Scene from Antigone, by Sophocles

This translation, which has been prepared by Ian Johnston of Malaspina University-College, Nanaimo, BC, Canada, is in the public domain and may be used by anyone, in whole or in part, without permission and without charge, provided the source is acknowledged—released December 2003.

Antigone

[Enter the Guard, bringing Antigone with him. She is not resisting]

CHORUS LEADER: What this? I fear some omen from the gods.

I can’t deny what I see here so clearly—

that young girl there—it’s Antigone.

Oh you poor girl, daughter of Oedipus,

child of such a father, so unfortunate,

what’s going on? Surely they’ve not brought you here

because you’ve disobeyed the royal laws,

because they’ve caught you acting foolishly?

GUARD: This here’s the one who carried out the act.

We caught her as she was burying the corpse.

Where’s Creon?

[The palace doors open. Enter Creon with attendants]

CHORUS LEADER: He’s coming from the house—

and just in time.

CREON: Why have I come “just in time”?

What’s happening? What is it?

GUARD: My lord,

human beings should never take an oath

there’s something they’ll not do—for later thoughts

contradict what they first meant. I’d have sworn

I’d not soon venture here again. Back then,

the threats you made brought me a lot of grief.

But there’s no joy as great as what we pray for

against all hope. And so I have come back,

breaking that oath I swore. I bring this girl,

captured while she was honoring the grave.

This time we did not draw lots. No. This time

I was the lucky man, not someone else.

And now, my lord, take her for questioning.

Convict her. Do as you wish. As for me,

by rights I’m free and clear of all this trouble.

CREON: This girl here—how did you catch her? And where?

GUARD: She was burying that man. Now you know

all there is to know.

CREON: Do you understand

just what you’re saying? Are your words the truth?

GUARD: We saw this girl giving that dead man’s corpse

full burial rites—an act you’d made illegal.

Is what I say simple and clear enough?

CREON: How did you see her, catch her in the act?

GUARD: It happened this way. When we got there,

after hearing those awful threats from you,

we swept off all the dust covering the corpse,

so the damp body was completely bare.

Then we sat down on rising ground up wind,

to escape the body’s putrid rotting stench.

We traded insults just to stay awake,

in case someone was careless on the job.

That’s how we spent the time right up ’til noon,

when the sun’s bright circle in the sky

had moved half way and it was burning hot.

Then suddenly a swirling windstorm came,

whipping clouds of dust up from the ground,

filling the plain—some heaven-sent trouble.

In that level place the dirt storm damaged

all the forest growth, and the air around

was filled with dust for miles. We shut our mouths

and just endured this scourge sent from the gods.

A long time passed. The storm came to an end.

That’s when we saw the girl. She was shrieking—

a distressing painful cry, just like a bird

who’s seen an empty nest, its fledglings gone.

That’s how she was when she saw the naked corpse.

She screamed out a lament, and then she swore,

calling evil curses down upon the ones

who’d done this. Then right away her hands

threw on the thirsty dust. She lifted up

a finely made bronze jug and then three times

poured out her tributes to the dead.

When we saw that, we rushed up right away

and grabbed her. She was not afraid at all.

We charged her with her previous offence

as well as this one. She just kept standing there,

denying nothing. That made me happy—

though it was painful, too. For it’s a joy

escaping troubles which affect oneself,

but painful to bring evil on one’s friends.

But all that is of less concern to me

than my own safety.

CREON: You there—you with your face

bent down towards the ground, what do you say?

Do you deny you did this or admit it?

ANTIGONE: I admit I did it. I won’t deny that.

CREON: [to the Guard]

1

You’re dismissed—go where you want. You’re free—

no serious charges made against you.

[Exit the Guard. Creon turns to interrogate Antigone]

Tell me briefly—not in some lengthy speech—

were you aware there was a proclamation

forbidding what you did?

ANTIGONE: I’d heard of it.

How could I not? It was public knowledge.

CREON: And yet you dared to break those very laws?

ANTIGONE: Yes. Zeus did not announce those laws to me.

And Justice living with the gods below

sent no such laws for men. I did not think

anything which you proclaimed strong enough

to let a mortal to override the gods

and their unwritten and unchanging laws.

