“I’ll not consider any marriage a greater benefit than your fine leadership” [Lines : 724]. Haemon starts off the scene showing loyalty to his father. The reader’s might believe that Haemon is siding with his father, but instead he is showing remorse towards his fiance Antigone. Haemon transforms Creon into a tragic hero by showing respect, loyalty and morality towards Antigone. Overall, these conflicting motivations develop Creon as a tragic hero by helping him realize what he was doing was causing a negative impact on the people around him.
“You foul creature— you’re worse than any woman”[Lines 851 & 852]. While Haemon is trying to do his best to be respectful to his father, Creon is showing utter disrespect towards Haemon. One of the many flaws Creon has the inability to actually respond respectfully when someone disagrees with him, but instead of trying to talk it out reasonably it’s either his way or no way. Creon’s imperfect personality trait illustrates that Creon is a tragic hero because wasn’t willing to discuss the controversial matter without arguing. If Creon had showed respect to Haemon’s words maybe everything couldn’t been avoided.
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Creon took this statement the wrong way because of how the situation was going. If Creon had actually tried to listen he would’ve been able to see how upset and distraught his son was over the news of his wife's imprisonment. Haemon foreshadowed what would happen if Creon didn’t change his mind. Creon had a choice to choose right from wrong, but he decided to go with his instinct which would contribute to his
In Sophocles' Antigone, Haemon delivers a well thought out speech and uses countless rhetorical devices, such as humility and empowering the audience, in order to pressure his father, Creon, into not killing Antigone. After Creon speaks to Haemon about how Antigone has betrayed Thebes, Haemon appeals to Creon’s religion by stating that "only the gods endow a man with reason," and that Creon doesn't have wisdom and should not kill Antigone. Haemon continues to discuss Creon's morality by explaining how Creon should not "watch... or find [things] to criticize" in others, similar to how Haemon think Creon should not judge Antigone for burying her brother and father. By telling Creon how "the man on the street… deserves a glowing crown of gold"
In Sophocles’ play, Haemon the son of Creon greatly impacted his father’s ability to think before making an action. Creon was an all powerful king who made decisions based on his own beliefs and would not consider the opinion of others. Haemon had a different perspective on how a king should rule his people. This caused tension between the two, which was not a surprise seeing as Creon’s decisions have only caused pain and suffering. For instance, Antigone who is the wife of Haemon, had two brothers who died fighting to the death.
“Tell me briefly—not in some lengthy speech— were you aware there was a proclamation forbidding what you did?” (503-505). The actions, context of Antigone’s words, and also the ideas she proposed, very indepthly contrasted with Creon’s character. Thus resulting in there being a verbal confrontation between the two characters. The conflict between the two caused conflicting motivations such as stubbornness, disrespect, and anger to be projected with Creon’s character. Ultimately, these conflicting motivations develop Creon as a tragic hero by portraying that he knew, the decisions he made were of error, and the character interactions advance the plot by causing conflict throughout the play. Creon had also begun to change throughout the play,
In this tragic Greek play Antigone written by Sopheles, a King by the name of Creon declared that one out of two brothers were to be given a proper burial, but their sister Antigone wanted them both buried, and so she buried the brother that wasn’t supposed to be —illegally. This caused a lot of issues between Creon and his people (which include his family). But after many events that occurred in this play, King Creon develops into a tragic hero. Haemon, his own son, was a FOIL (a person who had opposing beliefs) to Creon. I presuppose Haemon could partly be the reason for Creon’s transformation into a tragic hero.
Haemon's words, actions, and ideas contrast with Creon’s character by posing his argument in support of antigone, and Creon refuses to listen to his side. Creon’s refusal to listen to his own son’s reasoned argument demonstrates how unreasonable Creon is being in contrast to his son’s reasonableness. When Haemon poses his argument in support of Antigone, Creon stubbornly
He brings the leader into account by stating “men, our age” and “we” rather than I. He questions if the leader was to “be schooled” by somebody so young, essentially provoking the leader as well to pressure him to agree with Creon and support his argument in order to humiliate Haemon and prevent him from speaking up ever again. His inconsideration towards Haemon portrays Creon’s ignorance and refusal to listen to anyone else's opinion but his. Since Creon holds no valid argument against Haemon, he resorts to insulting Haemon’s age as an attempt to put Haemon back into his place and protect himself from feeling threatened. Later on, when Creon and Haemon continue their conversation and the tension grows stronger, Creon exclaims that “Now by heaven, I promise you, you’ll pay.” taunting, insulting me!
