The Play

 

Scene and Time: The area before the royal house of Thebes at the break of day (16).

 

Antigone⁽¹⁰⁾

O common one of the same womb, head of Ismene,⁽¹¹⁾

do you know of any suffering of those from Oedipus

that Zeus is yet to fulfill for us two yet living?

Nothing painful, nothing †without ruin†,⁽¹²⁾

no disgrace, no dishonor exists 5

that I have not seen among your evils and mine.

And now, what is this proclamation they say

the general⁽¹³⁾ just laid down for the whole city?

Do you know, have you heard, or are you unaware that

evils worthy of enemies are marching down on philoi?10
 

Ismene

No word of philoi, Antigone,

sweet or painful, has come to me since

we two were deprived of our two brothers,

each dead on one day by the other's hand.

Since the Argive army left15

last night,⁽¹⁴⁾ I know nothing further

whether I am fortunate or ruined more.

 

Antigone

I thought as much. That is why I kept calling⁽¹⁵⁾ you outside

the courtyard gates so you would be alone when you heard.

 

Ismene

What is it? Clearly, you are deeply blue over some word.⁽¹⁶⁾ 20

 

Antigone

Why not? A tomb--has not Creon honored one of our

two brothers with one and dishonored the other without one?⁽¹⁷⁾

Eteocles, as they say, †with just

use of justice† and custom, he has hidden

beneath the earth, honored among the dead below.⁽¹⁸⁾ 25

But as for the corpse of Polyneices who perished wretchedly,

they say that proclamation has been sent forth to the citizens

that no one cover it with a tomb or bewail it,

but let it lie unmourned, unentombed, a sweet treasury

for birds looking upon it for meat.30

Such proclamations they say the good Creon

has decreed for you and me--me I say.

He is coming here to proclaim this clearly

to whoever does not know, and he considers it no small

matter. For anyone who does any of these things, 35

murder by public stoning⁽¹⁹⁾ in the city is ordained.

Now, this is the way it is for you, and you will show quickly

whether you are of noble birth or base born from good stock.⁽²⁰⁾

 

Ismene

What can I do, wretched one, if things are

in this state, by loosening or tightening the knot?⁽²¹⁾40

 

Antigone

See whether you will join in the toil and the deed with me.

 

Ismene

What dangerous enterprise? What ever are you thinking?

 

Antigone

Whether you will lift the corpse with this hand?

 

Ismene

What? Do you intend to perform rites for it, a thing forbidden the city?

 

Antigone

For my brother, certainly, and yours, if you will not.45

I for one will not be caught betraying him.⁽²²⁾

 

Ismene

Headstrong! When Creon has forbidden it?

 

Antigone

He has no part in keeping me from what is mine.

 

Ismene

Ah me! think, sister, how father,

died on the two of us, hated and disgraced, 50

when driven by self-discovered offenses, he pierced

both his eyes with a self-inflicting hand.

Then his mother and wife--a twofold name--

mistreated her life with twisted nooses.

And thirdly, two brothers in one day, 55

the wretched pair, worked a common fate by killing

themselves with hands turned upon one another.

Now in turn, we two left all alone, consider

how badly we will perish, if in violence of the law

we transgress the decree and power of absolute rulers. 60

No, we two⁽²³⁾ women must keep in mind we were born

women whose purpose is not to battle against men.⁽²⁴⁾

Then, because we are ruled by those who are stronger,

we must hear and obey this and things yet more painful.

As for me, begging those below 65

for pardon, since I am being forced in this,

I will yield to those in authority,

for acting in excess has no sense.

 

Antigone

And I would not ask you, and if you wish

in the future, you would not gladly do anything with me.70

No, be whatever seems best to you. That one

I shall give rites. It is noble for me to die doing this.

I shall lie with him, philê with philos,

after I have done anything and everything holy,⁽²⁵⁾ since far longer

is the time I must please those below than those here. 75

I shall lie there for ever. You, if you think it best,

hold in dishonor the honored things of the gods.

 

Ismene

I am doing them no dishonor, but I am incapable

by my nature of acting in violence of the citizens.

 

Antigone

You can make excuses, but I shall go, 80

heap up a mound for a most philos brother.⁽²⁶⁾

 

Ismene

Ah me! unhappy one, how I fear for you.

 

Antigone

Do not be afraid for me. Set straight the course of your own fate.⁽²⁷⁾

 

Ismene

Please, do not tell anyone what you are doing.

Keep it secret, and I will do the same. 85

 

Antigone

Ah me! Tell everybody. You will be more hostile

if you keep silent and do not proclaim this to everyone.

 

Ismene

You have a hot heart for cold things.

 

Antigone

No, I know I am pleasing those I should most please.

 

Ismene

If you can, but no, you lust for what is beyond your means.90

 

Antigone

Well, when my strength fails, I shall cease once for all.⁽²⁸⁾

 

Ismene

From the outset, to hunt for what is beyond your means is not fitting.

 

Antigone

If you say this, you will be hated by me

and justly be deemed an enemy to the one dead.

No, let me and the foolish counsel I offer 95

suffer something dreadful, but I shall not

suffer anything that will keep me from dying nobly.

 

[Antigone is exiting by the gangway leading to the country. Ismene calls after her.]

 

Ismene

If it seems best, go, but know this

you go without sense but truly a philê to your philoi.

 

[Ismene exits into the house. Without significant delay, the sounds of a musical instrument were heard. Stirringly familiar, they must have sent chills traversing the spines of men in the audience. Similar sounds kept the beat for hoplites in full armor on their way across no man's land to engage the enemy in battle. They came from an aulos, a clarinet- or oboe-like instrument consisting of a reed inserted into a cylindrical pipe pierced with holes. The number of holes determined its range. The aulos was usually played in pairs, both instruments held to the lips by a strap around the chin and over the head of the player. The latter was a splendidly garbed professional whose sounds kept time for the choristers. The choristers, representing Theban elders, as the gray hair of their masks would indicate (1092-93), were probably young men between the ages of eighteen and twenty.⁽²⁹⁾ They were singing lines 100-54 as they moved solemnly but naturally in a rectangular formation,. They danced in rectangular or circular formations, three abreast and five deep, that stylized those of the hoplites they were in training to become. Learning Sophocles' choreography and lyrics replaced for these select youths the usual activities of ephebes during these final days of their youth. Sophocles put his best people on the left flank and his poorest in the middle line known as the "alley." In the middle of the left line, occupying its third position, the Coryphaeus or chorus leader was marked by his more brightly decorated robes. He addressed the actors in dialogue on behalf of the others and joined the others in singing the songs.]
 

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