Enter Creon.CreonDo you not know that dirges and
wailing before death would never be given up, if it were allowed to make
them freely? Take her away—now!
And when you have enshrouded her, as I proclaimed, in her covered tomb,
leave her alone, deserted—let her decide whether she wishes to die or to
live entombed in such a home. It makes no difference, since our hands
are clean so far as regards this girl. But no matter what, she will be stripped of her home
here above.AntigoneTomb, bridal-chamber, deep-dug eternal prison where I go to find my own,
whom in the greatest numbers destruction has seized and Persephone has
welcomed among the dead! Last of
them all and in by far the most shameful circumstances, I will descend,
even before the fated term of my life is spent. But I cherish strong
hopes that I will arrive welcome to my father, and pleasant to you,
Mother, and welcome, dear brother, to you. For, when each of you died, with my own hands I washed
and dressed you and poured drink-offerings at your graves. But now,
Polyneices, it is for tending your corpse that I win such reward as
this. And yet I honored you rightly, as the wise understand.Never, if I had been a mother of children, or if a
husband had been rotting after death, would I have taken that burden
upon myself in violation of the citizens’ will. For the sake of what
law, you ask, do I say that? A husband lost, another might have been
found, and if
bereft of a child, there could be a second from some other man. But when
father and mother are hidden in Hades, no brother could ever bloom for
me again. Such was the law whereby I held you first in honor, but for
that Creon judged me guilty of wrongdoingand of dreadful outrage, dear brother! And now he leads
me thus in his hands’ strong grasp, when I have enjoyed no marriage bed
or bridal song and have not received any portion of marriage or the
nurture of children. But deserted by friends, in misery I go living to the hollow graves of the
dead. What law of the gods have I transgressed? Why should I look to
the gods anymore? What ally should I call out to, when by my reverence I
have earned a name for irreverence? Well, then, if these events please the gods, once I have suffered my
doom I will come to know my guilt. But if the guilt lies with my judges,
I could wish for them no greater evils than they inflict unjustly on
me.ChorusStill the same tempest of the soul grips this girl with the same fierce gusts.CreonThen because of this her guards will have reason to lament their
slowness.AntigoneAh, no! That command verges close on death.CreonI cannot console you with any hope
that your doom is not to be fulfilled in that way.