Today's reading

Antigone Enter ANTIGONE and Ismene from the palace. ANTIGONE: Ismene, my dear sister through common blood, do you know of any evil from Oedipus Zeus will not perform on us who still live? For I have seen nothing—nothing painful, nothing mad or shameful or dishonorable—(5) that is not among your or my sorrows. And now what do they say? The general has just put an edict over the whole city. Have you heard it? Or have you avoided learning how our friends suffer the fate of foes?(10) ISMENE: No word of friends, Antigone, either sweet or painful, has come to me since we two sisters were robbed of our two brothers, both dying the same day by doubled hand. But since the army of the Argives departed last night, I've seen nothing else,(15) either to cause me to rejoice or to weep. ANTIGONE: I knew it! For this reason I brought you outside the gates, that you alone might hear. ISMENE: What? You seem to ponder something deeply. ANTIGONE: Indeed! For of our two brothers, Creon(20) gives honorable burial to one, but dishonors the other. They say that he hid Eteocles beneath the earth with well-deserved pomp and circumstance, as one honored among the dead below;(25) but the corpse of Polynices, who died so sadly, they say it has been declared to the citizens that no one may bury or mourn him, but must see him unlamented, unburied, a sweet find for birds to feast upon.(30) Such things they say our good Creon decreed for you and me—for me, I say! And he is coming here to announce it clearly to anyone who hasn't heard, for he considers it no small matter,(35) but for the one who does any of it, the penalty is death by public stoning. There you have it, and soon you will show how nobly you honor your noble birth. ISMENE: But what more, my poor girl, in times like these,(40) could I do that would not tangle the knot further? ANTIGONE: Will you share in the labor and the deed? ISMENE: What is the venture? Where have your thoughts gone? ANTIGONE: Will you lift the corpse with this very hand? ISMENE: You want to bury him, although it's forbidden in the city!(45) ANTIGONE: I'll bury my brother—your brother, too, though you refuse! I'll not be found a traitor. ISMENE: Madwoman, even when Creon forbids it? ANTIGONE: He has no right to keep me from my own. ISMENE: No, no! Think, my sister, how our father(50) died hated and infamous from offenses self-detected, smiting both his eyes with his very own hands. His wife and mother— both words at once!—took her life with twisted noose; then, third, our two brothers in just one day(55) slew each other, poor wretches, achieving a common doom at one another's hands. And now the two of us, left all alone— think how very horribly we will die if we go against the king's decree and strength(60) outside the law. Rather, consider that we were born women, proving we should not fight with men, and that we are ruled by more powerful people and must obey them, even in more painful things. Therefore I ask forgiveness from those below,(65) as I am forced to in these matters, and yield to those who walk with authority. For to do excessive things is nonsense. ANTIGONE: I would not order you; and if you change your mind now, I would not have you do it with me.(70) Be whatever you want, and I will bury him. It seems fair to me to die doing it. I will lie dear to him, with one dear to me, a holy outlaw, since I must please those below a longer time than people here,(75) for I shall lie there forever. You, though, dishonor the gods' commands, if you wish. ISMENE: I do not dishonor them, but to do this against the state—I have no strength for it. ANTIGONE: Use that excuse, if you like, but I indeed(80) will go and heap a tomb for my dearest brother. ISMENE: Alas, how I fear for you, daring girl! ANTIGONE: Don't worry for me; straighten out your own life. ISMENE: Then, at least, proclaim this deed to no one; but keep it secret, and I shall do the same.(85) ANTIGONE: Oh, denounce it! I will hate you the more if you don't tell these things to everyone. ISMENE: You have a hot heart for chilling matters. ANTIGONE: But I know I'll please those I should please most. ISMENE: If you can—you want the impossible.(90) ANTIGONE: Well, then, I shall stop whenever my strength fails. ISMENE: You should not start an impossible quest. ANTIGONE: If you say this, you will be hateful to me, and the dead will hate you always–justly. But let me and my foolish plans suffer(95) this terrible thing, for I shall succumb to nothing so awful as a shameful death. ISMENE: Then go, if this seems best to you, but know that your friends truly love you, however foolish. Exit ANTIGONE off stage, ISMENE into the palace, after which the CHORUS marches onto the stage. CHORUS: Str. 1 Ray of the sun,(100) fairest light of all those shining on seven-gated Thebes, at last you appeared, O eyes of golden day, coming over the streams of Dirce,(105) you sent away the white-shielded warrior from Argos, running from here, with your piercing bridle. He set forth against our land because of the contentious claims of Polynices,(110) like a sharply crying eagle flying into our land, covered with a wing white as snow, descending with many shields and crested with horse-hair.