University of Virginia Library

The first Acte.

The first Scene

IOCASTA.
SERVVS.
O Faithfull seruaunt of mine auncient sire,
Though vnto thee, sufficiently be knowen
The whole discourse of my recurelesse griefe
By seing me from Princes royall state
Thus basely brought into so great cōtempt,
As mine owne sonnes repine to heare my plaint,
Now of a Queene but barely bearing name,
Seyng this towne, seyng my fleshe and bloude,
Against it selfe to leuie threatning armes,
(Wherof to talke my heart it rendes in twaine)
Yet once againe, I must to thee recompte
The wailefull thing that is alredy spred,
Bycause I know, that pitie will compell
Thy tender hart, more than my naturall childe,
With ruthfull teares to mone my mourning case.

Ser.
My gracious Queene, as no man might surmount
The constant faith I beare my souraine lorde,
So doe I thinke, for loue and trustie zeale,
No sonne you haue, doth owe you more than I:
For hereunto I am by dutie bounde,
With seruice meete no lesse to honor you,
Than that renoumed prince your deere father.
And as my duties be most infinite,
So infinite, must also be my loue:
Then if my life or spending of my bloude
May be employed to doe your highnesse good,
Commaunde (O queene) commaund this carcasse here.
In spite of death to satisfie thy will,
So, though I die, yet shall my willing ghost
Contentedly forsake this withered corps,
For ioy to thinke I neuer shewde my selfe
Ingratefull once to suche a worthy Queene.

Ioca.
Thou knowst what care my carefull father tooke,
In wedlockes sacred state to settle me
With Laius, king of this vnhappie Thebs,
That most vnhappie nowe our Citie is:
Thou knowst, how he, desirous still to searche
The hidden secrets of supernall powers,
Unto Diuines did make his ofte recourse,
Of them to learne when he should haue a sonne,
That in his Realme might after him succeede:
Of whom receiuing answere sharpe and sowre,
That his owne sonne should worke his wailful ende,
The wretched king (though all in vayne) did seeke
For to eschew that could not be eschewed:
And so, forgetting lawes of natures loue,
No sooner had this paynfull wombe brought foorth
His eldest sonne to this desired light,
But straight he chargde a trustie man of his
To beare the childe into a desert wood,
And leaue it there, for Tigers to deuoure.

Ser.
O lucklesse babe, begot in wofull houre.

Ioc.
His seruant thus obedient to his hest,
Up by the heeles did hang this faultlesse Impe,
And percing with a knife his tender feete,
Through both the wounds did drawe the slender twigs,
Which beeing bound about his feeble limmes,
Were strong inough to holde the little soule.
Thus did he leaue this infant scarcely borne,
That in short time must needes haue lost his life,
If destenie (that for our greater greefes
Decreede before to keepe it still alyue)
Had not vnto this childe sent present helpe:
For so it chaunst, a shepheard passing by,
With pitie moude, did stay his giltlesse death:
He toke him home, and gaue him to his wife,
With homelie fare to fede and foster vp:
Now harken how the heauens haue wroughte the way
To Laius death, and to mine owne decay.

“Ser.
Experience proues, and daily is it seene,
“In vaine, too vaine man striues against the heauens.

Ioca.
Not farre fro thence, the mightie Polibus,
Of Corinth King, did kepe his princely court,
Unto whose wofull wife (lamenting muche
She had no ofspring by hir noble pheere)
The curteous shepherd gaue my little sonne:
Which gratefull gift, the Queene did so accept,
As nothing seemde more precious in hir sight:
Partly, for that, his faitures were so fine,
Partly, for that, he was so beautifull,
And partly, for bycause his comely grace
Gaue great suspicion of his royall bloude.
The infant grewe, and many yeares was demde
Polibus sonne, till tyme, that Oedipus
(For so he named was) did vnderstande
That Polibus was not his sire in deede,
Wherby forsaking frendes and countrie there,
He did returne to seke his natiue stocke:
And being come into Phocides lande,
Toke notice of the cursed oracle,
How first he shoulde his father doe to death,
And then become his mothers wedded mate.

Ser.
O fierce aspecte of cruell planets all,
That can decree such seas of heynous faultes.

