Haemon Vs Creon

Antigone, written by Sophocles, explores the ideas that men are dominant, controlling everything that happens in their community while women are powerless, not allowed to speak their minds, and forced to obey men and have zero power. Creon the king symbolizes the traditional view of male dominance; he is an example of a poor leader since he only follows what he believes in and ignores opinions from others. Haemon, the king's son, has a different perspective on his father's opinions. He thinks his father is wrong and that women should have equal rights. Through the contrast of Haemon’s and Creon’s opinions Sophocles suggests that women should not be discriminated against and that they should have equal rights.
Creon believes that men are stronger …show more content…
For example, Haemon tries to change Creon’s perspective on his role of power in treating women; he eventually stands up and talks back to his own father, which is out of the ordinary. He talks back to his father by saying, “Who’s talking like a child?” Creon is being stubborn and chimes in “Am I to rule this land for others-- or myself?” Fighting back Haemon adds, “It’s no city at all, owned by one man alone.” (lines 822-824). Haemon is saying that his father is isolating himself around Thebes and putting himself above everyone else. He is implying that his father comes off as a poor leader since he cares more about himself than the community as a whole. He then tries to convince Creon to think of the city differently and to realize that killing Antigone is a bad idea. However Creon thinks that “fighting on her side, the woman’s side.” weakens Haemon and makes him less of a man since he agrees with a women (lines 828-829). Even though Haemon is his son, Creon treats him as he would anyone else trying to fight back against his power. According to Creon, a woman is incapable of convincing someone in authority to change their opinion while his son is trying to convince him that women should have the same rights as men, should have a say in the community, and should not be completely isolated from …show more content…
After all the deaths though, Creon reflects on his actions and comes to realize that he has made a huge mistake which has cost him his wife and his son, “so senseless, so insane… my crimes, my stubborn, deadly-- Look at us, the killer, the killed, father and son, the same blood- the misery! My plans, my mad fanatic heart, my son, cut off so young!” (lines 1393-1398). Creon thought he had everything under control and that he had made the right choices but, instead, these choices lead to his family’s deaths. If he had just listened to the people who had warned him about his actions without isolating himself from the community, these horrible events that took place would not have occurred. However, Creon is so naive about all the deaths that have happened, that he puts the blame on others. He is too guilty to accept the tragedy that he has caused. Creon has just come to realize that his family members died, and has learned through the “blood and tears!” that his whole life is a “great weight shattering, driving [him] down that wild savage path, ruining, trampling down my joy.” (lines 1401-1405). Creon's wife as well as his son have both died and now he has to live with the bitterness and guilt. Now that he is in misery, Tiresias, a blind prophet, comes to Creon and tries to cheer him up by saying, “All men make mistakes, it is only human. But once the wrong is done, a man can turn his back on

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