(115) Ant. 1 He perched on the roof, gaping wide with bloody spears around our seven gates, but then he went away, before his jaws were filled with our blood(120) or Hephaestus' torches could take our crown of towers. Such a clash of Ares swelled behind him, a hard conquest for the dragon's rival. For Zeus hates excessively(125) the boasts of a great tongue, and looking on them coming in rapid flow, over-confident in clanging gold, he threw down the one rushing with brandished fire to the top of his goal,(130) seeking already to proclaim his victory. Str. 2 He fell in an arc to the hard ground, torch in hand, the one who with raging onslaught furiously was breathing with the rush of the most hateful winds.(135) But, those things went otherwise, and great Ares sent them to various fates, smiting them, our chariot's strongest horse. Seven captains at our seven gates,(140) marshaled against equal foes, left to Zeus the router bronze weapons, except those two wretches, who were born of the same father and the same mother, standing against each other with doubly slaying spears,(145) they both took an equal share of their common death. Ant. 2 But since great-named Victory came, rejoicing in answer with Thebes of many chariots, let us enjoy oblivion of the recent wars(150) and let us go to all the temples of the gods to dance through the night, and may Bacchus, who has made Thebes shake, be our leader. Enter CREON from the palace. But here is the king of this land,(155) Creon, son of Menoeceus, our new leader in this new situation given by the gods. What plan does he hold that he proposed this gathered council of old men,(160) summoning us by proclamation? CREON: Gentlemen, the gods have set right again our city's affairs, after shaking them in a storm, and I have summoned you here out of all the citizens, knowing well(165) how you always revered the power of Laius' throne; then, both when Oedipus saved the city and when he fell, you stood in consistent support of their children. And so, since in the same day they both fell(170) by twofold fate, each striking and spreading fratricidal pollution, now I hold sole power and the throne, because I am the closest relative of the fallen. It is impossible to know the soul,(175) the mind, and character of any man, until he has proven himself in the law. For if someone rules an entire city and does not take hold of the best counsels, but holds his tongue out of fear, I think him(180) to be the worst of men, now and always; and the man who considers more important than his fatherland his friend, I think him worthless. For—and may all-seeing Zeus be my witness—I would never be silent(185) if I saw madness creeping among the citizens in place of salvation, nor would I consider an enemy of my country a friend to myself, recognizing this: that my country is(190) safety itself, and only when she is upright can our sailing find friends. With laws like these I will make our city grow. Therefore, I have made a decree to the citizens concerning the sons of Oedipus:(195) Eteocles, who fell fighting for this city, who earned every prize of valor, will be buried and receive all honors that go to the best of the dead below. His erstwhile kinsman, however, I mean(200) Polynices, who returned from exile with hopes of burning his native land and ancestral gods from top to bottom, wishing to feast on kindred blood and lead the rest into slavery, it has been(205) decreed that in this city he shall be neither buried nor mourned by anyone, but everyone must leave him unburied, a feast for birds and dogs, an outrage to see. This is my judgment, and never from me(210) will the base take equal honor to the good; but whoever is friendly to this city will in life and death be equally honored by me. CHORUS: You are at your pleasure to decide this, son of Menoeceus, concerning the city's(215) friend and foe. You may use any habit both with the dead and with all of us who live. CREON: Then I would have you keep watch over my words. CHORUS: Give this task to a younger man to do. CREON: No, the corpse's guards are already posted.(220) CHORUS: What would you have us do beyond this? CREON: Do not join with those disobeying it. CHORUS: No man is so foolish as to lust for death. CREON: And truly that is this deed's reward, but often profit has destroyed men through their hopes.(225) Enter GUARD from offstage.