Haemon’s response, "By yourself you'd make an excellent king but in a desert," critiques Creon's isolated rule. It highlights that Creon’s authority is rendered meaningless without the support and well-being of his people, suggesting that true leadership requires more than mere control—it requires empathy and responsiveness to others' needs. This exchange encapsulates the conflict between Creon’s authoritarian rule and the necessity for more compassionate and inclusive governance. Creon's belief in his absolute authority, as highlighted in his confrontation with Haemon, exemplifies his tragic inflexibility and foreshadows the dire consequences of his unyielding rule, driving the plot towards its inevitable tragic
Alternatively, if Creon decides not to save Haemon and pursue his resistance towards Tiresias, Creon will lay his “pride bare to the blows of ruin”, meaning he will display his pride to the point where a calamity, his son’s death, will be caused by his lack of willingness to yield. His hesitation proves that even though he and his son have conflicting values, Creon still loves his son. He does not choose his pride immediately as a way to inflict harm on Haemon for having different values, he alternates between the two which shows that his familial love has not disappeared. Even more, Creon mentions that it is hard to give up his heart's desire, but he “will do it--no more fighting a losing battle with necessity.” (Sophocles 1228-1230).
Throughout the play, Creon is often questioned by people he considers below him. No matter how trusted or wise the person advising him is, Creon not only dismisses the advice without consideration but also considers it an insult to his authority. For instance, when Haemon approaches Creon in private and warns that punishing Antigone is a mistake and he should reconsider it.
Creon’s son Haemon does not want his wife to be to be put to death and pleads with his father. “ I see my father offending justice wrong. That she’ll die but her death will kill another.”(1287) Haemon reveals to the his father that if he continues with killing his wife to be he will flee his presence and kill himself for his love Antigone. In the end Creon realizes that his pride has lead to the destruction of his life and his kingdom. “ I know it myself- I’m shaken, torn. It’s a dreadful thing to yield…but resist now? Lay my pride bare to the blows of ruin? That’s dreadful too.” (1296) King Creon realizes to little to late and because of his pride he loses his son, wife, and daughter in law. “And the guilt is all mine- can never be fixed on another man, no escape for me.
Creon was close-minded and unreceptive of anything Haemon had to say, despite the fact that he presented such a strong argument, displaying both a wise and well thought-out case. Creon overlooked Haemon’s advice and chose to focus on the insignificant detail that he was simply too young lacking life experience, rather than concentrating on what he was actually saying. Truth
Even if he believes he is right and his son should obey him, he doesn’t show an ounce of sympathy for Haemon, who loves Antigone. Creon details his thoughts on the importance of the rule of law over other loyalties, and his belief that to allow any anarchy or, seemingly, freedom would threaten the state. Creon’s method of executing Antigone is interesting. By entombing a living person, Antigone, and denying burial to a dead person, Polynices, Creon’s laws seem to go against common sense, tradition, and nature itself. Creon does not keep a cool head, as a wise leader should, or look for a way to compromise. He is as stubborn as Antigone, as if this were a street fight, he feels he could never back down.
Creon becomes so prideful to the point where he will not listen to anyone, and will not acknowledge he is wrong. During a conversation with Haemon, Creon tells him, “No. I am king, and only
He feels that Haimon is too young to know what he is talking about especially when it comes to Antigone. Creon believes that Haimon is blinded by love. Creon wouldn’t even take anything that Haimon said into consideration. He also did the same thing with Teiresias, a blind prophetwho has always been right in other situations. Teiresias told Creon that his actions have angered the Gods and that it would be in his best interest to let Antigone go free, otherwise his family would be cursed and he would suffer a great deal. Creon, whom was obviously in denial, didn’t believe a word Teiresias said and accused him of lying and taking bribes from the people.
He then states he (Creon) alone can’t be right and “other men who can reason, too; and their opinions might be helpful. You are not in a position to know everything” (Sophocles 218). By jogging Creon’s memory that he can’t have an overview of everything, Haemon is endeavoring to help Creon reason and to be open mind. In haemon’s next assertion he describes how, “she kept him from dogs and vultures. Is this a crime? Death- she should have all the honor that we can give her!” this tells the readers that if she would have died it would be unjust to die in shame for what was an act of glory, justice and that she should deserve a crown of gold and glory(218). At the end Haemon uses a plan to make threats against his father, after his father says Antigone must die, Haemon responded with an ultimatum answer “then she must die, but her death will cause another” (222). As Haemon dashing off in anger, Creon knows that if Antigone were to be executed, so will his son. Having no choose but Creon didn’t want Haemon to save Antigone so he carried Antigone into a living tomb (the cave) all locked up and supplied her with food just enough food to clear of its guilt of