Ioca.
Then Oedipus, fraight ful of chilling feare,
By all meanes sought t'auoyde this furious fate,
But whiles he weende to shunne the shamefull dede,
Unluckly guyded by his owne mishappe,
He fell into the snare that most he feared:
For loe, in Phocides did Laius lye,
To ende the broyles that ciuill discorde then
Had raysed vp in that vnquiet lande,
By meanes whereof my wofull Oedipus,
Affording ayde vnto the other side,
With murdring blade vnwares his father slewe.
Thus heauenly doome, thus fate, thus powers diuine,
Thus wicked reade of Prophets tooke effect:
Nowe onely restes to ende the bitter happe
Of me, of me his miserable mother.
Alas, howe colde I feele the quaking bloud
Passe too and fro within my trembling brest?
Oedipus, when this bloudy deede was doone,
Forst foorth by fatall doome, to Thebes came,
Where as ful soone with glory he atchieude
The crowne and scepter of this noble lande,
By conquering Sphinx that cruell monster loe,
That earst destroyde this goodly flouring soyle:
And thus did I (O hatefull thing to heare)
To my owne sonne become a wretched wife.

Ser
No meruayle, though the golden Sunne withdrew
His glittering beames from suche a sinfull facte.

Ioca.
And so by him that from this belly sprang,
I brought to light (O cursed that I am)
Aswell two sonnes, as daughters also twayne:
But when this monstruous mariage was disclosde,
So sore began the rage of boyling wrath
To swell within the furious brest of him,
As he him selfe by stresse of his owne nayles,
Out of his head did teare his griefull eyne,
Unworthy more to see the shining light.

Ser.
Howe coulde it be, that knowing he had done
So foule a blot, he would remayne aliue?

“Ioca.
So deepely faulteth none, the which vnwares
“Dothe fall into the crime he can not shunne:
And he (alas) vnto his greater greefe,
Prolongs the date of his accursed dayes,
Knowing that life dothe more and more increase
The cruell plagues of his detested gilte,
“Where stroke of griesly death dothe set an ende
“Unto the pangs of mans increasing payne.

Ser.
Of others all, moste cause haue we to mone
Thy wofull smarte (O miserable Queene)
Suche and so many are thy greeuous harmes.

Ioca.
Now to the ende this blinde outragious sire,
Should reape no ioy of his vnnaturall fruite,
His wretched sonnes, prickt foorth by furious spight,
Adiudge their father to perpetuall prison:
There buried in the depthe of dungeon darke,
(Alas) he leades his discontented lyfe,
Accursing still his stony harted sonnes,
And wishing all th'infernall sprites of hell,
To breathe suche poysned hate into their brestes,
As eche with other fall to bloudy warres,
And so with pricking poynt of piercing blade,
To rippe their bowels out, that eche of them
With others bloud might stayne his giltie hands,
And bothe at once by stroke of speedie death
Be foorthwith throwne into the Stigian lake.

Ser.
The mightie Gods preuent so fowle a deede.

Ioca.
They to auoyde the wicked blasphemies,
And sinfull prayer of their angrie sire,
Agreed thus, that of this noble realme,
Untill the course of one full yere was runne,
Eteocles should sway the kingly mace,
And Polynice as exul should departe,
Till time expyrde: and then to Polynice
Eteocles should yeelde the scepter vp:
Thus yere by yere the one succeeding other,
This royall crowne should vnto bothe remayne.

Ser.
Oh thunbridled mindes of ambicious men.

Ioca.
Eteocles, thus plast in princely seate,
Drunke with the sugred taste of kingly raigne,
Not onely shut his brother from the crowne,
But also from his natiue country soyle.
Alas poore Polynice, what might he doe,
Uniustly by his brother thus betrayed?
To Argos he, with sad and heauie cheere
Forthwith conuayde him selfe, on whom at length
With fauning face good fortune smyled so,
As with Adrastus king of Argiues there,
He founde suche fauour and affinitie,
As to restore my sonne vnto his raigne,
He hath besedge this noble citie Thebes.
And hence proceedes, my most extreme annoye:
For, of my sonnes, who euer doe preuaile,
The victorie will turne vnto my griefe:
Alas, I feare (such is the chaunce of warre)
That one, or both shall purchase death therby.
Wherfore, to shunne the worst that may befall,
Thoughe comfortlesse, yet as a pitifull mother
Whom nature bindes to loue hir louing sonnes,
And to prouide the best for their auaile,
I haue thought good by prayers to intreate
The two brethren (nay rather cruell foes)
A while to staie their fierce and furious fight,
Till I haue tried by meanes for to appease,
The swelling wrath of their outraging willes.
And so with much to doe, at my request
They haue forborne vnto this onely houre.

