Antigone, A Faithful Daughter And Sister

When Jocasta learned that Oedipus was truly her son, she was so filled with horror and grief that she took her own life. But Antigone and Ismene were sorry for their father, whom they loved very dearly, and they tried every way they knew to ease his suffering.

A longing to see again the land of Corinth, which he had left, seized the blind Oedipus, and like a beggar, staff in hand, he set out. Only Antigone went with him, guiding his steps and trying daily to keep up his courage.

After much wandering, Oedipus was finally cast into prison. Then his two sons took possession of the kingdom, making an agreement between themselves that each should reign for one year. And the elder of the two, whose name was Eteocles, first had the kingdom; but when his year came to an end, he would not keep his promise, but kept what he should have given up, and drove out his younger brother from the city. Then the younger, whose name was Polynices, fled to Argos, to King Adrastus. And after a while he married the king's daughter, and the king made a covenant with him that he would bring him back with a strong hand to Thebes and set him on the throne of his father. Then the king sent messengers to certain princes of Greece, asking them to help in this matter. Some would not, but others listened to his words, so that a great army was gathered together and followed the king and Polynices to make war against Thebes.

So they came and pitched their camp opposite the city. And after they had been there many days, the battle grew fierce around the wall. But the chiefest fight was between the two brothers, for they came together in an open space before the gates. First Polynices prayed to Hera, for she was the goddess of the great city of Argos, which had helped him in this enterprise, and Eteocles prayed to Pallas of the Golden Shield, whose temple stood nearby. Then they crouched, each covered with his shield and holding his spear, ready to strike if the other gave an opening. And if one showed so much as an eye above the rim of his shield, the other would strike at him. But after a while King Eteocles slipped on a stone that was under his foot, and uncovered his leg, and Polynices quickly took aim with his spear, piercing the skin. But in doing so he laid his own shoulder bare, and King Eteocles gave him a wound in the breast.

He broke his spear in striking, and would have fared badly, but with a great stone he smashed the spear of Polynices, breaking it in the middle. And now the two were equal, for each had lost his spear. So they drew their swords and came even closer. But Eteocles used a trick which he had learned in the land of Thessaly; for he drew his left foot back, as if he would stop fighting, and then suddenly moved his right foot forward; and striking sideways, he drove his sword right through the body of Polynices. But when, thinking that he had slain him, he set his weapons in the earth and began to strip him of his armor, the other, for he still breathed a little, laid his hand upon his sword, and though he had barely strength to strike, yet gave the king a mortal blow, so that the two lay dead together on the plain. And the men of Thebes lifted up the bodies of the dead and carried them both into the city.

When these two brothers, the sons of King Oedipus, had fallen each by the other's hand, the kingdom fell to Creon, their uncle. For not only was he next of kin to the dead, but also the people held him in great honor because his son Menoeceus had offered himself willingly to deliver his city from captivity.

Now when Creon came to the throne, he made a proclamation about the two princes, commanding that they should bury Eteocles with all honor, seeing that he died as a good man and brave, fighting for his country, that it might not be delivered into the hands of the enemy. But as for Polynices, he ordered that his body be left to be devoured by the birds of the air and the beasts of the field, because he had joined the enemy and would have beaten down the walls of the city and burned the temples of the gods with fire and led the people captive. Also he commanded that if any man should break this decree, he should suffer death by stoning.

Now Antigone, who was sister to the two princes, heard that the decree had gone forth, and happening to meet her sister Ismene before the gates of the palace, spoke to her, saying:

"O my sister, have you heard this decree that the king has put forth concerning our brothers who are dead?"

Then Ismene answered: "I have heard nothing, my sister, only that we are bereaved of both our brothers in one day and that the army of the Argives has departed in this night that is now past. So much I know, but no more."

"Listen, then. King Creon has proclaimed that they shall bury Eteocles with all honor, but that Polynices shall lie unburied, for the birds of the air and the beasts of the field to devour, and that whoever breaks this decree shall suffer death by stoning."

"But if it is so, my sister, how can we change it?"

"Think whether you will share with me in doing this deed."

"What deed? What do you mean?"

"To pay due honor to this dead body."

