Haemon Theme

Haemon’s World

“Father, the gods instill good sense in man,”(line 776) Haemon begins with how he believes his father’s statements and actions, but with a twist. As the plot starts to build, you realize that it is all around Haemon and Creon’s relationship causing Haemon to build hatred toward his father, not listening to his city of Thebes. The theme is all based off loyalty and love, if one person trusts the other. Haemon confuses Creon through his actions and language to make him belief false statements, forming him into the tragic figure.

Haemon creates an illusion when around his father, causing the confusion on how Haemon feels. This distraction of Antigone, causes Creon’s anger to go towards his son who is giving a good reason to stop Antigone’s punishment. The loyalty Haemon shows towards Antigone angers his father Creon. Creon sees his son’s love towards this woman and calls Haemon a women.

The advancement of the plot all starts behind Creon trying to accuse Haemon of

going against him. Haemon argues that his father’s city disagrees on how he is punishing his fiance. “You’ll never marry her alive,”(line 858) says Creon, but Haemon replies back “Then she’ll die- and in her death kill someone else.” This statement confuses Creon making him believe Haemon is stating his father will die beside Antigone. The tension between both characters push to the point where even though their relation keeps them together, one of the other think negatively. Haemon states, “If you were not my father, I might say you were not thinking straight.”(lines 864-65)
The development of Creon becoming the tragic figure begins with Haemon coming forward and showing his father that what he is doing is incorrect.

“You're not honoring that by trampling on the god’s prerogatives.”(lines 850-851) Explaining to Creon how no one in Thebes or himself believe in the actions he is taking. “Your gaze makes citizens afraid,”(line 783) states Haemon as he pleads the citizens of Thebes’ argument. Although Creon sees his point, he also cannot back down from what he has already set in place. “If I foster any lack of full respect in my own family, I surely do the same with those who are not linked to my blood,”(lines 748-50) says Creon.

In summation, Haemon was the cause of Creon’s disagreements forming the tragic hero. Setting the plot by forcing him to make the opposite decision and to verbally show the difference between Creon and his son. Although Creon had received his “good sense from the gods.”(line 856) Haemon “might say Creon was not thinking

straight.”