SOPHOCLES ANTIGONE Translated by Ian Johnston Vancouver Island University Nanaimo, British Columbia Canada 2005 [Revised slightly and reformatted 2017] For a Rich Text Format version of this translation please use the following link: Antigone [RTF] TRANSLATOR'S NOTE Students, teachers, performing artists, and members of the general public may download and distribute this text without permission and without charge. They may freely edit or adapt the text to suit their purposes. Drama companies may produce this translation (or a version of it) on the stage without charge, provided they inform the translator of the production details (i.e., dates, name of company, and place). Any commercial publication of the text, however, is not permitted without the consent of Ian Johnston. The translator would like to acknowledge the valuable help provided by Andrew Brown’s edition of Sophocles’ Antigone (Aris & Philips, 1987), especially by his editorial notes. Note that in this translation the numbers in square brackets refer to the Greek text, and the numbers with no brackets refer to this text. Indented partial lines in the English text have been counted with the shorter line above them as a single line. The stage directions and explanatory notes have been provided by the translator. BACKGROUND NOTE TO THE STORY When Oedipus, king of Thebes, discovered through his own investigations that he had killed his father and married his mother, Jocasta, he put out his own eyes, and Jocasta killed herself. Once Oedipus ceased being king of Thebes, his two sons, Polyneices and Eteocles, agreed to alternate as king. When Eteocles refused to give up power to Polyneices, the latter collected a foreign army of Argives and attacked the city. In the ensuing battle, the Thebans triumphed over the invading forces, and the two brothers killed each other, with Eteocles defending the city and Polyneices attacking it. The action of the play begins immediately after the battle. Note that Creon is a brother of Jocasta and thus an uncle of Antigone, Ismene, Eteocles, and Polyneices. ANTIGONE DRAMATIS PERSONAE ANTIGONE: daughter of Oedipus ISMENE: daughter of Oedipus, sister of Antigone CREON: king of Thebes EURYDICE: wife of Creon HAEMON: son of Creon and Euridice, engaged to Antigone. TEIRESIAS: an old blind prophet BOY: a young lad guiding Teiresias GUARD: a soldier serving Creon MESSENGER CHORUS: Theban Elders ATTENDANTS. [In Thebes, directly in front of the royal palace, which stands in the background, its main doors facing the audience. Enter Antigone leading Ismene away from the palace] ANTIGONE Now, dear Ismene, my own blood sister, do you have any sense of all the troubles Zeus keeps bringing on the two of us, as long as we’re alive? All that misery which stems from Oedipus? There’s no suffering, no shame, no ruin—not one dishonour— which I have not seen in all the troubles you and I go through. What’s this they’re saying now, something our general has had proclaimed throughout the city? Do you know of it? 10 Have you heard? Or have you just missed the news? Dishonours which better fit our enemies are now being piled up on the ones we love. [10] ISMENE I’ve had no word at all, Antigone, nothing good or bad about our family, not since we two lost both our brothers, killed on the same day by a double blow. And since the Argive army, just last night, has gone away, I don’t know any more if I’ve been lucky or face total ruin. 20 ANTIGONE I know that. That’s why I brought you here, outside the gates, so only you can hear. ISMENE What is it? The way you look makes it seem [20] you’re thinking of some dark and gloomy news. ANTIGONE Look—what’s Creon doing with our two brothers? He’s honouring one with a full funeral and treating the other one disgracefully! Eteocles, they say, has had his burial according to our customary rites, to win him honour with the dead below. 30 But as for Polyneices, who perished so miserably, an order has gone out throughout the city—that’s what people say. He’s to have no funeral or lament, but to be left unburied and unwept, a sweet treasure for the birds to look at, for them to feed on to their heart’s content. [30] That’s what people say the noble Creon has announced to you and me—I mean to me— and now he’s coming to proclaim the fact, 40 to state it clearly to those who have not heard. For Creon this matter’s really serious. Anyone who acts against the order will be stoned to death before the city. Now you know, and you’ll quickly demonstrate whether you are nobly born, or else a girl unworthy of her splendid ancestors. ISMENE O my poor sister, if that’s what’s happening, what can I say that would be any help to ease the situation or resolve it? 50 [40] ANTIGONE Think whether you will work with me in this and act together. ISMENE In what kind of work? What do you mean? ANTIGONE Will you help these hands take up Polyneices’ corpse and bury it? ISMENE What? You’re going to bury Polyneices, when that’s been made a crime for all in Thebes? ANTIGONE Yes. I’ll do my duty to my brother— and yours as well, if you’re not prepared to. I won’t be caught betraying him. ISMENE You’re too rash. Has Creon not expressly banned that act? 60 ANTIGONE Yes. But he’s no right to keep me from what’s mine. ISMENE O dear. Think, Antigone. Consider how our father died, hated and disgraced, [50] when those mistakes which his own search revealed forced him to turn his hand against himself and stab out both his eyes. Then that woman, his mother and his wife—her double role— destroyed her own life in a twisted noose. Then there’s our own two brothers, both butchered in a single day—that ill-fated pair 70 with their own hands slaughtered one another and brought about their common doom. Now, the two of us are left here quite alone. Think how we’ll die far worse than all the rest, if we defy the law and move against [60] the king’s decree, against his royal power. We must remember that by birth we’re women, and, as such, we shouldn’t fight with men. Since those who rule are much more powerful, we must obey in this and in events 80 which bring us even harsher agonies. So I’ll ask those underground for pardon— since I’m being compelled, I will obey those in control. That’s what I’m forced to do. It makes no sense to try to do too much. ANTIGONE I wouldn’t urge you to. No. Not even if you were keen to act. Doing this with you would bring me no joy. So be what you want. [70] I’ll still bury him. It would be fine to die while doing that. I’ll lie there with him, 90 with a man I love, pure and innocent, for all my crime. My honours for the dead must last much longer than for those up here. I’ll lie down there forever. As for you, well, if you wish, you can show contempt for those laws the gods all hold in honour. ISMENE I’m not disrespecting them. But I can’t act against the state. That’s not in my nature. ANTIGONE Let that be your excuse. I’m going now [80] to make a burial mound for my dear brother. 