Miscommunication is a key theme in both Antigone and Twelfth Night, or What You Will that causes people misinterpret what the other person actually means as well as the collapse of others and themselves. In Sophocles’ Antigone and William Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night, or What You Will, miscommunication steers misinterpretation and the downfall of people, especially when that person is in deep love, as seen when Creon is confused about his sons threat to not let Antigone die alone and Haemon is tired of his father’s wrongdoing, so he kills himself, and seen when Malvolio mistakes Olivia’s commands to go to sleep as going to bed with her, and Malvolio, after finding out that a ruse was played on him, goes back to being a regular servant, who has
…show more content…
After arguing that the punishment Creon is giving Antigone is barbarous, Creon and Haemon begins to talk about why Creon forbids his son to marry her, as Haemon is talking about not disobeying the gods. As the arguing progresses, Antigone is eagerly waiting to hear back from Creon about her “exile” to the cave. ‘“Creon: Never shall she live on to marry thee! Haemon: “Die as she may, she shall not die alone.”’ (Sophocles 28). Creon says that he will never let his only son marry a traitor like Antigone, but Haemon responds saying that he will not let her die alone. Being a pun, Haemon’s statement about not letting Antigone die alone, can be interpreted in two different ways. Creon assumes that he is saying that Haemon will die with her, but Haemon actually means that he will go and marry her before she dies, so she won’t die unmarried to her lover. Because of Antigone’s loyalty to the gods and her brother, Creon’s ultimate goal is to not let Antigone and Haemon have the special bond of marriage, which can never be broken. Consequently, this pun causes the downfall of both Creon and Haemon. Creon exiles himself from Thebes because of being filled with the guilt that he killed his son and wife with his stubbornness, and Haemon kills himself, because he ccouldn’t handle his father’s iniquity. If Creon and Haemon actually took the time to listen to each other, then they would both be living a normal life with everyone
After arguing that the punishment Creon is giving Antigone is barbarous, Creon and Haemon begins to talk about why Creon forbids his son to marry her, as Haemon is talking about not disobeying the gods. As the arguing progresses, Antigone is eagerly waiting to hear back from Creon about her “exile” to the cave. ‘“Creon: Never shall she live on to marry thee! Haemon: “Die as she may, she shall not die alone.”’ (Sophocles 28). Creon says that he will never let his only son marry a traitor like Antigone, but Haemon responds saying that he will not let her die alone. Being a pun, Haemon’s statement about not letting Antigone die alone, can be interpreted in two different ways. Creon assumes that he is saying that Haemon will die with her, but Haemon actually means that he will go and marry her before she dies, so she won’t die unmarried to her lover. Because of Antigone’s loyalty to the gods and her brother, Creon’s ultimate goal is to not let Antigone and Haemon have the special bond of marriage, which can never be broken. Consequently, this pun causes the downfall of both Creon and Haemon. Creon exiles himself from Thebes because of being filled with the guilt that he killed his son and wife with his stubbornness, and Haemon kills himself, because he ccouldn’t handle his father’s iniquity. If Creon and Haemon actually took the time to listen to each other, then they would both be living a normal life with everyone