We are facing a few very complicated issues in Antigone’s plot. The second half of it gives us an intimate overlook through the characters own perspective over a few matters. The one that caught my eye especially was the way Haimon dealt with his wife’s verdict. He started from playing the loyal son, elegedly completely understanding and accepting the outcome (“I’m yours, father. I respect your wisdom..”, 706-7), and later on realized it’s wrong, or maybe spoke his real heart out (“father the gods instill reason in men.., 758), (“.. Though someone else’s perspective might help..”, 762).
The question of value when it comes to family is a recurring motive in ancient literature (as we remember form The Epic of Gilgamesh, where facing your family in the battlefield dilemma). Up to what extent are you willing to go when it comes to the closest dearest people to you? Even when some things need or have to be done. I find Haimon’s delimma beyond the ability to explain to the ordinary person. I believe that until you stand in his position, you can’t really understand his situation. Maybe not even then.
The simple fact that your own father, that is supposed to protect you, is taking away the thing you love the most from you, is shocking as it is. The second level of complexity here is that if you disagree with him (with the king basically), you are sending yourself to be doomed, weather directly or in the future. We saw that later on when Haimon is ‘losing it’ and decides to take his own life (and leads to Kreon’s wife to do the same). It’s very hard to judge him.
- Given Kreon’s ignorance and failure to convince him, what would you recommend as a next step for Haimon?
- What would you have done as the King, when your Daughter in law is betraying you as you see it?
- Is a person that failed in a certain value or law still deserve a proper burial? What is the extent?
- Is logic and reasoning really the major factors in this debate? Can you really disconnect your feelings when dealing with family members over serious matters?
- What is the limit of going after your inner voice?
Very interesting. I’ll be happy to hear out your point of view.
Idan.
I want to touch on your third question. For someone who goes against their country and ends up dying, regardless of the situation, he felt he was doing something important and to have the courage to go against a higher power should be acknowledged. He did something that was’t right in most peoples eyes at the time but it doesn’t mean he should be neglected in the after life, and it shouldn’t mean that his family doesn’t get the chance to have a proper mourning period. In the time that Antigone was written and later performed, a proper burial was very important to society. Now regardless of what someone does, I believe they should be buried because for Kreon to order that nobody can properly mourn the loss of Polyneikes, it goes against the citizen’s (both men and women’s) beliefs. As a King, Kreon should understand what is important to his citizens and value their opinions and for him to go against his people, he could be considered to be inappropriately using his power as King to punish someone in a way that many felt was unnecessary.
I partially understand Kreon’s reasoning behind punishing Antigone when he finds out she defies his ruling. He wants to prove to the people of Thebes that he won’t go back on his word and that a law is a law. If he decided to spare Antigone, then it would seem like he is only being favorable towards her because she is family. Though if I were in his position, I wouldn’t be able to rule so harsh against someone in my family and I would be sympathetic. I agree with the post above stating that the family should have the time to mourn their loss with a proper burial and that no one should be able to create a law to prevent that. I would understand why Antigone needed the burial of her brother and respect her choice.
In response to your first question, I would recommend that Haimon try to have the two, his fiance and his father, come to a negotiation. Most of us would agree that Haimon is in a very tricky position. He mentions in the text that he respects his father and his decision to go through with the execution of Antigone who happens to be the one who breaks the law. In my view, Haimon is absolutely right here to be respectful and loyal to his father. In most cultures, children are taught to respect their parents as they are the ones who have real world experience and know what’s best for their kids. However, in my view, sometimes parents don’t know best. Sometimes they need the younger generations to remind and advise them. Haimon did indeed attempt to persuade his father to forget Antigone’s punishment. However, Haimon should have remained patient and bring up main points about his argument that he knew his father would be forced to believe. Many times, parents and other elders are so used to their own way of doing things that it’s difficult to get to do otherwise. But like they say, “you can catch more flies with honey.” Perhaps Haimon should have taken the more buttering up and sweeter approach in convincing his father instead of threatening to kill himself along with Antigone. No one wins by the two killing themselves.