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

BibliographySophocles Trilogy, Sophocles. Haemon Press 1961