirit that enables a person to face difficulty, danger, pain, etc., without fear; bravery. In the Greek tragedy Antigone, continues to fight for her for her family’s name although it has been slandered because of mistakes her ancestors made in the past. When Creon creates a law that forbids anyone to her brother, Polynices, Antigone heroically attempts to save her brother’s honor her brother even though she knows the harsh consequences that may follow. Although Creon is always loyal to the state based on what he believes, Antigone’s courage to her family can't be matched by any other character. Antigone is the courageous character of this play because she would accept any consequences for her brother, she would die for him, and let her dream of being a mother and wife vanish.
In lines 599 to 601, Creon’s states that, due to his selfishness and stubbornness, he will not allow a woman, that woman being Antigone, to change his mind and defy his judgement. He declares that, if Antigone chooses to not change her ways, she will be killed, as to not waver from his own decree. Antigone therefore dies as a result of Creon’s insufferable and ignorant ruling, causing her to suffer at Creon’s hand. Creon’s ruling for the murder of Antigone also causes Haemon to suffer. Creon finds Haemon, in his last moments, mourning the loss of Antigone, “now among the dead, his father’s work,” as described by the messenger in line 1364.
Haimon , Creon’s son warns him that the people of Thebes sympathize with Antigone. Haemon tells his father, I beg you, do not be unchangeable: Do not believe that you alone can be right. The man who thinks that, The man who maintains that only he has the power To reason correctly, the gift to speak, to soul–– A man like that, when you know him, turns out empt.
“Persuasion is often more powerful than force” once stated by great greek fabulist Aesop, Many of the characters follow this advice throughout the story (“Aesop Quotes”.). As Creon gives a speech to his city he uses ethical appeals in hope to assert his power and make himself look like a trustworthy leader.. Antigone does not listen to this and decides to disobey her uncle, sister Ismene tries to plant logic into her head not to disobey in fear that her sister may end up dying in result. Haemon being both the son of Creon and the fiance of Antigone he should have a hard decision to make but he cannot get behind his father in putting his future wife to death. Ismene, Creon, and Haemon all use the rhetorical appeals of Ethos, Pathos, and Logos to be persuasive towards their goals.
“A city which belongs to just one man is no true city.” (lines 838-39) Throughout the play, Antigone, written by Sophocles, the character Haemon constantly tries to persuade his father, Creon, to listen to the people of his city and to become a more humble leader. Haemon’s words, actions, and ideas contrast with Creon’s character. Which results in the two characters having continual conflicting motivations.
Haemon and his father have several disputes that show, Creon pushing his son away in order to show his dominance. Creon calls his son a “soul of corruption, rotten through” which just reflects how cruel Creon had become, even when talking to his own son (836). This will be the last argument the two have before Haemon kills himself due to neglect and longing for Antigone. The power of the crown causes Creon to act instinctively rather than reasonably when deciding Antigone's fate. His loyalty to his power becomes priority over his family, when he decrees his nephews burial illegal.
Creon, with his hubris, does not listen to the words of his son, Haemon. When he reluctantly calls for the release of Antigone from her imprisonment, he is too late. She has died and Haemon kills himself after failing to kill his father. “Nothing you say can touch me any more. My own blind heart has brought me.
Creon was completely blinded by his pride and power that he lost those closest to him. Starting with his son... “Then she’ll die-- and in her death kill someone else. ”(Haemon; line 859). Creon thinks that his son is threatening him, and doesn’t pay attention to what his son is feeling towards Antigone.