They’re not just for today or yesterday,

but exist forever, and no one knows

where they first appeared. So I did not mean

to let a fear of any human will

lead to my punishment among the gods.

2

I know all too well I’m going to die—

how could I not?—it makes no difference

what you decree. And if I have to die

before my time, well, I count that a gain.

When someone has to live the way I do,

surrounded by so many evil things,

how can she fail to find a benefit

in death? And so for me meeting this fate

won’t bring any pain. But if I’d allowed

my own mother’s dead son to just lie there,

an unburied corpse, then I’d feel distress.

What going on here does not hurt me at all.

If you think what I’m doing now is stupid,

perhaps I’m being charged with foolishness

by someone who’s a fool.

CHORUS LEADER: It’s clear enough

the spirit in this girl is passionate—

her father was the same. She has no sense

of compromise in times of trouble.

CREON: [to the Chorus Leader]

But you should know the most obdurate wills

are those most prone to break. The strongest iron

tempered in the fire to make it really hard—

that’s the kind you see most often shatter.

I’m well aware the most tempestuous horses

are tamed by one small bit. Pride has no place

in anyone who is his neighbor’s slave.

This girl here was already very insolent

in contravening laws we had proclaimed.

3

Here she again displays her proud contempt—

having done the act, she now boasts of it.

She laughs at what she’s done. Well, in this case,

if she gets her way and goes unpunished,

then she’s the man here, not me. No. She may be

my sister’s child, closer to me by blood

than anyone belonging to my house

who worships Zeus Herkeios in my home,

but she’ll not escape my harshest punishment—

her sister, too, whom I accuse as well.

She had an equal part in all their plans

to do this burial. Go summon her here.

I saw her just now inside the palace,

her mind out of control, some kind of fit.

[Exit attendants into the palace to fetch Ismene]

When people hatch their mischief in the dark

their minds often convict them in advance,

betraying their treachery. How I despise

a person caught committing evil acts

who then desires to glorify the crime.

ANTIGONE: Take me and kill me—what more do you want?

CREON: Me? Nothing. With that I have everything.

4

ANTIGONE: Then why delay? There’s nothing in your words

that I enjoy—may that always be the case!

And what I say displeases you as much.

But where could I gain greater glory

than setting my own brother in his grave?

All those here would confirm this pleases them

if their lips weren’t sealed by fear—being king,

which offers all sorts of various benefits,

means you can talk and act just as you wish.

CREON: In all of Thebes, you’re the only one

who looks at things that way.

5

ANTIGONE: They share my views,

but they keep their mouths shut just for you.

CREON: These views of yours—so different from the rest—

don’t they bring you any sense of shame?

ANTIGONE: No—there’s nothing shameful in honoring

my mother’s children.

CREON: You had a brother

killed fighting for the other side.

ANTIGONE: Yes—from the same mother and father, too.

CREON: Why then give tributes which insult his name?

ANTIGONE: But his dead corpse won’t back up what you say.

CREON: Yes, he will, if you give equal honors

to a wicked man.

ANTIGONE: But the one who died

was not some slave—it was his own brother.

CREON: Who was destroying this country—the other one

went to his death defending it.

ANTIGONE: That may be,

but Hades still desires equal rites for both.

CREON: A good man does not wish what we give him

to be the same an evil man receives.

ANTIGONE: Who knows? In the world below perhaps

such actions are no crime.

CREON: An enemy

can never be a friend, not even in death.

ANTIGONE: But my nature is to love. I cannot hate.

CREON: Then go down to the dead. If you must love,

love them. No woman’s going to govern me—

no, no—not while I’m still alive.

[Enter two attendants from the house bringing Ismene to Creon]

CHORUS LEADER: Ismene’s coming. There—right by the door.

She’s crying. How she must love her sister!

From her forehead a cloud casts its shadow

down across her darkly flushing face—

and drops its rain onto her lovely cheeks.

CREON: You there—you snake lurking in my house,

sucking out my life’s blood so secretly.

I’d no idea I was nurturing two pests,

who aimed to rise against my throne. Come here.

6

Tell me this—do you admit you played your part

in this burial, or will you swear an oath

you had no knowledge of it?

