ANTIGONE

ANTIGONH

(c. 441 B.C.)

by

Sophocles

(c. 496-406 B.C.)

translated by Dudley Fitts and Robert Fitzgerald

adapted for the Washington Hall mainstage by

Mark Pilkinton

 

 

The University of Notre Dame

Department of Film, Television, & Theatre

28 November-2 December 2001

ANTIGONE

by Sophocles

Characters

Antigone, daughter of Oedipus ANTIGONH

Ismene, daughter of Oedipus ISMHNH

Eurydice, wife of Creon EURUDIKH

Creon, King of Thebes KREWN

Haimon, son of Creon AIMWN

Teiresias, A blind seer TEIRESIAS

Sentry FULAX

Messenger AGGELOS

Priest IEREUS

Chorus COROS

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Scene: Before the palace of Creon, King of Thebes. A central double door, and two lateral doors. A platform

extends the length of the façade, and from this platform three steps lead down into the orchestra, or dancing

place. Or, simply, in front of the palace at Thebes.

Time: Dawn of the day after the repulse of the Argive army from the assault on Thebes, and the brothers

Eteocles and Polyneices have killed each other.

Prologue

(Antigone and Ismene enter.)

ANTIGONE

You would think that we had already suffered enough for the curse on our father, Oedipus. I cannot imagine

any grief that you and I have not gone through. And now–have they told you of the new decree of our uncle,

King Creon?

ISMENE

I have heard nothing. I know that two sisters lost two brothers, a double death in a single hour; and I know

that the Argive army fled in the night; but beyond this, nothing.

ANTIGONE

I thought so. And that is why I wanted you to come out here with me. This is something we must do.

ISMENE

Why do you speak so strangely?

ANTIGONE

Listen, Ismene: Creon buried our brother, Eteocles, with military honors, gave him a soldier’s funeral, and it

was right that he should–but Polyneices, who fought as bravely and died as miserably–they say that Creon

has sworn no one shall bury him, no one mourn for him, but his body must lie in the fields, a sweet treasure

for carrion birds to find as they search for food. That is what they say, and our good Creon is coming here to

announce it publicly; and the penalty–stoning to death in the public square! There it is, and now you can

prove what you are: a true sister, or a traitor to your family.

ISMENE

Antigone, you are mad! What could I possibly do?

ANTIGONE

You must decide whether you will help me or not.

ISMENE

I do not understand you. Help you in what?

ANTIGONE

Ismene, I am going to bury him.

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ISMENE

Bury him! You have just said the new law forbids it.

ANTIGONE

He is my brother. And he is your brother, too.

ISMENE

But think of the danger! Think what Creon will do!

ANTIGONE

Creon is not strong enough to stand in my way.

ISMENE

Ah sister! Oedipus died, everyone hating him for what his own search brought to light, his eyes ripped out by

his own hand, and Jocasta died, his mother and wife at once, our mother: she twisted the cords that strangled

her life; and our two brothers died, each killed by the other’s sword. And we are left. But, oh, Antigone, think

how much more terrible than this our own death would be if we should go against Creon and do what he has

forbidden! We are only women. We cannot fight with men, Antigone! The law is strong, we must give in to

the law in this thing. I beg the Dead to forgive me, but I am helpless: I must yield to those in authority, and I

think it is dangerous business to be always meddling.

ANTIGONE

If that is what you think, then I should not want you, even if you asked to come. You have made your choice;

you can be what you want to be. But I will bury him, and if I must die, I say that this crime is holy. I shall lie

down with him in death, and I shall be as dear to him as he to me. It is the dead, not the living, who make the

greatest demands: we die forever. . .

ISMENE

I have no strength to break laws that were made for the public good.

ANTIGONE

That must be your excuse, I suppose. But as for me, I will bury the brother I love.

ISMENE

Antigone, I am so afraid for you!

ANTIGONE

You need not be: you have yourself to consider, after all.

ISMENE

But no one must hear of this, you must tell no one! I will keep it a secret, I promise!

ANTIGONE

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O tell it! Tell everyone!

ISMENE

So fiery! You should be cold with fear.

ANTIGONE

Perhaps. But I am doing only what I must.

ISMENE

But can you do it? I say that you cannot.

ANTIGONE

When my strength gives out, I shall do no more.

ISMENE

Impossible things should not be tried at all.

