The World's Greatest Books [Volumes 1-15, 17-20]

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Creon : Dost know and rightly speak the tale thou tellest?

Guard: I saw her burying that self-same corpse.

Creon : Thou then, yes thou, who bend'st thy face to earth, Confessest thou, or dost deny the deed?

Antigone: I own I did it, and will not deny.

[Exit Guard.

Creon: Knewest thou the edicts which forbade these things, &nd didst thou dare to disobey these laws ?

Antigone : Yes; for it was not Zeus who gave them forth, Nor Justice, dwelling with the gods below, Who traced these laws for all the sons of men; Nor did I deem thy edicts strong enough That thou, a mortal man, shouldst overpass The unwritten laws of God that know no change. They are not of to-day or yesterday, But live for ever, nor can man assign When first they sprang to being. Not through fear Of any man's resolve was I prepared Before the gods to bear the penalty Of sinning against these. That I should die I knew—how should I not?—though the decree Had never spoken. And before my time, If I shall die, I reckon this again. For whoso lives, as I, in many woes, How can it be but he shall gain by death ? And so for me to bear this doom of thine Has nothing painful; but if I had left My mother's son unburied on his death, In that I should have suffered. But in this I suffer not; and should I seem to thee To do a foolish deed, 'tis simply this— I bear the charge of folly from a fool.

Creon : Thou and thy sister shall not 'scape a doom 242

Most foul and shameful; for I charge her too With having planned this deed of sepulchre.

[Enter Ismene. Creon : Wilt thou confess thou took'st thy part in this, Or wilt thou swear thou didst not know of it ?

Ismene* I did the deed if she did, go with her, Yea, share the guilt, and bear an equal blame.

Antigone: Nay, justice will not suffer this, for thou Didst not consent, nor did I let thee join.

Ismene: What life to me is sweet, bereaved of thee? Antigone : Thou mad'st thy choice to live, and I to die. Ismene (to Creon) : Wilt thou, then, slay thy son's

betrothed bride ? Creon : W'ives that are vile I love not for my sons. Ismene: Ah, dearest Hsemon, how thy father shames

thee! Chorus : Her doom is fixed, it seems, then; she must

die. Creon : Fixed, yes, by me and thee; no more delay.

[Exeunt Guards, with Antigone and Ismene. Chorus: Thy power, Oh Zeus, what haughtiness of men, Yea, what can hold in check ? Which neither sleep, which maketh all things old, Nor the long months of God that never fail, Can for a moment seize, But still as Lord supreme, Waxing not old with time, Thou dwellest in thy sheen of radiancy On far Olympus height.

Through future near or far as through the past One law holds ever good: Nought comes to life of man unscathed throughout by

woe. [Enter H.emon, zvho vainly endeavours to persuade Creon from his purpose. Creon : Thou woman's slave, I say, prate on no more. 243

Hjemon: Wilt thou then speak and speaking listen not?

Creon : Nay, by Olympus, thou shalt not go free To flout me with reproaches; lead her out, Whom my soul hates, that she may die forthwith Before mine eyes, and near her bridegroom here.

H/EMON : No! think it not; near me she shall not die; And thou shalt never see my face alive, That thou mayest storm at those who like to yield.

[Exit.

Chorus : What form of death mean'st thou to slay her with?

Creon : Leading her on to where the desert path Is loneliest, there alive in rocky cave Will I immure her, just so much of food Before her set as may avert pollution, And save the city from the guilt of blood.

Chorus : O Love, in every battle victor owned, Love rushing on thy prey; Now on a maiden's soft and blooming cheek In secret ambush hid, Now o'er the broad sea wandering at will And now in shepherd's folds— Of all the Undying Ones none 'scape from thee, Nor yet of mortal men Whose lives are measured as a fleeting day And who has thee is frenzied in his soul. Lo, I see her, I see Antigone, Wend her sad lonely way To that bride-chamber where we all must lie.

[Enter Antigone.

Antigone : Behold, O men of this my fatherland, I wend my last long way,

Seeing the last sunbeam now and nevermore; With neither part nor lot In marriage festival, Nor hath the marriage hymn

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Been sung for me as bride;

But I shall be the bride of Acheron.

Unwept, without a friend,

Unwed and whelmed in woe,

I journey on this road that open lies.

What law of heaven have I transgressed against?

What use for me, ill-starred one, still to look

To any god for succour, or to call

On any friend for aid? For holiest deed

I bear this charge of rank unholiness.

If facts like these the gods on high approve,

We, taught by pain, shall own that we have sinned;

But if these sin, I pray they suffer not

Worse evils than the wrongs they do to me.

O citadel of Thebes, my native land,

Ye gods of ancient days, I go and tarry not.

[Antigone is led out.

Chorus : So did the form of Danae bear of old, In brazen palace hid, To lose the light of heaven; And in her tomb-like chamber was enclosed; Yet she, O child, was noble in her race, And well she stored the golden shower of Zeus, But great and dread the might of destiny! Nor kingly wealth, nor war, Nor tower, nor dark-hulled ships Beaten by waves, escape.