ISMENE: I did it—

I admit it, and she’ll back me up.

So I bear the guilt as well.

ANTIGONE: No, no—

justice will not allow you to say that.

You didn’t want to. I didn’t work with you.

ISMENE: But now you’re in trouble, I’m not ashamed

of suffering, too, as your companion.

ANTIGONE: Hades and the dead can say who did it—

I don’t love a friend whose love is only words.

ISMENE: You’re my sister. Don’t dishonor me.

Let me respect the dead and die with you.

ANTIGONE: Don’t try to share my death or make a claim

to actions which you did not do. I’ll die—

and that will be enough.

ISMENE: But if you’re gone,

what is there in life for me to love?

ANTIGONE: Ask Creon. He’s the one you care about.

ISMENE: Why hurt me like this? It doesn’t help you.

ANTIGONE: If I am mocking you, it pains me, too.

ISMENE: Even now is there some way I can help?

ANTIGONE: Save yourself. I won’t envy your escape.

ISMENE: I feel so wretched leaving you to die.

ANTIGONE: But you chose life—it was my choice to die.

ISMENE: But not before I’d said those words just now.

ANTIGONE: Some people may approve of how you think—

others will believe my judgment’s good.

ISMENE: But the mistake’s the same for both of us.

ANTIGONE: Be brave. You’re alive. But my spirit died

some time ago so I might help the dead

7

CREON: I’d say one of these girls has just revealed

how mad she is—the other’s been that way

since she was born.

ISMENE: My lord, whatever good sense

people have by birth no longer stays with them

once their lives go wrong—it abandons them.

CREON: In your case, that’s true, once you made your choice

to act in evil ways with wicked people.

ISMENE: How could I live alone, without her here?

CREON: Don’t speak of her being here. Her life is over.

ISMENE: You’re going to kill your own son’s bride?

CREON: Why not? There are other fields for him to plough.

ISMENE: No one will make him a more loving wife

than she will.

CREON: I have no desire my son

should have an evil wife.

ANTIGONE: Dearest Haemon,

how your father wrongs you.

CREON: I’ve had enough of this—

you and your marriage.

ISMENE: You really want that?

You’re going to take her from him?

CREON: No, not me.

Hades is the one who’ll stop the marriage.

CHORUS LEADER: So she must die—that seems decided on.

[Chorus does not object]

CREON: Yes—for you and me the matter’s closed.

[Creon turns to address his attendants]

No more delay. You slaves, take them inside.

From this point on they must act like women

and have no liberty to wander off.

Even bold men run when they see Hades

coming close to them to snatch their lives.

[The attendants take Antigone and Ismene into the palace, leaving Creon and the Chorus on stage]

CHORUS: Those who live without tasting evil

have happy lives—for when the gods

shake a house to its foundations,

then inevitable disasters strike,

falling upon whole families,

just as a surging ocean swell

running before cruel Thracian winds

across the dark trench of the sea

churns up the deep black sand

and crashes headlong on the cliffs,

which scream in pain against the wind.

I see this house’s age-old sorrows,

the house of Labdakos’ children,

sorrows falling on the sorrows of the dead,

one generation bringing no relief

to generations after it—some god

strikes at them—on and on without an end.

For now the light which has been shining

over the last roots of Oedipus’ house

is being cut down with a bloody knife

belonging to the gods below—

for foolish talk and frenzy in the soul.

Oh Zeus, what human trespasses

can check your power? Even Sleep,

who casts his nets on everything,

cannot master that—nor can the months,

the tireless months the gods control.

A sovereign who cannot grow old,

you hold Olympus as your own,

in all its glittering magnificence.

From now on into all future time,

as in the past, your law holds firm.

It never enters lives of human beings

in its full force without disaster.

Hope ranging far and wide brings comfort

to many men—but then hope can deceive,

delusions born of volatile desire.

It comes upon the man who’s ignorant

until his foot is seared in burning fire.

Someone’s wisdom has revealed to us

this famous saying—sometimes the gods

lure a man’s mind forward to disaster,

and he thinks evil’s something good.

But then he lives only the briefest time

free of catastrophe.