100 ISMENE Oh poor Antigone, I’m so afraid for you. ANTIGONE Don’t fear for me. Set your own fate in order. ISMENE Make sure you don’t reveal to anyone what you intend. Keep it closely hidden. I’ll do the same. ANTIGONE No, no. Announce the fact— if you don’t let everybody know, I’ll despise your silence even more. ISMENE Your heart is hot to do cold deeds. ANTIGONE But I know I’ll please the ones I’m duty bound to please. ISMENE Yes, if you can. But you’re after something 110 [90] which you’re incapable of carrying out. ANTIGONE Well, when my strength is gone, then I’ll give up. ISMENE A vain attempt should not be made at all. ANTIGONE I’ll hate you if you’re going to talk that way. And you’ll rightly earn the loathing of the dead. So leave me and my foolishness alone— we’ll get through this fearful thing. I won’t suffer anything as bad as a disgraceful death. ISMENE All right then, go, if that’s what you think right. But remember this—even though your mission 120 makes no sense, your friends do truly love you. [Exit Antigone away from the palace. Ismene watches her go and then turns slowly into the palace. Enter the Chorus of Theban elders.] CHORUS O ray of sunlight, [100] most beautiful that ever shone on Thebes, city of the seven gates, you’ve appeared at last, you glowing eye of golden day, moving above the streams of Dirce, driving into headlong flight the white-shield warrior from Argos, who marched here fully armed, 130 now forced back by your sharper power.(1) CHORUS LEADER Against our land he marched, [110] sent here by the warring claims of Polyneices, with piercing screams, an eagle flying above our land, covered wings as white as snow, and hordes of warriors in arms, helmets topped with horsehair crests. CHORUS Standing above our homes, he ranged around our seven gates, 140 with threats to swallow us and spears thirsting to kill. Before his jaws had had their fill [120] and gorged themselves on Theban blood, before Hephaistos’ pine-torch flames had seized our towers, our fortress crown, he went back, driven in retreat.(2) Behind him rings the din of war— his enemy, the Theban dragon-snake, too difficult for him to overcome. 150 CHORUS LEADER Zeus hates an arrogant boasting tongue. Seeing them march here in a mighty stream, in all their clanging golden pride, [130] he hurled his fire and struck the man, up there, on our battlements, as he began to scream aloud his victory. CHORUS The man swung down, torch still in hand, and smashed into unyielding earth— the one who not so long ago attacked, who launched his furious, enraged assault, 160 to blast us, breathing raging storms. But things turned out not as he’d hoped. Great war god Ares assisted us— he smashed them down and doomed them all [140] to a very different fate. CHORUS LEADER Seven captains at seven gates matched against seven equal warriors paid Zeus their full bronze tribute, the god who turns the battle tide, all but that pair of wretched men, 170 born of one father and one mother, too— who set their conquering spears against each other and then both shared a common death. CHORUS Now victory with her glorious name has come, bringing joy to well-armed Thebes. The battle’s done—let’s strive now to forget [150] with songs and dancing all night long, with Bacchus leading us to make Thebes shake. [The palace doors are thrown open and guards appear at the doors.] CHORUS LEADER But here comes Creon, new king of our land, son of Menoikeos. Thanks to the gods, 180 who’ve brought about our new good fortune. What plan of action does he have in mind? What’s made him hold this special meeting, [160] with elders summoned by a general call? [Enter Creon from the palace. He addresses the assembled elders.] CREON Men, after much tossing of our ship of state, the gods have safely set things right again. Of all the citizens I’ve summoned you, because I know how well you showed respect for the eternal power of the throne, first with Laius and again with Oedipus, 190 once he restored our city.(3) When he died, you stood by his children, firm in loyalty. Now his sons have perished in a single day, killing each other with their own two hands, a double slaughter, stained with brother’s blood. [170] And so I have the throne, all royal power, for I’m the one most closely linked by blood to those who have been killed. It’s impossible to really know a man, to know his soul, his mind and will, before one witnesses 200 his skill in governing and making laws. For me, a man who rules the entire state and does not take the best advice there is, but through fear keeps his mouth forever shut, [180] such a man is the very worst of men— and always will be. And a man who thinks more highly of a friend than of his country, well, he means nothing to me. Let Zeus know, the god who always watches everything, I would not stay silent if I saw disaster 210 moving here against the citizens, a threat to their security. For anyone who acts against the state, its enemy, I’d never make my friend. For I know well our country is a ship which keeps us safe, and only when it sails its proper course [190] do we make friends. These are the principles I’ll use in order to protect our state. That’s why I’ve announced to all citizens my orders for the sons of Oedipus— 220 Eteocles, who perished in the fight to save our city, the best and bravest of our spearmen, will have his burial, with all those purifying rituals which accompany the noblest corpses, as they move below. As for his brother— that Polyneices, who returned from exile, eager to wipe out in all-consuming fire [200] his ancestral city and its native gods, keen to seize upon his family’s blood 230 and lead men into slavery—for him, the proclamation in the state declares he’ll have no burial mound, no funeral rites, and no lament. He’ll be left unburied, his body there for birds and dogs to eat, a clear reminder of his shameful fate. That’s my decision. For I’ll never act to respect an evil man with honours in preference to a man who’s acted well. Anyone who’s well disposed towards our state, 240 alive or dead, that man I will respect. [210] CHORUS LEADER