Antigone The Relationship Between Creon And Haemon

Sophocles’ play, Antigone, presents conflicts such as Antigone vs. Creon and Antigone vs. Ismene. However, there is also a prominent conflict between Creon and his son, Haemon. This father-son conflict stems from the view that a son should be submissive to his father. However, Creon and Haemon each view submission differently, and this difference propels them a step closer to their fates. Also, the father-son relationship serves as a metaphorical relationship between the city and the state. Analysis of the relationship between Creon and Haemon serves to provide another reasoning to their fates; and furthermore, sheds light on the underlying issue between democracy and tyranny in the Greek society.

Creon views the father-son relationship as

As a king, Creon mirrors the role of the father to the city, thus the townsmen mirror the role of the son. Therefore, Creon expects complete submission, like a son, from the townsmen because he believes that “when a city takes a leader, [the people] must obey” (Antigone 666). The phrase “must obey” depicts Creon as a tyrannical leader, through connoting that he suppresses his people while ruling the city however so he pleases. Nonetheless, the townsmen, like Haemon, challenge their expectation of submission by discussing their discontent behind Creon’s back. However, they would not dare to “speak up in broad daylight/in terror of [Creon’s] frown” (Antigone 690-92). By avoiding the “broad daylight” the townsmen are protecting themselves from the harm Creon would impose upon them if he were to figure out that they are scheming against him. However, Haemon “hear[s] what’s said at night,” and believes that as a son it is his responsibility to inform his father about the possible threat Creon’s authority would face. Moreover, Haemon unintentionally poses as the anonymous voice of the people and brings their thoughts to Creon’s attention (Antigone 692). Thus, Haemon embodies democracy by acting as a voice of the people. While Creon embodies tyranny, though his constant selfish rejection and suppression of the people’s