"What? You will bury him when the king has forbidden it?"

"Yes, for he is my brother and also yours, though perhaps you would not have it so. And I will not betray him."

"O my sister, will you do this when Creon has forbidden it?"

"Why should he stand between me and mine?"

"But think now what sorrows have come upon our house. For our father perished miserably, having first put out his own eyes; and our mother hanged herself with her own hands; our two brothers fell in one day, each by the other's spear; and now only the two of us are left. And shall we not fall into a worse destruction than any, if we transgress these commands of the king? Think, too, that we are women and not men, and of necessity obey those who are stronger. Therefore, as for me, I will pray the dead to pardon me, seeing that I am constrained; but I will obey those who rule."

"I advise you not to do this, and if you think this way, I would not have you for a helper. But know that I will bury my brother, nor could I better die than for doing such a deed. For as he loved me, so also do I love him greatly. And shall I not do pleasure to the dead rather than to the living, seeing that I shall abide with the dead forever? But you, if you will dishonor the laws of the gods?"

"I dishonor them not. Only I cannot set myself against the powers that be."

"So be it; but I will bury my brother."

"O my sister, how I fear for you!"

"Fear for yourself. Your own lot needs all your care."

"You will at least keep your counsel, and not tell the thing to any man."

"Not so: hide it not. I shall scorn you more if you do not proclaim it aloud to all."

So Antigone departed; and after a while King Creon came to the same place, clad in his royal robes and with his scepter in his hand, and set forth his counsel to the elders who were assembled, how he had dealt with the two princes according to their deserving, giving all honor to him that loved his country and casting forth the other unburied. And he ordered them to take care that this decree should be kept, saying that he had also appointed certain men to watch the dead body.

And he had scarcely finished speaking when one of those watchers came and said:

"I have not come here in haste, O King; nay, I doubted much, while I was still on the way, whether I should not turn back. For now I thought, 'Fool, why go where you will suffer for it'; and then again, 'Fool, the king will hear the matter elsewhere, and then how will you fare?' But at last I came as I had planned, for I know that nothing may happen to me contrary to fate."

"But say," said the king, "what troubles you so much?"

"First hear my case. I did not do the thing and I do not know who did it, and it would be a grievous wrong if I should fall into trouble for such a cause."

"You make a long preface, excusing yourself, but you still have, I judge, something to tell."

"Fear, my lord, ever causes delay."

"Will you not speak out your news and then be gone?"

"I will speak it. Know then that some man has thrown dust upon this dead corpse, and done besides such things as are needful."

"What do you say? Who has dared to do this deed?"

"That I do not know, for there was no mark as of spade or pickaxe; nor was the earth broken, nor had a wagon passed over it. We were sorely dismayed when the watchman showed the thing to us; for the body we could not see. Buried indeed it was not, but rather covered with dust. Nor was there any sign as of wild beast or dog that had torn it. Then there arose a quarrel among us, each blaming the other, and accusing his fellows, and himself denying that he had done the deed or had any part in it. And certainly we would have come to blows, but that one spoke a word which made us all tremble for fear, knowing that it must be as he said. For he said that the thing must be told to you, and in no way hidden. So we drew lots, and by evil chance the lot fell upon me. Therefore I am here, not willingly, for no man loves him that brings evil tidings."

Then said the chief of the old men:

"Consider, O King, for perhaps this thing is from the gods."

But the king cried:

"Do you think that the gods care for such a one as this dead man, who would have burned their temples with fire, and laid waste the land they love, and set at naught their laws? Not so. But there are men in this city who have long had ill will toward me, not bowing their necks to my yoke; and they have persuaded these fellows with money to do this thing. Surely there never was so evil a thing as money, which makes cities into ruinous heaps and banishes men from their houses and turns their thoughts from good to evil. But as for those who have done this deed for hire, of a truth they shall not escape, for I say to you, fellow, if you do not bring here before my eyes the man who did this thing, I will hang you up alive. So shall you learn that ill-gotten gains bring no profit to a man."

So the guard departed, but as he went he said to himself:

"Now may the gods grant that the man be found; but however this may be, you shall not see me come again on such an errand, for even now I have escaped beyond all hope."

