FREE ESSAY ON ANTIGONE

ANTIGONE

In the lines I recited, Haemon makes points that touch my heart, mind, and
soul. What he pronounces speaks to modern day society as much as it did
to ancient society. Sophocles points show through this monologue
clearly, which is common to greek literature. Edith Hamilton referred to
their literature as plain, direct, and "matter of fact (46)". Hamilton often
refers to how greek writers forced their readers to think and expand, rather
than filling their pages with repition and fancy. Haemon bluntly states
"But other men can reason rightly too (4)" to his father. He is expressing
how reason is important and should not be criticized, but neither should
the reason of other men. He later goes to ask his father not to "entrench
yourself in your opinion/ as if everyone else was wrong (23-24)." Haemon
attempted to stress how the city felt that Antigone should be considered a
hero, "Should not her name be writ in gold? (16)" However, the common
man would not stand up to Creon and speak his mind. Haemon took it
upon himself, as an outsider on the inside, to listen to the city, and relay
this information to his father, "As your son, you see, I find myself marking
every word, and act, and comment of the crowd, to gauge the temper of the
simple citizen (5-7)." This is an important message throughout the play,
and when Creon did not listen to the town, it resulted in disaster. Haemon
warned him of this when he said, "The kind of man who always thinks that
he is right, that his opinions, his pronouncements, are the final word, is
usually exposed as hollow as they come (25-28)." Creon was exposed, and
left alone. Ignoring the reason of his son and his city, his own convictions
led to the result of tragedy
Bibliography
Sophocles Trilogy, Sophocles. Haemon Press 1961