The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Oedipus Trilogy, by Sophocles ...

More documents

Recommendations

Info

Laid on the race a malison, and his rod Scourges each age with sorrows never ending. The light that dawned upon its last born son Is vanished, and the bloody axe of Fate Has felled the goodly tree that blossomed late. O Oedipus, by reckless pride undone! (Str. 2) Thy might, O Zeus, what mortal power can quell? Not sleep that lays all else beneath its spell, Nor moons that never tire: untouched by Time, Throned in the dazzling light That crowns Olympus' height, Thou reignest King, omnipotent, sublime. Past, present, and to be, All bow to thy decree, All that exceeds the mean by Fate Is punished, Love or Hate. (Ant. 2) Hope flits about never-wearying wings; Profit to some, to some light loves she brings, But no man knoweth how her gifts may turn, Till 'neath his feet the treacherous ashes burn. Sure 'twas a sage inspired that spake this word; _If evil good appear_ _To any, Fate is near_; And brief the respite from her flaming sword. Hither comes in angry mood Haemon, latest of thy brood; Is it for his bride he's grieved, Or her marriage-bed deceived, Doth he make his mourn for thee, Maid forlorn, Antigone? [Enter HAEMON] CREON Soon shall we know, better than seer can tell. Learning may fixed decree anent thy bride, Thou mean'st not, son, to rave against thy sire? Know'st not whate'er we do is done in love? HAEMON O father, I am thine, and I will take Thy wisdom as the helm to steer withal. Therefore no wedlock shall by me be held More precious than thy loving goverance. CREON Well spoken: so right-minded sons should feel, In all deferring to a father's will. For 'tis the hope of parents they may rear A brood of sons submissive, keen to avenge Their father's wrongs, and count his friends their own.
But who begets unprofitable sons, He verily breeds trouble for himself, And for his foes much laughter. Son, be warned And let no woman fool away thy wits. Ill fares the husband mated with a shrew, And her embraces very soon wax cold. For what can wound so surely to the quick As a false friend? So spue and cast her off, Bid her go find a husband with the dead. For since I caught her openly rebelling, Of all my subjects the one malcontent, I will not prove a traitor to the State. She surely dies. Go, let her, if she will, Appeal to Zeus the God of Kindred, for If thus I nurse rebellion in my house, Shall not I foster mutiny without? For whoso rules his household worthily, Will prove in civic matters no less wise. But he who overbears the laws, or thinks To overrule his rulers, such as one I never will allow. Whome'er the State Appoints must be obeyed in everything, But small and great, just and unjust alike. I warrant such a one in either case Would shine, as King or subject; such a man Would in the storm of battle stand his ground, A comrade leal and true; but Anarchy-- What evils are not wrought by Anarchy! She ruins States, and overthrows the home, She dissipates and routs the embattled host; While discipline preserves the ordered ranks. Therefore we must maintain authority And yield to title to a woman's will. Better, if needs be, men should cast us out Than hear it said, a woman proved his match. CHORUS To me, unless old age have dulled wits, Thy words appear both reasonable and wise. HAEMON Father, the gods implant in mortal men Reason, the choicest gift bestowed by heaven. 'Tis not for me to say thou errest, nor Would I arraign thy wisdom, if I could; And yet wise thoughts may come to other men And, as thy son, it falls to me to mark The acts, the words, the comments of the crowd. The commons stand in terror of thy frown, And dare not utter aught that might offend, But I can overhear their muttered plaints, Know how the people mourn this maiden doomed For noblest deeds to die the worst of deaths. When her own brother slain in battle lay Unsepulchered, she suffered not his corse To lie for carrion birds and dogs to maul: Should not her name (they cry) be writ in gold?
