HAEMON

[Greek heroic] The son of Creon, and betrothed of Antigone. His bride was sentenced to death because she disobeyed Creon's orders by leaving Eteocles' body alone. She performed a ceremonial burial -- a simple sprinkling of dust over the body -- but was apprehended by the guards, and taken before Creon, who decrees that she will herself be buried by being sealed in a cave. Haemon protests her sentence and lectures his father on wise leadership. Creon refuses to change his mind. When the prophet Tiresias informs Creon that the gods are angry with his pronouncement concerning Polynices, he finally relents, but too late. When the cave is opened to retrieve Antigone, she has already hung herself. In his grief and anger, Haemon tries to kill Creon. He fails, and then kills himself instead.