According to Haemon, the reports that spread through the darkness are the people's belief that Antigone committed no crime when she buried her brother Polyneices. Haemon is trying to tell his father that the people disagree with his ruling to put her to death. His message should carry more weight with Creon, because he claims to be punishing Antigone so as not to allow chaos to erupt in the city. Since Polyneices was declared a traitor, Creon believes that he has the right to punish him even after he is dead.
"When Creon orders Polyneices left unburied, Antigone felt she was acting according to the "unwritten laws" of Zeus by burying him. To her, all dead should have the honor of burial, no matter what they did in life, and she felt she was justified in fulfilling this custom and obeying the law of Zeus."
He pleads with his father to understand that Antigone is only doing what is natural and normal and required by the gods. She is following the traditions of their religious beliefs.
In decreeing that Polyneices shall remain unburied, Creon takes too much authority, he is being arrogant and prideful in his declaration of absolute power over not only the living but the dead. He wants to damn the man's soul, and he has no authority to do this, and Antigone knows it.
"For the dread of thy frown forbids the citizen to speak such words as would offend thine ear; but can hear these murmurs in the dark, these moanings of the city for this maiden; 'no woman,' they say, 'ever merited her doom less,-none ever was to die so shamefully for deeds so glorious as hers; who, when her own brother had fallen in bloody strife, would not leave him unburied, to be devoured by carrion dogs, or by any bird:-deserves not she the meed of golden honour?'" (Sophocles)
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