1 Sophocles' Antigone Introduction, translation, and notes by ...

If you succeed, but you won't.
Antigone
Only death will stop me; your words can't.
Ismene
You’re in love with the impossible. And I’m afraid.
Antigone
If that's all you have to say, then you are my enemy,
and Polyneices will have every right to call you that as well.
So let me suffer for what you call impossible,
because I know that whatever I suffer, I, at least, shall die with honor.
Ismene
Then go, Antigone. There’s nothing I can do to stop you.
But know that I’ll always love you.
Antigone and Ismene exeunt. The chorus enters the orchestra. The sun rises. The stage is
bathed in light.
Chorus
First ray of sun, fairer than any seen before
By Thebes of the seven gates, 7
At last you appear,
Golden eye of day
Glancing over the streams of Dirce 8 ;
You made the man who came from Argos flee,
When, decked out in white armor and trappings,
He attacked our land.
This war was brought upon us
By that man of many quarrels, Polyneices. 9
He flew against us with piercing scream,
Like an eagle on wings as white as snow;
He came with many weapons
And helmets tossing their horse-hair plumes high;
7 There were seven gates to the city; seven heroes attacking, seven defending. This was vividly recounted in
Aeschylus' Seven Against Thebes.
8 Dirce is a river near Thebes named after the brutal wife of Lycus, King of Thebes, who persecuted
Antiope. She was slain by the sons of Antiope avenging their mother.
9 Polyneices' name in Greek means "many quarrels," "much strife."
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