ANTIGONE

Go away, Ismene: I shall be hating you soon, and the dead will, too. For your words are hateful. Leave me my

foolish plan: I am not afraid of the danger; if it means death, it will not be the worst of deaths–death without

honor.

ISMENE

Go then, if you feel that you must. You are unwise, but a loyal friend indeed to those who love you.

(Exit)

Parodos

Strophe 1

CHORUS

Now the long blade of the sun, lying

Level east to west, touches with glory

Thebes of the Seven Gates. Open, unlidded

Eye of golden day! O marching light

Across the eddy and rush of Dirce’s stream,

Striking the white shields of the enemy

thrown headlong backward from the blaze of morning!

PRIEST

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Polyneices their commander

Roused them with windy phrases

He the wild eagle screaming

Insults above our land,

His wings their shields of snow,

His crest their marshalled helms.

Antistrophe 1

CHORUS

Against our seven gates in a yawning ring

The famished spears came onward in the night;’

But before his jaws were sated with our blood,

Or pine fire took the garland of our towers,

He was thrown back, and as he turned, great Thebes–

No tender victim for his noisy power–

Rose like a dragon behind him, shouting war.

PRIEST

For God hates utterly

The bray of bragging tongues;

And when he beheld their smiling,

Their swagger of golden helms,

The frown of his thunder blasted

Their first man from our walls.

Strophe 2

CHORUS

We heard his shout of triumph high in the air

Turn to a scream; far out in a flaming arc

He fell with his windy torch, and the earth struck him.

And others storming in fury no less than his

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Found shock of death in the dusty joy of battle.

 

 

PRIEST

Seven captains at seven gates

Yielded their clanging arms to the god

That bends the battle-line and breaks it.

These two only, brothers in blood,

Face to face in matchless rage,

Mirroring each other’s death

Clashed in long combat.

Antistrophe 2

CHORUS

But now in the beautiful morning of victory

Let Thebes of the many chariots sing for joy!

With hearts for dancing we’ll take leave of war:

Our temples shall be sweet with hymns of praise,

And the long nights shall echo with our chorus.

SCENE 1

PRIEST

But now at least our new King is coming. Creon of Thebes, Menoeceus’s son. In this auspicious dawn of his

reign, what are the new complexities that shifting Fate has woven for him? What is his counsel? Why has he

summoned us to hear him?

(Enter Creon from the palace, center. He addresses the Chorus from the top step.)

CREON

Gentlemen: I have the honor to inform you that our Ship of State, which recent storms have threatened to

destroy, has come safely to harbor at last, guided by the merciful wisdom of Heaven.

(Cheers from the crowd.)

I have summoned you here this morning because I know that I can depend upon you: your devotion to King

Laios was absolute; you never hesitated in your duty to our late ruler Oedipus, and when Oedipus died, your

loyalty was transferred to his children. Unfortunately, as you know, his two sons, the princes Eteocles and

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Polyneices, have killed each other in battle: and I, as the next in line, have succeeded to the full power of the

throne.

I am aware, of course, that no Ruler can expect complete loyalty from his subjects until he has been tested in

office. Nevertheless, I say to you at the very outset that I have nothing but contempt for the kind of Governor

who is afraid, for whatever reason, to follow the course that he knows is best for the State: and as for the man

who sets private friendship above the public welfare, –I have no use for him, either. I call God to witness that

if I saw my country headed for ruin, I should not be afraid to speak out plainly; and indeed hardly remind you

that I would never have any dealings with an enemy of the people. No one values friendship more highly than

I; but we must remember that friends made at the risk of destroying the State are not real friends at all.

These are my principles, at any rate, and that is why I have made the following decision concerning the sons

of Oedipus. Eteocles, who died as a man should die, fighting for his country, is to be buried with full military

honors, with all the ceremony that is usual when the greatest heroes die,

(Positive reaction from crowd.)

but his brother Polyneices, who broke his exile to come back with fire and sword against his native city and

the shrines of his fathers’ gods,

(Boos from crowd.)

whose one idea was to spill the blood of his blood and sell his own people into slavery–

(More boos.)

Polyneices, I say, is to have no burial, no man is to touch him or say the least prayer for him.

(This is a surprise for the crowd, and they are shocked at the severity of the decree.)

He shall lie on this plain, unburied, and the birds and the scavenging dogs can do with him whatever they like.

(Utter silence from the crowd.)

This is my command, and you can see the wisdom behind it. As long as I am King, no traitor is going to be

honored.

PRIEST