The Role of Government

Creon is a stubborn man, arrogant and has a high self esteem. The government category he would fit in would either be an absolute monarchy or tyranny. He wants everything to be in his control. He believes that Thebes needs a strong ruler, and one the can make his own laws to keep order in the city. On the other hand, his son Haemon disagrees. He leans heavily towards a democracy. A government where the people can decide what they want in life. Haemon is a young adult who starts out having a lot of respect for his father. No matter what his father did, he would politely disagree until Creon determined Antigone’s fate. Haemon was awestruck by the bold decision his father decided to carry out. The decision to send Antigone into exile did not sit well with Haemon and the respect he once had slipped away. After all, Antigone is Haemon’s fiancé. Because Creon’s word is law, Haemon has no power to change Antigone’s fate and surely no good could come from this. To prove this Creon declares: “My voice is the one voice giving orders in this city!” (Antigone 3. 105) This obviously sends the message Creon is not in the mood to negotiate. If only Creon would have allowed the burial of Antigone’s brother this conflict would not have been initiated and the family feud would not have started. I believe that Haemon’s view of a democratic Thebes was humanly right. Yet Thebes was not in a state to have its people running the government. Creon’s rule was stiff and kept everything in line which was needed in those times. The belief that he could overrule the God’s (they were big at the time) gave Creon a bad reputation amongst the citizens of Thebes. Haemon also was not in favor of the disobedience his father displayed towards the gods. Haemon enforced the citizens by saying: “I have heard the citizens muttering and whispering in the dark about this girl/ She covered her brother’s body. Is this indecent?” (Antigone 3 61-65) This shows that the citizens do not think Antigone has committed a malicious crime. Creon’s error in judgment and unpopularity amongst the citizens led to Creon’s demise.