Page 1 and 2:
The Project Gutenberg EBook of The
Page 3 and 4:
Explain your mood and purport. Is i
Page 5 and 6:
King Phoebus bids us straitly extir
Page 7 and 8:
If in the days of old when we nigh
Page 9 and 10:
But may they waste and pine, as now
Page 11 and 12:
TEIRESIAS I will not vex myself nor
Page 13 and 14:
The trusty Creon, my familiar frien
Page 15 and 16:
That I have missed the mark, hencef
Page 17 and 18:
Therein thou judgest rightly, but t
Page 19 and 20:
The thing he counts most precious,
Page 21 and 22:
CHORUS No, by the leader of the hos
Page 23 and 24:
OEDIPUS What memories, what wild tu
Page 25 and 26:
My mother and my sire and questione
Page 27 and 28:
Then topples o'er and lies in ruin
Page 29 and 30:
OEDIPUS What? let me have it, stran
Page 31 and 32:
OEDIPUS Yea, lest the god's word be
Page 33 and 34:
Afield or in the city? answer strai
Page 35 and 36:
HERDSMAN I was, a thrall, not purch
Page 37 and 38:
HERDSMAN Well then--it was a child
Page 39 and 40:
SECOND MESSENGER My tale is quickly
Page 41 and 42:
The double weight of past and prese
Page 43 and 44:
Thy prayer by action or advice, for
Page 45 and 46:
Such are the gibes that men will ca
Page 47 and 48:
Creon enters with an armed guard wh
Page 49 and 50:
Tell me the awful name I should inv
Page 51 and 52:
Of cities, pity this dishonored sha
Page 53 and 54:
Follow with blind steps, father, as
Page 55 and 56:
CHORUS O wretched me! Begone! OEDIP
Page 57 and 58:
OEDIPUS Well, may he come with bles
Page 59 and 60:
To suffer, first in act and then in
Page 61 and 62:
They knew it, yet the ignoble greed
Page 63 and 64:
And I shall then be bold to stand t
Page 65 and 66: OEDIPUS Horrors from the boundless
Page 67 and 68: OEDIPUS Yea, the last boon is warra
Page 69 and 70: What wouldst thou here? I shall not
Page 71 and 72: Oh land extolled above all lands, '
Page 73 and 74: Not for a man indeed with wits like
Page 75 and 76: OEDIPUS Where art thou, daughter? A
Page 77 and 78: CHORUS Haste ye princes, sound the
Page 79 and 80: Me then unborn, begotten by no sire
Page 81 and 82: (Ant. 1) Haply on swiftest steed, O
Page 83 and 84: What say I? Can I wish that thou sh
Page 85 and 86: Grievous to me, my child, the boon
Page 87 and 88: But by his popular acts; and the pr
Page 89 and 90: To Thebes, O then disown me not, I
Page 91 and 92: Bristles for fear. Again that flare
Page 93 and 94: For this way Hermes leads, the spir
Page 95 and 96: That no man might endure to look up
Page 97 and 98: ANTIGONE ISMENE Is fain? ANTIGONE I
Page 99 and 100: Charged me straitly that no moral S
Page 101 and 102: ANTIGONE Ismene, sister of my blood
Page 103 and 104: ISMENE My poor, fond sister, how I
Page 105 and 106: Again, when Oedipus restored our St
Page 107 and 108: What say'st thou? Who hath dared to
Page 109 and 110: (Str. 1) Many wonders there be, but
Page 111 and 112: CREON Speak, girl, with head bent l
Page 113 and 114: Surely, if good and evil fare alive
Page 115: Thy choice with evil-doers to do il
Page 119 and 120: Am I to rule for others, or myself?
Page 121 and 122: Straight to folly will fall, at a t
Page 123 and 124: Are guiltless as concerns this maid
Page 125 and 126: By Destiny That knows not death nor
Page 127 and 128: Dost know at whom thou glancest, me
Page 129 and 130: (Ant. 1) Thee on the two-crested ro
Page 131 and 132: And ran back to our lord to tell th
Page 133 and 134: CREON (Ant. 2) Alas! another added
Page 135 and 136: subject to the trademark license, e
Page 137 and 138: "Plain Vanilla ASCII" or other form
Page 139 and 140: Project Gutenberg-tm work, and (c)
show all

The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Oedipus Trilogy, by Sophocles ...

Create successful ePaper yourself

Delete template?

Save as template?