Ser.
Small space god wot, to stint so great a strife.

Ioca.
And euen right now, a trustie man of mine,
Returned from the campe, enforming me
That Polynice will straight to Thebes cōme,
Thus of my woe, this is the wailefull sōme.
And for bycause, in vaine and bootelesse plainte
I haue small neede to spend this litle time,
Here will I ceasse, in wordes more to bewray
The restlesse state of my afflicted minde,
Desiring thee, thou goe to Eteocles,
Hartly on my behalfe beseching him,
That out of hand according to his promise,
He will vouchsafe to come vnto my courte,
I know he loues thee well, and to thy wordes
I thinke thou knowst he will giue willing eare.

Ser.
(O noble Queene) sith vnto such affayres
My spedie diligence is requisite,
I will applie effectually to doe
What so your highnesse hath commaunded me.

Ioca.
I wil goe in, and pray the Gods therwhile,
With tender pitie to appease my griefe.

Iocasta goeth off the stage into hir pallace, hir foure handmaides follovv hir, the foure Chorus also follovve hir to the gates of hir pallace, after comming on the stage, take their place, vvhere they continue to the end of the Tragedie.
SERVVS
SOLVS.
“ The simple man, whose meruaile is so great
“At stately courts, and princes regall seates,
“With gasing eye but onely doth regarde
“The golden glosse that outwardly appeares,
“The crownes bedeckt with pearle and precious stones,
“The riche attire imbost with beaten golde,
“The glittering mace, the pompe of swarming traine,
“The mightie halles heapt full of flattering frendes,
“The huge chambers, the goodly gorgeous beddes,
“The gilted roofes, embowde with curious worke,
“The sweete faces of fine disdayning dames,
“The vaine suppose of wanton raigne at luste:
“But neuer viewes with eye of inward thought,
“The painefull toile, the great and greuous cares,
“The troubles still, the newe increasing feares,
“That princes nourish in their iealous brestes:
“He wayeth not the charge that Ioue hath laid
“On princes, how for themselues they raigne not:
“He weenes, the law must stoope to princely will,
“But princes frame there noble wills to lawe:
“He knoweth not, that as the boystrous winde
“Doth shake the toppes of highest reared towres,
“So doth the force of frowarde fortune strike
“The wighte that highest sits in haughtie state.
Lo Oedipus, that sometime raigned king
Of Thebane soyle, that wonted to suppresse
The mightiest Prince, and kepe him vnder checke,
That fearfull was vnto his forraine foes,
Now like a poore afflicted prisoner,
In dungeon darke, shut vp from cheerefull light,
In euery part so plagued with annoy,
As he abhorres to leade a longer life,
By meanes wherof, the one against the other
His wrathfull sonnes haue planted all their force,
And Thebes here, this auncient worthy towne,
With threatning siege girt in on euerie side,
In daunger lyes to be subuerted quite,
If helpe of heauenly Ioue vpholde it not,
But as darke night succedes the shining day,
So lowring griefe comes after pleasant ioy.
Well now the charge hir highnesse did commaund
I must fulfill, though haplie all in vaine.

