Creon's Character In Antigone By Sophocles

Full of drama and tragedy, Antigone can be used to relate to current conflicts. One such conflict is that between Haemon and his father Creon. Haemon looks up to Creon with honor and pride, but as conflict arises, that relation is disassociated and new feelings grow. The first conversation between them is what initiates the downfall of their bond. While it seems that Creon is the most important person in Haemon’s life, Antigone is in fact the one that has won Haemon over.

Haemon shows his love to Antigone by revolting his father 's authority and committing suicide. Haemon is the son of Creon and Eurydice and is engaged to Antigone. He always respects and obeys Creon, taking Creon for a model. However, the decree of killing Antigone causes his violent controversy with his father because he is afraid of losing his fiancé—Antigone. Haemon defends the moral behavior of Antigone and reasons with Creon to change

Haemon stated that his father had dishonored the gods by sending Antigone off to her death, but Creon responded by saying, “You, you soul of corruption, rotten through-/ woman’s accomplice!” (836-37) Creon refused to acknowledge his son’s point, therefore, not changing his mind on Antigone’s fate. In another scene, Creon showed his independence by refusing to listen to Tiresias’ prophecy. Knowing that Tiresias’ prophecies were never wrong, Creon still ignored him. Creon stated, “You and the whole breed of seers are mad for money!” (1171) He claimed that Tiresias was wrong, and he was doing the right thing. In this scene Creon showed his independence in a cruel manner by disrespecting Tiresias. Antigone and Creon both showed that they wanted to be independent. Antigone’s will to be independent ultimately caused her death, and Creon’s caused him to lose his son, niece, and wife.

By doing so Haemon hopes to help his father realize his mistake.- Throughout his argument Haemon uses strong sources and his father's insecurities to build his argument. These sources include the people of Thebes “But I, at any rate, can listen; and I have heard them Muttering and whispering in the dark about this girl” (Sophocles line 11-12). By using these sources Haemon emotionally manipulates his father by using his insincerities against him. He uses logical reason to support his claim and also uses personal examples “What could be closer? Must not any son value his father’s fortune as his father does his?” (Sophocles line 21-22). Haemon is showing that he has a personal stake in the matter and that he is in a way trying to protect his father and his bride. Adding on to his emotional appeals haemon uses parallelism to repeatedly grab creon’s attention and get his point across. The entire point of his argument is for creon to admit the he was in the wrong for going against divine law and punishing antigone. Haemon's statement supports his main cause for setting his bride to be, antigone, free. The details and emotional appeals are meant to impress upon creon that this is a problem worth

For example, when Haemon had heard of Antigone’s punishment he went to speak with his father, King Creon, to both apologize and stand for Antigone. Creon, upset of his son’s remarks, states the following, “ Would you, indeed? Well, then, by Olympus, I’ll have you know you’ll be sorry for demeaning me with all these insults.” (Lines 866-869). Creon isn’t careful with what he wishes to happen and as a king, a father, he still had no respect for his son’s emotions toward the situation. From this point on, Haemon foreshadows what the future will be between them if Creon does not change his decree. “Then she’ll die- and in her death kill someone else.” (Haemon Line 859). As a king, Creon’s carelessness to decrees and understanding of people’s feelings will only end in the downfall of a city and his family. A guard, that works in the palace, was guarding Antigone’s brother’s body which suddenly had gotten buried when Creon had

Haemon serves as a foil for Creon’s character by highlighting Creon’s unreasonableness, anger, and disrespect. (Line 832-33) Haemon says, “ The people of Thebes all say the same- they deny she is.” Then Creon says, “ So the city now will instruct how I am to govern?” Haemon says that he should listen to the people. The people won’t say anything because they’re scared to say anything. Creon is asking if he should let the people tell him how to rule.

“A man who thinks that he is only wise, that he can speak and think like no one else, when such men are exposed, then all can see their emptiness inside.” (Lines 802-805) Haemon says this to his father meaning a man of his kind is only going to be seen as a failure from words when their true self is exposed. Haemon’s words, actions, and ideas contrast with Creon’s character to the point of these two characters having conflicting motivations. These conflicting motivations cause the characteristics of disrespect, careless, & selfishness to be highlighted within Creon’s character. In the end, these conflicting motivations develop Creon as a tragic hero by Haemon’s choice of word to his father and the character interactions advance the plot and develops the theme by

Creon's weakness of quickness to anger, and misjudgement causes him to not only lose respect of his city, but his son too. In the play, Haemon stands up for his city, and the girl he loves. This causes Creon to snap and become very angry, not to fully hear Haemon's thoughts. In the story Haemon says: “The city is upset about the girl. They say of all the women here she least deserves the worst of deaths for her most glorious act.” (Lines 786-788) This shows he is subtly standing up for the city, and also Antigone. He also says, “Surely she deserves some golden honour?” (Line 792) This also gives a good example to how Haemon is attempting to reel his father in on his thought process on this situation, and ease him into a different choice for the city of Thebes, and both men's sake. Although Haemon laid his ideas and thoughts on his father in a respectful and peaceful way, out of everyone he should know his father best. Creon is a quick tempered man, and in most of the conversation between the two, he replied with rude and vulgar comments, such as: “You're and womans slave- don't try to win me over.” (Line 855-854) or “You’ll regret parading what you think like this-you-a person with an empty brain.” (Lines 862-863) From just these two excerpts from the story, you can tell Creon is a very hot headed person. Haemon, who before this incident, was close with his father knew this. He

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.

Haemon’s words, actions, and ideas contrast with Creon’s character by anger. We see evidence from the text when they are arguing about Antigone, Haemon’s fiance, won’t marry her, he says “No. Don’t ever hope for that. She’ll not die with me just standing there. And as for you--- your eyes will never see my face again. So let your rage charge on among

“Am I to rule this land at someone else’s whim or by myself . According to our laws, does not the ruler own the city?” ( Lines 838-840). Creon becomes enraged with anger when finds out Haemon is siding with Antigone and others under his rule. He becomes very causing him to spew words and statements that cause many to become angry at him. Creon’s change in emotion shows how he really feels when he authority is challenged by someone he believes to be beneath him during his rule.

They don’t agree with what I have decreed.”(Sophocles). When Haemon defied him, it was like a rude awakening, like ‘wow, not everyone is blindly faithful’. This showed how oblivious Creon was. He was so greedy and blinded by power that he didn’t think of how his decisions affected his 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

Creon views the father-son relationship as one of submission. This view is evident when Creon says to Haemon, “stand behind fatherly advice on all counts/Keep [the son] at home, and have him listen to what he’s told” (Antigone 640/42). This view makes it blatant that Creon believes that a son should stand behind his father and not interfere with the father’s actions. Similarly, the son should obey the father under any circumstances. Obedience under any circumstance connotes a sense of submissiveness on the part of the son because the son has to obey his father's actions whether the actions are ethical or unethical. Creon expects Haemon’s submission, on all circumstances, especially when he subjects Haemon’s bride-to-be, Antigone, to her death. However, Haemon believes that her death sentence is unethical and harsh. Therefore, he attempts to sway

In the midst of the conflict between Creon and Haemon, Creon strongly dislikes and neglected Haemon’s point of view because he believes that he had been corrupted by a woman. Haemon is accused of being held captive by Antigone and his love for her recognized “[him as] the slave of a woman,” referring to the love that Antigone possesses, overpowering Haemon (Sophocles 769). Sophocles intentionally adds a