CREON

Move me no more in that, can Aemon find No match'mongst all the noble Theban Maids, Nor foreign Princes, but Antigone? To mix the fortune of our house with that Incestuous, dire, and fatal family? Move me no more I say. What real virtue ever could proceed From such and impious stock? or being born, Could ever prosper? No act of hers can recompense the gilded Her birth alone has brought into the world, And now we'll purge the city, Aephytus, Go find out Oedipus, and in our name Confine him to Cythaeron; speak it death, If ere he show within the walls of Thebes His ominous head. We have no tears for her, although our sister; Let all the plagues, that Thebes so long has felt, Take end with them. None but Antigone Is now remaining of that family. Go thou, Ianthus, in our name command her To keep her house in Thebes, nor stir from thence, Until our farther pleasure shall be known. I'll rather grant him death then marriage there. Let Aemon know Wee'll be his fate. No more Eurydice. Would! I suspect What she intends to do. If I guess right She goes upon her ruin. Aephytus, Double the watch, and with a careful eye Over look the knaves; this night shall be thy charge. Perform it well, and thou shalt find reward Beyond thy wishes; let no negligence, No gifts, no favour, nor respect to any, How neereso ere to us, make thee or them Slack in your charges, as your lives shall answer Our strictest justice. I'll be at hand my self to make all sure. The watch is diligent; they do not know That I am in the field. What things are these? I'll follow them Ianthus, And know what Fortune's shall attend my reign. Tut tut Ianthus, Astrolog'is uncertain, and the gods In mystike riddles wrap their answers up. But he that dares with confidence to go Inquire of death's black oracles below In plainest terms the certain truth shall know. You wise interpreters of fate, that look With joust contempt down on that small allowance Of knowledge, which weak human breasts possess. Whose subtle eyes can penetrate the depth Of dark Avernus's secrets, and from thence Enforce and answer from the obeying finds. Let me from your deep skill be guided now To know the assurance of my future state: It is a King that craves your aid, a King Whose power has given your art this furtherance, By my command these carcases have lyen Vnburled here for you to practice on. If Creon then deserve it at your hands, Resolve me of my fate. My joints begin to tremble, and I fear As much the means of knowledge, as the event Of what I came to know. The face retains pale death; yet seems to live. Thy death is near; yet ere thou die A great and strange calamity Shall seize thy house, and thou in woe Shalt think the fatal sisters slow In giving death, desiring then Thy reigns short date had shorter been; Yet thou at last in death shalt have (Though thou denid'st it us) a graven. Shame on your damned arts; it does not lie Within the power of fate to work this mischief. One I suspected still, And I am glad I have her, what's the other? Are you Adrastus daughter then? You are our prisoner now, take her, Ianthus, Into your custody: this falls out fitly, The ransom of this Princess will come well To fill our now-exhausted treasury. But thou a Theban born, bound to obey Our crown and laws, what fury moved thy brea (Disloyal maid) to scorn our edict so? Has gilded emboldened thee? is this the excuse Thou makest to me? Is disobedience merit? Or do the gods command subjects to break The laws of Princes? To those infernal judges shalt thou go, And thank my charitable doom, that sends Thy soul to such great happiness, if thou Esteem it happiness, and do not fear What thou wouldst seem to wish. What, weeping still? Why, is Aemon dead? How? murder him? Must then Th'audacious giglot, live unpunished, To brave a King? He's here. What mischief now Comest thou to utter, never from thy tongue Flowed any good to me. No more of them; that last must not be granted, For our command is passed too far already, And must be justified, not changed now. But for the life of that Antigone, Although it cannot suit well with our justice To pardon her rebellious stubbornness, Yet she is thine Eurydice, to thee Do we refer her wholly; take this ring, And absolute power to dispose of her, Either to pardon, or to punishment. Those pious rites will we perform with joy, And thanks to mighty Theseus, may the Gods. Assist thee ever; and great Hercules Beholding thy brave actions from the sky Rejoice, and not disdain at all to be Esteemed thy aequal by posterity. I come to thee sent from the wrathful gods To let thee know thy gilded, and punishment. Great plagues from heaven, if Tiresias Truly divine, are threaten'd'gainst thy house. When I for thee unthankful man prepared A sacrifice within, the opened beast No signs but sad and fatal did afford. None but the infernal gods deigned to appear. The blood was black, the burning entrails gave No flame at all, but darkly did consume, Mouldering away to ashes, and with black Unsavoury smoke clouded the fearful air. Unto our augury no birds at all But sad, and baleful birds of night appeared. Nor to our orisons would th'inuoked gods Vouchsafe and answer, but in signs alone Declared their wrath. The cause of these their threats Against thy house is for thy cruelty To good Antigone, and if she die These plagues will surely fallen. Why let him come: Should I esteem the name Of Thesous such a buggebeare it should fright Me from my constant resolution? Have our late conquests, have the overthrows Of Argor and Mycenae taught the world Nothing of us? look on you purple fields With slaughter died, and learn what Thebes can do, Where Capanaeus, and stout Tydeus Parthenopaeus and Hippomedon Lie weltering in their gores, and should we then So tremble at the threats of Theseus? No power must daunt me; it's not Kingly now Upon constraint to change my rough decree. Though I relented now, though my soft breast Were moved with piety, yet thought of honour Would conquer that, as now it conquers fear, The fear of Theseus hand; nor have I left A place for wisdom now; it comes too late; I must prevent or meet my instant fate. Thou shalt be banished from the light of day, Nor then shalt thou immediately have power To see that other world thou so desirest. Ianthus, till our farther pleasure's known Guard safe Argia's person; Aephytus; See present execution done upon Antigone; without the city walls There is a new dug tomb, where never yet Lay any funeral; in that enclose Antigone alive, and bar it fast As thou entend'st to live, there let her pray To those infernal gods she so adores, To keep her there, or take her quickly thence. shalt thou now deny me Since heaven is joined with my petition.