Seruus goeth off the stage by the gates called Electræ. Antygone attended vvith .iij. gentlevvomen and hir gouernour commeth out of the Queene hir mothers Pallace.
BAILO.
ANTIGONE.
O Gentle daughter of King Oedipus,
O sister deare to that vnhappie wight
Whom brothers rage hath reaued of his right,
To whom, thou knowst, in yong and tender yeares
I was a friend and faithfull gouernour,
Come forth, sith that hir grace hath graunted leaue,
And let me knowe what cause hath moued nowe
So chaste a maide to set hir daintie foote
Ouer the thresholde of hir secrete lodge?
Since that the towne is furnishte euerywhere
With men of armes and warlike instrumentes,
Unto our eares there cōmes no other noyse,
But sounde of trumpe, and neigh of trampling stedes,
Which running vp and downe from place to place,
With hideous cries betoken bloude and death:
The blasing sunne ne shineth halfe so brighte,
As it was wont to doe at dawne of daye:
The wretched dames throughout the wofull towne,
Together clustring to the temples goe,
Beseching Ioue by way of humble plainte,
With tender ruthe to pitie their distresse.

An.
The loue I beare to my sweete Polynice,
My deare brother, is onely cause hereof.

Bai.
Why daughter, knowst thou any remedie
How to defend thy fathers citie here
From that outrage and fierce repyning wrathe,
Which he against it, iustly hath conceiued?

An.
Oh gouernour might this my faultlesse bloude
Suffise to stay my brethrens dyre debate,
With glad consent I coulde afford my life
Betwixt them both to plant a perfect peace:
But since (alas) I cannot as I woulde,
A hote desire inflames my feruent mind
To haue a sight of my sweete Pollynice.
Wherfore (good guide) vouchsafe to guide me up
Into some tower aboute this hugie court,
From whence I may behold our enemies campe,
Therby at least to feede my hungry eyes
But with the sight of my beloued brother:
Then if I die, contented shall I die.

Bai.
O princely dame, the tender care thou takste
Of thy deare brother, deserueth double praise:
Yet crau'st thou that, which cannot be obtainde,
By reason of the distance from the towne
Unto the plaine, where tharmie lies incampt:
And furthermore, besemeth not a maide
To shew hir selfe in such vnsemely place,
Wheras among such yong and lustie troupes
Of harebrainde souldiers marching to and fro,
Both honest name and honour is empairde:
But yet reioyce, sith this thy great desire,
Without long let, or yet without thy paine,
At wishe and will shall shortly be fulfillde.
For Polynice forthwith will hither come,
Euen I my selfe was lately at the campe,
Commaunded by the Queene to bid him come,
Who laboureth still to linke in frendly league,
Hir iarring sonnes (which happe so hoped for,
Eftsones I pray the gracious gods to graunt)
And sure I am, that ere this houre passe,
Thou shalt him here in person safely see.

Auti.
O louing frend, doest thou then warrant me,
That Polynice will come vnto this court?

Bai.
Ere thou be ware thou shalt him here beholde.

Anti.
And who (alas) doth warrant his aduenture,
That of Eteocles he take no harme?

Bai.
For constant pledge, he hath his brothers faith,
He hath also the truce that yet endures.

An.
I feare alas, alas I greatly feare,
Some trustlesse snare his cruell brother layes
To trappe him in.

Bai.
Daughter, god knowes how willing I would be
With sweete reliefe to comfort thy distresse,
But I cannot impart to thee, the good
Which I my selfe doe not as yet enioye.
The wailefull cause that moues Eteocles
With Pollinyce to enter ciuill warres
Is ouergreat, and for this onely cause
Full many men haue broke the lawes of truth,
And topsieturuie turned many townes.
“To gredie (daughter) too too gredie is
“Desire to rule and raigne in kingly state.
Ne can he bide, that swaise a realme alone
To haue another ioynde with him therin:
Yet must we hope for helpe of heauenly powers,
Sith they be iuste, their mercy is at hand,
To helpe the weake when worldly force doth faile.

An.
As both my brethren be, so both I beare
As much goodwill as any sister may,
But yet the wrong that vnto Pollinyce
This trothlesse tyrant hath vniustlie shewd,
Doth leade me more, to wishe the prosperous life,
Of Pollinyce, than of that cruell wretch.
Besides that, Pollinyce whiles he remainde
In Thebes here, did euer loue me more,
Than did Eteocles, whose swelling hate
Is towardes me increased more and more:
Wherof I partly may assure my selfe,
Considering he disdaynes to visite me,
Yea, happly he intends to reaue my life,
And hauing power he will not sticke to doe it.
This therefore makes me earnestly desire
Oftymes to see him: yet euer as I thinke
For to discharge the duetie of a sister,
The feare I haue of hurt, doth chaunge fast
My doubtfull loue into disdaynefull spight.

