Antigone A Tragedy |
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| 6. | SCENE THE SIXTH. |
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 | Antigone |  |
SCENE THE SIXTH.
Creon, Hæmon, the Followers of Hæmon.Cre.
Son, what is thy intent?
Hæm.
Call me not son!
I have no father. Of a tyrant king
I come to abrogate the impious laws:
But for thyself thou hast no cause for fear;
I do not come the avenger of thy crimes:
That to the gods belongs: to rescue Thebes
From the detested sight of further crimes
My right-hand brandishes the naked sword.
Cre.
Against thy father, and against thy king,
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To civil tumult and rebellious discord,
This, surely, is an unexampled means
Of sparing further crimes ... ungrateful son,
Blind and ungrateful son ... yet, in despite
Of thy transgressions, to thy father dear!
What dost thou seek? a sceptre premature?
Hæm.
Reign and prolong thy days; nothing of thine
Do I desire: but I demand, and challenge,
And with these valiant followers, with this arm
I shall know how to gain by force my own.
Argia and Antigone I seek
To rescue from thy hands ...
Cre.
What dost thou say?
Oh, foolish and presumptuous hardihood!
Dar'st thou to brandish thy perfidious sword,
Against thy father brandish it, to unloose
The chains of those whose chains are loosed already?
Argia, from imprisonment released,
Is, at this moment, journeying towards Argos;
I send her as a present to her father:
To this, thou seest, the terror of thy sword
Did not erewhile compel me.
Hæm.
But, ah say,
What are the fortunes of Antigone?
Cre.
She from the horrors of her squalid prison
Is also freed.
Hæm.
Where is she? I would see her.
Cre.
Is this alone thy wish?
Hæm.
On me alone
That now depends: why should I now indeed
Demand her at thy hands? I can, and will,
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Give in this palace law. Brave warriors,
Let us depart; from impious power set free
A royal virgin, to whom aught is due
In this her Thebes, rather than punishment.
Cre.
Thy warriors are useless; thou alone
May'st for this task suffice: and who will dare
Thy footsteps to oppose? Ah, enter there,
Take with thee whom thou wilt: I humbly here,
Among thy champions, thy despised father,
Remain, till thou, her valiant avenger,
Return and triumph.
Hæm.
Thou in jest, perchance,
Dost speak; I speak in earnest. Creon, see,
See, if my deeds do not make good my words.
Cre.
Go. Thou sufficest not to humble Creon.
Hæm.
What do I see? ... oh heavens! ... Antigone ...
Infamous tyrant ... dost thou smite me thus?
Cre.
'Tis thus I humble pride: thus to my laws
Enforce obedience; thus reform my son.
Hæm.
Reform me? Ah, I am too much thy son!
Ah, were I not so! in thy bosom thus.—
I die ... I die ...
Cre.
My son, what hast thou done?
Hæm.
Dost thou inopportunely pity me? ...
Carry elsewhere thy pity ... come not near me ...
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Thus do I yield to thee the blood, 'twere better
Thou ne'er had'st given to me.
Cre.
Son, rash son! ...
I call the gods to witness, I ne'er thought
That an ungovernable passion thus
Would arm thee 'gainst thyself ...
Hæm.
Fly; ... quit my sight.
And force me not, with my last gasp, to curse thee
With horrid imprecations of despair.
I was ... to thee a son ... Thou never wert,
Never ... to me ... a father.
Cre.
Oh, my son!
Hæm.
I leave thee to remorse and bitter anguish.
My friends, my friends, as a last act of kindness,
Drag my expiring body to the spot
Where lies Antigone. It is my wish
That thence my struggling spirit take from earth
Its latest flight ...
Cre.
Oh son ... too well beloved!
And must I yield thee thus? for ever thus
Remain a childless wretch? ...
Hæm.
Creon, once more,
Or in my bosom plunge the fatal weapon ...
Or let me to the side of her ... I love ...
Be dragg'd ... and ... there ... expire.
Cre.
Oh son! ... oh blow,
Fatal and unexpected.
| Antigone | |