نمايشنامه هاي انگليسي Antigone

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Lines 945-987
The Fourth Stasimon:
The Chorus “Even Danaë’s beauty left the lightsome day.”
Summary
The Chorus sings of Danaë, the daughter of Acrisius, King of Argos, who was confined in a tower of brass by her father. Yet Zeus loved Danaë and came to meet her as a shower of gold (“the golden rain”).
Misfortune, which is destined to occur, will come no matter how great or powerful the sufferers may be. The Chorus recalls how the son of Dryas was trapped in an “eyeless vault of stone” by the Greek god, Dionysus, as a punishment for having played a prank on the god and his followers

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The Chorus then sings about the legend of Phineus’ two sons, who were blinded by their father at the behest of their stepmother. The sons cried out to Heaven for revenge until Zeus responded by blinding their father, Phineus. However, the sons of Phineus cried chiefly for their mother, Cleopatra, who was “the source of their rejected birth.” Cleopatra came from the family of Erechtheus and lived out her life in far off caves, where she endured terrible storms. Although she was born of divinity, she too suffered a terrible fate

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Notes
In this choral piece, the audience is told about the inevitability of doom. The Chorus has just seen Antigone being led to her death and asserts the belief that destiny rules the lives of everyone, both mortal and immortal. It cites the example of Acrisius, the King of Argos, who imprisoned his daughter, Danaë, because an oracle had predicted that her son would kill him. But Acrisius could not escape the hand of Fate and was killed by his daughter’s son.
The Chorus goes on to tell of the imprisonment of the son of Dryas by Dionysus, and of the blinding of the sons of Phineus. Fate is seen as striking a blow at Phineus with her shuttle (a kind of weapon). The Chorus ends by relating the tale of Cleopatra, the mother of Phineus’ children, who spent her days in isolation in remote caves.

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Lines 988-1090
The Fifth Episode:
Tiresias and Creon
Summary
Tiresias, the seer of Thebes, enters, led by a boy. He addresses the “Lords of Thebes” (the Chorus), saying that since he is blind, he needs the help of the young boy who is his guide. Creon asks Tiresias why he has come.
Tiresias reminds Creon that his advice to Creon on previous occasions has been sound and useful, and has saved Thebes from destruction. Creon agrees. Tiresias now warns Creon that Thebes is once again on the “edge of peril.” Creon admits that he is frightened by Tiresias’ warning and asks about the nature and cause of the impending disaster.

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Tiresias begins to answer Creon’s question. He relates that once, while he sat on his ancient seat of divination, he heard birds of prey screeching and fighting among themselves. He could hear the talons of two birds tearing each other apart. Frightened by these strange noises, Tiresias offered a sacrifice to the fire-god at the high alter of Thebes. But the fire did not burn brightly because a liquid had dripped onto the fire from the bones of the animal which Tiresias had offered as a sacrifice. Thus the fire was turned into “a sputtering fume.” The animal’s bile was thrown up high into the air. Tiresias took this as an bad omen. Although Tiresias could not see all of this, it was reported to him by his helper, a young boy. Tiresias accuses Creon of causing these strange happenings to occur through his (Creon’s) obstinacy. Tiresias says that throughout Thebes, the sacred altars have been infected because of the dogs and vultures who have fed on the decaying body of Polynices, which lies out in the open due to Creon’s decree

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Tiresias complains that the gods refuse to accept sacrifices from infected altars. He advises Creon to relent and to listen to reason. He asks Creon not to be inflexible, but to make amends for his unnatural behavior. He tells Creon that there is no honor in demeaning the man who is already dead. Tiresias believes that careful counsel “is precious to the understanding soul.”
Creon describes himself as the target of everyone’s anger. He accuses Tiresias of having taken a bribe to speak out against Creon. He promises never to allow Polynices’ body to be buried. Creon asserts that he is not frightened by the disturbances among the animals and birds of Thebes. He states that defilement among men cannot rise up to the gods.

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Tiresias laments the fact that Creon speaks unwisely. He tells Creon that he (Creon) suffers from the disease of wealth. Tiresias is angry because Creon has labeled him as a false prophet. Creon does not relent and calls Tiresias “dishonest.” At this, Tiresias responds with a prophecy that is almost a curse. He warns Creon that within a few days two members of Creon’s own family will die as recompense for the death of Antigone and the cruel manner in which Creon has refused a burial for Polynices’ body. The “powers beneath” (the gods of the Underworld, Hades and Persephone) demand that Polynices’ corpse be buried. Tiresias tells Creon that the avenging gods and the “furies of the grave” are waiting to bring “ruinous harm” to Creon’s family. Tiresias predicts that the palace halls will soon ring with the sound of mourners crying for the dead. He warns Creon that the people of the cities whose unburied sons lie outside Thebes are forming armies to attack Thebes. He ends by telling Creon that since Creon has attacked Tiresias personally, it is now his (Tiresias’) turn to play the archer and shoot arrows at Creon. Tiresias’ arrows take the form of curses. He leaves in a hurry, warning Creon not to act unwisely

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Notes
Tiresias, the blind prophet of Thebes, appears as a character in Sophocles’ Oedipus Rex and Euripides’ Bacchae and Phoenissae. Tiresias was granted the gift of prophecy by Zeus. As in Oedipus Rex, Tiresias comes to warn the King of Thebes about the impending dangers awaiting him, and as in the Oedipus play, the king insults Tiresias and at first refuses to listen to him.
Tiresias, although blind, can “see” more clearly than most men. He has heard the quarreling among the birds who were fighting for their share of Polynices’ body. For Tiresias, such an event is a bad omen. Furthermore, his sacrifice to the gods at the altar of Thebes was rejected. Tiresias concludes that something is wrong within Thebes, and it is none other than Creon’s edict concerning the burial of Polynices. The body has begun to decompose and the air surrounding Thebes is now rife with infection. Tiresias asks Creon to change his thinking and allow for Polynices’ body to be buried, so that the gods may be satisfied. Then, the people of Thebes can once again live in an atmosphere free of the stench of death

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Creon is stubbornly unrelenting. He wildly accuses Tiresias of accepting a bribe from those who wish to see Polynices buried.
Creon has at this point provoked Tiresias’ wrath. Tiresias reveals to Creon all that he sees as a prophet. He foretells the deaths of two members of Creon’s family in exchange for the cruel treatment that Creon has meted out to Antigone and for his refusal to allow Polynices’ burial. Tiresias observes that the gods of the Underworld are unhappy because Polynices’ body needs to be buried so that his spirit can reach Hades. Tiresias warns Creon that unless he retracts his proclamation and forgives Antigone, he shall suffer great tragedy in the days to come. Tiresias, being an old man, is offended by Creon’s hasty and ill-phrased remarks, and he storms out of the palace in anger

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Lines 1091-1114
Creon and the Chorus
Summary
After Tiresias’ departure, the Chorus warns Creon that “there is terror” in Tiresias’ prophecy. The Chorus knows that Tiresias, in the many years that he has advised kings, has “never spoken falsely to the state.” Creon is well aware of this. While he is full of dread of Tiresias’ words, he finds it difficult to yield to the old prophet.
Creon asks the Chorus of elders to advise him, and he tells them that he will follow their advice. The Chorus advises him to release Antigone from the vault and to allow Polynices’ body to be buried. Creon finds this counsel hard to follow, but finally accepts it as Fate. In spite of his own misgivings as a politician, Creon says that he is forced to accept the Chorus’ advice. The Chorus tells him to go personally to rescue the situation, and Creon hurries out with his entourage for the hill where Antigone is to be entombed. Creon now feels that it is better to conform to tradition