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ANTIGONE
Sister； wherefore wroth with me？
ISMENE
Know'st notbeside
ANTIGONE
More must I hear？
ISMENE
Tombless he died； none near。
ANTIGONE
Lead me thither； slay me there。
ISMENE
How shall I unhappy fare；
Friendless； helpless； how drag on
A life of misery alone？
CHORUS
（Ant。 2）
Fear not； maids
ANTIGONE
Ah； whither flee？
CHORUS
Refuge hath been found。
ANTIGONE
For me？
CHORUS
Where thou shalt be safe from harm。
ANTIGONE
I know it。
CHORUS
Why then this alarm？
ANTIGONE
How again to get us home
I know not。
CHORUS
Why then this roam？
ANTIGONE
Troubles whelm us
CHORUS
As of yore。
ANTIGONE
Worse than what was worse before。
CHORUS
Sure ye are driven on the breakers' surge。
ANTIGONE
Alas！ we are。
CHORUS
Alas！ 'tis so。
ANTIGONE
Ah whither turn； O Zeus？ No ray
Of hope to cheer the way
Whereon the fates our desperate voyage urge。
＇Enter THESEUS＇
THESEUS
Dry your tears； when grace is shed
On the quick and on the dead
By dark Powers beneficent；
Over…grief they would resent。
ANTIGONE
Aegeus' child； to thee we pray。
THESEUS
What the boon； my children； say。
ANTIGONE
With our own eyes we fain would see
Our father's tomb。
THESEUS
That may not be。
ANTIGONE
What say'st thou； King？
THESEUS
My children； he
Charged me straitly that no moral
Should approach the sacred portal；
Or greet with funeral litanies
The hidden tomb wherein he lies；
Saying； 〃If thou keep'st my hest
Thou shalt hold thy realm at rest。〃
The God of Oaths this promise heard；
And to Zeus I pledged my word。
ANTIGONE
Well； if he would have it so；
We must yield。 Then let us go
Back to Thebes； if yet we may
Heal this mortal feud and stay
The self…wrought doom
That drives our brothers to their tomb。
THESEUS
Go in peace； nor will I spare
Ought of toil and zealous care；
But on all your needs attend；
Gladdening in his grave my friend。
CHORUS
Wail no more； let sorrow rest；
All is ordered for the best。
FOOTNOTES
…
1。 The Greek text for the passages marked here and later in the text
have been lost。
2。 To avoid the blessing； still a secret； he resorts to a
commonplace； literally； 〃For what generous man is not （in befriending
others） a friend to himself？〃
3。 Creon desires to bury Oedipus on the confines of Thebes so as to
avoid the pollution and yet offer due rites at his tomb。 Ismene tells
him of the latest oracle and interprets to him its purport； that some
day the Theban invaders of Athens will be routed in a battle near the
grave of Oedipus。
4。 The Thebans sprung from the Dragon's teeth sown by Cadmus。
SOPHOCLES
ANTIGONE
Translation by F。 Storr； BA
Formerly Scholar of Trinity College； Cambridge
From the Loeb Library Edition
Originally published by
Harvard University Press； Cambridge； MA
and
William Heinemann Ltd； London
First published in 1912
ARGUMENT
Antigone； daughter of Oedipus； the late king of Thebes； in defiance of
Creon who rules in his stead； resolves to bury her brother Polyneices；
slain in his attack on Thebes。 She is caught in the act by Creon's
watchmen and brought before the king。 She justifies her action；
asserting that she was bound to obey the eternal laws of right and
wrong in spite of any human ordinance。 Creon； unrelenting； condemns
her to be immured in a rock…hewn chamber。 His son Haemon； to whom
Antigone is betrothed； pleads in vain for her life and threatens to die
with her。 Warned by the seer Teiresias Creon repents him and hurries
to release Antigone from her rocky prison。 But he is too late： he
finds lying side by side Antigone who had hanged herself and Haemon who
also has perished by his own hand。 Returning to the palace he sees
within the dead body of his queen who on learning of her son's death
has stabbed herself to the heart。
DRAMATIS PERSONAE
ANTIGONE and ISMENE … daughters of Oedipus and sisters of Polyneices
and Eteocles。
CREON； King of Thebes。
HAEMON； Son of Creon； betrothed to Antigone。
EURYDICE； wife of Creon。
TEIRESIAS； the prophet。
CHORUS； of Theban elders。
A WATCHMAN
A MESSENGER
A SECOND MESSENGER
ANTIGONE
ANTIGONE and ISMENE before the Palace gates。
ANTIGONE
Ismene； sister of my blood and heart；
See'st thou how Zeus would in our lives fulfill
The weird of Oedipus； a world of woes！
For what of pain； affliction； outrage； shame；
Is lacking in our fortunes； thine and mine？
And now this proclamation of today
Made by our Captain…General to the State；
What can its purport be？ Didst hear and heed；
Or art thou deaf when friends are banned as foes？
ISMENE
To me； Antigone； no word of friends
Has come； or glad or grievous； since we twain
Were reft of our two brethren in one day
By double fratricide； and since i' the night
Our Argive leaguers fled； no later news
Has reached me； to inspirit or deject。
ANTIGONE
I know 'twas so； and therefore summoned thee
Beyond the gates to breathe it in thine ear。
ISMENE
What is it？ Some dark secret stirs thy breast。
ANTIGONE
What but the thought of our two brothers dead；
The one by Creon graced with funeral rites；
The other disappointed？ Eteocles
He hath consigned to earth （as fame reports）
With obsequies that use and wont ordain；
So gracing him among the dead below。
But Polyneices； a dishonored corse；
（So by report the royal edict runs）
No man may bury him or make lament
Must leave him tombless and unwept； a feast
For kites to scent afar and swoop upon。
Such is the edict （if report speak true）
Of Creon； our most noble Creon； aimed
At thee and me； aye me too； and anon
He will be here to promulgate； for such
As have not heard； his mandate； 'tis in sooth
No passing humor； for the edict says
Whoe'er transgresses shall be stoned to death。
So stands it with us； now 'tis thine to show
If thou art worthy of thy blood or base。
ISMENE
But how； my rash； fond sister； in such case
Can I do anything to make or mar？
ANTIGONE
Say； wilt thou aid me and abet？ Decide。
ISMENE
In what bold venture？ What is in thy thought？
ANTIGONE
Lend me a hand to bear the corpse away。
ISMENE
What； bury him despite the interdict？
ANTIGONE
My brother； and； though thou deny him； thine
No man shall say that _I_ betrayed a brother。
ISMENE
Wilt thou persist； though Creon has forbid？
ANTIGONE
What right has he to keep me from my own？
ISMENE
Bethink thee； sister； of our father's fate；
Abhorred； dishonored； self…convinced of sin；
Blinded； himself his executioner。
Think of his mother…wife （ill sorted names）
Done by a noose herself had twined to