Monday, October 8, 2012

Did Haemon deserve to die in Antigone?

In Antigone, Haemon does not deserve to die.  Does anyone really "deserve" to die?  That said, Haemon has not done any wrong to other characters, besides possibly insulting his father Creon by trying to get him to go back on his decision to put to death the person who has buried Polynices.  But even when Haemon makes the appeal to his father, he does so with respect and calculated statements.  Haemon tries to get his father to understand that the people of Thebes do not want to see Antigone put to death for following the law of the gods, so it is hard to see what would "justify" Haemon's death.  He kills himself as a statement of following moral honor and code, but he did not "deserve" his death.

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