Haimon As The Most Heroic Character In Sophocles Antigone

It may seem that Antigone from Sophocles’ tragedy Antigone is the most heroic character. However, she is not because even though she fought and died for her beliefs, she died for herself and not for justice or for a loved one. We can all agree that being selfish is not a great trait to have. We (humans) tend to be selfish at one point, whether we know it or not. Antigone in the tragedy is being selfish. She kills herself to save her own pride because she does not want to die on someone else’s terms. Nobility, which is the act of being noble (having high moral ideas), is sort of like the opposite of selfish. While we look down upon selfish people, we look up to and admire noble people. Haimon is a great example of a noble person. He not only

When Haimon and Creon are talking and Haimon tells Creon that “ ‘[He is] not in a position to know everything that [the] people say or do, or what they feel: [his] temper terrifies them...’ “ (pg. 218). When Haimon says this to Creon he is trying to say that the people will not necessarily say the truth to Creon because they fear him. The people will say and or do what they think will please Creon, for fear that if they say and or do the wrong thing he will get mad and punish them. We also see Haimon standing up for his beliefs when he tells Creon that he should “ ‘...not believe that [he] alone can be right. The man who...maintains that only he has power...turns out empty’ “ (pg. 219). What Haimon is trying to explain is that power can take over the best of people and if Creon lets the power take over him, his actual personality will be gone, hence the word empty, and a power driven personality will replace it. A last example to show how Haimon stands up for his beliefs is when he and Creon are bickering and Creon is angry at Haimon because Haimon had said that he was standing up for Creon. Creon, not understanding his answer shoots back that “ ‘... [his] concern in a public brawl with [his] father...every word [he] say[s] is for her!’ “ (pg. 221). It’s obvious that Creon is angry with Haimon; he feels betrayed by his own son. Creon saying this clearly states that Haimon’s

An example of when Haimon is willing to die for justice is when he and his father (Creon) are talking and Creon says that Haimon “ ‘[will] never marry [Antigone] while she lives’ “ (pg. 222) Haimon responds to his father's harsh words by saying “‘Then she must die. But her death will cause another.’ “ (pg. 222). When Haimon says that Antigone’s death will cause another, he is implying that if she dies, he dies. Another example of when Haimon shows his willingness to die for justice and his beliefs is when “...Haimon...suddenly drew his sword...the boy desperate against himself drove it...into his own side...[and] gathered Antigone close in his arms.” (pg. 241). This whole quote tells the story of how Haimon killed himself while trying to fight for his beliefs (he was trying to kill his dad). A last reason that shows Haimon willing to die/dying for justice and his beliefs is when Creon is talking (after Haimon dies) and says “ ‘Haimon my son...I was the fool, not you; and you died for me’ “ (pg. 242). It is now, after it is too late that Creon admits that Haimon was in the right mindset (hence being noble) and that Haimon died for his beliefs (which is again, very