Nevertheless, after a space he came back with one of his fellows; and they brought with them the maiden Antigone, with her hands bound together.

And it happened that at the same time King Creon came forth from the palace. Then the guard set forth the matter to him, saying:

"We cleared away the dust from the dead body, and sat watching it. And when it was now noon, and the sun was at its height, there came a whirlwind over the plain, driving a great cloud of dust. And when this had passed, we looked, and lo! this maiden whom we have brought here stood by the dead corpse. And when she saw that it lay bare as before, she sent up an exceedingly bitter cry, even as a bird whose young ones have been taken from the nest. Then she cursed those who had done this deed, and brought dust and sprinkled it upon the dead man, and poured water upon him three times. Then we ran and laid hold upon her and accused her of doing this deed; and she did not deny it. But as for me, it is well to have escaped from death, but it is ill to bring friends into the same. Yet I hold that nothing is dearer to a man than his life."

Then said the king to Antigone:

"Tell me in a word, did you know my decree?"

"I knew it. Was it not plainly declared?"

"How did you dare to transgress the laws?"

"Zeus did not make such laws, nor Justice that dwells with the gods below. I did not judge that your decrees had such authority that a man should transgress for them the unwritten, sure commandments of the gods. For these are not of today or yesterday, but they live forever, and their beginning no man knows. Should I, for fear of you, be found guilty against them? That I should die I knew. Why not? All men must die. And if I die before my time, what loss? He who lives among many sorrows, even as I have lived, counts it gain to die. But had I left my own mother's son unburied, that would have been loss indeed."

Then said the king:

"Such stubborn thoughts have a speedy fall and are shattered even as the iron that has been made hard in the furnace. And as for this woman and her sister--for I judge her sister to have had a part in this matter--though they are nearer to me than all my kindred, yet they shall not escape the doom of death. Therefore let someone bring the other woman here."

And while they went to fetch the maiden Ismene, Antigone said to the king:

"Is it not enough for you to slay me? What need to say more? For your words please me not, nor mine you. Yet what nobler thing could I have done than to bury my mother's son? And so would all men say, but fear shuts their mouths."

"Nay," said the king, "none of the children of Cadmus thinks thus, but you only. But, hold, was not he who fell in battle with this man your brother also?"

"Yes, truly, my brother he was."

"And do you not dishonor him when you honor his enemy?"

"The dead man would not say it, could he speak."

"Shall then the wicked have like honor with the good?"

"How do you know but that such honor pleases the gods below?"

"I have no love for those I hate, though they be dead."

"Of hating I know nothing; it is enough for me to love."

"If you will love, go love the dead. But while I live no woman shall rule me."

Then those who had been sent to fetch the maiden Ismene brought her forth from the palace. And when the king accused her of having been privy to the deed, she did not deny it, but would have shared one lot with her sister.

But Antigone turned from her, saying:

"Not so; you have no part or lot in the matter. For you have chosen life and I have chosen death; and even so shall it be."

And when Ismene saw that she could not persuade her sister, she turned to the king and said:

"Will you slay the bride of your son?"

"Ay," said he, "there are other brides to win!"

"But none," she made reply, "that accord so well with him."

"I will have no evil wives for my sons," said the king.

Then cried Antigone:

"O Haemon, whom I love, how your father wrongs you!"

Then the king ordered the guards to lead the two into the palace. But scarcely had they gone when there came to the place the Prince Haemon, the king's son, who was betrothed to the maiden Antigone. And when the king saw him, he said:

"Are you content, my son, with your father's judgment?"

And the young man answered:

"My father, I would follow your counsels in all things."

Then said the king:

"It is well spoken, my son. This is a thing to be desired, that a man should have obedient children. But if it is otherwise with a man, he has gotten great trouble for himself and makes sport for those who hate him. And now as to this matter. There is nothing worse than an evil wife. Therefore I say let this damsel wed a bridegroom among the dead. For since I have found her, alone of all this people, breaking my decree, surely she shall die. Nor shall it profit her to claim kinship with me, for he who would rule a city must first deal justly with his own kindred. And as for obedience, this it is that makes a city to stand both in peace and in war."

To this the Prince Haemon made answer: