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Loyalty Or Love In Sophocles 'Antigone'

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Loyalty or Love “Father, the gods instill good sense in men—the greatest of all the things which we possess.” (lines 776-777) In Sophocles’ play, Antigone, Haemon’s actions and ideas cause conflicting motivations between he and his father, Creon. As Haemon is faced with choosing loyalty or love his motivations accentuate Creon’s arrogance, power, and foolishness. Ultimately, the conflicting motivations establish Creon as a tragic hero by making him realize his selfishness is what caused his downfall. The character interactions between Haemon and Creon allow the plot to advance through confrontations between the two characters, which in the end caused Haemon to turn against his father. The actions, words, and beliefs displayed by Haemon contrast …show more content…

Haemon turning against his father is due to conflicts that occur throughout the play. For example, Creon and Haemon quarrel about the loyalty Haemon has for his father. “Creon: “So the city now will instruct me how I am to govern?” Haemon: “Now you’re talking like someone far too young. Don’t you see that?”” (Lines 836-839) This dispute shows the power and attitude Creon has towards those who believe he is unjustly punishing Antigone. The themes of loyalty and love are also developed by conflicts that occur between the two characters. “Go bring her out— that hateful creature, so she can die right here, with him present, before her bridegroom’s eyes.” (Lines 868-870) Ultimately Creon is willing to see his son suffer by suggesting he kill Haemon’s fiancée (Antigone) in front of him. “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 your friends who want to stand by you in this.” (Lines 871-875) Haemon is torn between loyalty to his father and his love for Antigone, but in the end decides to follow his heart and turn on his father in order to make an attempt to save Antigone. In summation, Haemon and Creon have contrasting motivations that result in Creon developing into a tragic hero. The conflicting motivations of Creon and Haemon’s characters advance the plot and themes of loyalty and love in order for Creon to realize his ego and selfishness would lead to his

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During their conversation about Antigone’s punishment and how the public are reacting to it, he tells Creon “because of who you are, you can't perceive all the things' men say or do” which consequentially not only reveals how narrowminded Creon is by jumping to conclusions, but it also reminds Creon to listen to what people have to say (782-783). This subsequentially contrasts Haemon's logical thinking and open mind with Creon's intolerant thinking highlighting Creon's trait of narrow mindedness by displaying Creon's inability to listen, perceive and acknowledge what people say. In addition, this shows that Creon could be misinterpreting what others say or do, in this case Haemon thinks he does so with Antigone, telling him “Surely she deserves some golden honour,” suggesting to Creon that death is unfair for her punishment (792). Implying that his punishment is unfair again displays that Creon is narrowminded because the fact that he does not want to listen to what anybody says including his son Haemon, is more than enough proof that Creon is narrowminded. Overall, both pieces of evidence exhibit Haemon being a foil to Creon with Haemon being calm and logical vs Creon's narrowminded

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Haemon In the end these conflicting reasons develop Creon as a tragic hero by showing his breakdown and the character interaction leading the plot to create the theme by keeping a climax in the story to make the story seem interesting and keep you all into it. Haemon’s words, behavior, and thought, converse with Creon’s character to the point of these two characters having clashing reasons make the of insanity, animosity, and discourtesy to be brought out within Creon’s character. Creon’s absurdity is examined when Haemon starts an disagreement in abutment of Antigone. Creon vigorously denies to listen to Antigone's side of the story.

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In the short story titled “Antigone,” the author portrays Creon as a tragic hero by displaying flaws in Creon's character shown throughout the story. Creon’s character contains many flaws which lead to many problems. His decisions end up deciding the fates of his son, his wife, and Antigone. Creon finally realizes that what he has done is sinful to the gods. He has put his own pride over the appreciation of the gods.

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( Antigone 842). Because of Creon’s poor made decisions, he has lost the trust of his people which leads them to question his authority and most importantly his own son, whom because of his brazen actions

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Antigone’s words, actions, and ideas contrast with Creon’s character by showing

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In Sophocles` play, Antigone, he shows a story of a crazed man who lets pride takes over his actions causing the deaths of his loved ones. This essay will discuss Haimon, King Creon`s son, through statements that Sophocles himself wrote and inferences of his perspective. During the story Haimon does major actions such as; plea for his fiancée, commits suicide and even cast death upon King Creon. I believe that Haimon plead for Antigone`s life for more than one reason. He pleads for her because she was his fiancée and also because he heard the rumors the citizens passed around about King Creon.