Bai.
Yet daughter, must ye trust in mightie Ioue,
His will is not, that for thoffence of one
So many suffer vndeserued smarte:
I meane of thee, I meane of Polinyce,
Of Iocasta thy wofull aged mother,
And of Ismena thy beloued sister.
Who though for this she dothe not outwardly
From drearie eyen distill lamenting teares,
Yet do I thinke, no lesse afflicting griefe
Dothe inwardly torment hir tender brest.

An.
Besides all this, a certayne ielousie,
Lately conceyude (I knowe not whence it springs)
Of Creon, my mothers brother, appaules me muche,
Him doubt I more than any danger else.

Bai.
Deare daughter, leaue this foolishe ielousie,
And seeing that thou shalt heere shortly finde
Thy brother Polinyce, go in agayne.

An.
O ioyfull would it be to me therwhile,
To vnderstande the order of the hoste,
Whether it be suche as haue sufficient power
To ouerthrowe this mightie towne of Thebs.
What place supplies my brother Polynice?
Where founde ye hym? what answere did he giue?
And though so great a care perteineth not
Unto a mayde of my vnskilfull yeres,
Yet, forbicause my selfe partaker am
Of good and euill with this my countrey soyle,
I long to heare thee tell those fearfull newes,
Which otherwise I can not vnderstande.

Bai.
So noble a desire (O worthy dame)
I muche commende: and briefly as I can,
Will satisfie thy hungry minde herein.
The power of men that Polinyce hath brought,
(Wherof he, (being Adrastus sonne in lawe)
Takes chiefest charge) is euen the floure of Grece,
Whose hugie traine so mightie seemes to be,
As I see not, how this our drouping towne
Is able to withstand so strong a siege.
Entring the fielde their armie did I finde
So orderly in forme of battaile set,
As though they would forthwith haue giuen the charge:
In battailes seauen the host deuided is,
To eche of which, by order of the king,
A valiant knight for captaine is assignde:
And as you know this citie hath seuen gates,
So euerie captaine hath his gate prescribde,
With fierce assault to make his entrie at.
And further, passing through our frouning foes
(That gaue me countenance of a messanger)
Harde by the King I spied Pollinyce,
In golden glistring armes most richely cladde,
Whose person many a stately prince enpalde,
And many a comely crowned head enclosde:
At sight of me his colour straight he chaungde
And like a louing childe in clasped armes
He caught me vp, and frendly kist my cheke,
Then hearing what his mother did demaunde
With glad consent according to hir hest
Gaue me his hand, to come vnto the court,
Of mutuall truce desirous so he seemde,
He askt me of Antygone, and Ismena.
But chiefelie vnto thee aboue the rest
He gaue me charge most hartely to commend him.

An.
The gods giue grace he may at length possesse
His kingly right and I his wished sight.

Bai.
Daughter no more, t'is time ye nowe returne
It standeth not with the honor of your state
Thus to be seene suspiciouslie abrode:
“For vulgar tongues are armed euermore
“With slaunderous brute to bleamishe the renoume
“Of vertues dames, which though at first it spring
“Of slender cause, yet doth it swell so fast,
“As in short space it filleth euerie eare
“With swifte report of vndeserued blame:
“You cannot be too curious of your name,
“Fond shewe of euill (though still the minde be chast)
“Decayes the credite oft, that Ladies had,
“Sometimes the place presumes a wanton mynde:
“Repayre sometymes of some, doth hurt their honor:
“Sometimes the light and garishe proude attire
“Persuades a yelding bent of pleasing youthes.
The voyce that goeth of your vnspotted fame,
Is like a tender floure, that with the blast
Of euerie litle winde doth fade away.
Goe in deere childe, this way will I goe see
If I can meete thy brother Pollinyce.

Antigone vvith hir maides returneth into hir mothers pallace, hir gouernour goeth oute by the gates Homoloydes.
CHORVS.