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(lines 510-516). Antigone has been captured by the guards and taken to Creon where he ask why she dare break the law that he has set forth. Antigone’s honor lays with the gods and overrides any law man has set forth. Antigone states her beliefs and stands on them with reference to divine law which is a clear conflict of Creon’s decisions. This challenges Creon and stirs up further conflict over who is right and wrong over the matter at hand.

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Haemon needs to be in the story because he is in love with Antigone. This shows her character by letting the reader know that although she is a strong warrior, she is also loved. He is also crucial to the story because he kills himself which causes his mother to kill herself, leaving Creon with their blood on his hands. “But the boy gave him a wild burning glance, spat in his face, not a word in reply, he drew his sword—his father rushed out, running as Haemon lunged and missed!— and then, doomed, desperate with himself, suddenly leaning his full weight on the blade, he buried it in his body, halfway to the hilt.” This text evidence clearly shows how much he loves Antigone and blames his father for making her kill

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“Persuasion is often more powerful than force” once stated by great greek fabulist Aesop, Many of the characters follow this advice throughout the story (“Aesop Quotes”.). As Creon gives a speech to his city he uses ethical appeals in hope to assert his power and make himself look like a trustworthy leader.. Antigone does not listen to this and decides to disobey her uncle, sister Ismene tries to plant logic into her head not to disobey in fear that her sister may end up dying in result. Haemon being both the son of Creon and the fiance of Antigone he should have a hard decision to make but he cannot get behind his father in putting his future wife to death. Ismene, Creon, and Haemon all use the rhetorical appeals of Ethos, Pathos, and Logos to be persuasive towards their goals.

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These conflicting motivations cause the characteristics of anxiety, anger, and selfishness to be highlighted within Creon’s character. Ultimately, these conflicting motivations develop Creon as a tragic hero by giving Creon his free choice that makes his downfall exclusively his own fault and the character interactions advance the plot by pushing King Creon to insanity and showing that even the King’s own family was trying to urge him to change his decree, and develops the theme of love and loyalty by showing the struggle between faith and family. Through the words, actions, and ideas of Haemon, the visible contrast between Creon’s character and Haemon’s character are present. Creon’s inner anger, anxiety and selfishness cause him to lose sight

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Creon, with his hubris, does not listen to the words of his son, Haemon. When he reluctantly calls for the release of Antigone from her imprisonment, he is too late. She has died and Haemon kills himself after failing to kill his father. “Nothing you say can touch me any more. My own blind heart has brought me.

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Haimon , Creon’s son warns him that the people of Thebes sympathize with Antigone. Haemon tells his father, I beg you, do not be unchangeable: Do not believe that you alone can be right. The man who thinks that, The man who maintains that only he has the power To reason correctly, the gift to speak, to soul–– A man like that, when you know him, turns out empt.

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Creon almost seemed like he wanted Haimon to be angry so he put Antigone in the vault. He couldn’t see that Haemon was in love and Antigone was just trying to honor the dead because of his hubris. Creon also says, “My own blind heart has brought me from darkness to final darkness.” This shows he knows he didn’t use his intelligence to solve his problems. He was already heading the wrong direction with his pride and it finally was too much.

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In lines 599 to 601, Creon’s states that, due to his selfishness and stubbornness, he will not allow a woman, that woman being Antigone, to change his mind and defy his judgement. He declares that, if Antigone chooses to not change her ways, she will be killed, as to not waver from his own decree. Antigone therefore dies as a result of Creon’s insufferable and ignorant ruling, causing her to suffer at Creon’s hand. Creon’s ruling for the murder of Antigone also causes Haemon to suffer. Creon finds Haemon, in his last moments, mourning the loss of Antigone, “now among the dead, his father’s work,” as described by the messenger in line 1364.

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Antigone’s love is so great for her brother that she went against the king and buried him with religious rights. Then Haemon kills himself because Antigone had died and he wanted to be with her. In the end Creon’s wife killed herself because her son had died. Creon is perceived as the tragic hero of the play when he is talking

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