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ANT.
I go away
Against my will.

OED.
Reach forth thy hands, my daughter!

ANT.
I cannot.

CR.
Off with her!

OED.
Alas, undone!

[Exit ANTIGONE, guarded]

CR.
Thou shalt not have these staves henceforth to prop
Thy roaming to and fro. Take thine own way!
Since thou hast chosen to thwart thy nearest kin,–
Beneath whose orders, though a royal man,
I act herein,–and thine own native land.
The time will surely come when thou shalt find
That in this deed and all that thou hast done
In opposition to their friendly will,
Thou hast counselled foolishly against thy peace,
Yielding to anger, thy perpetual bane.

[Going]

CH.
Stranger, stand where thou art!

CR.
Hands off, I say!

CH.
Thou shalt not go, till thou restore the maids.

CR.
Soon, then, my city shall retain from you
A weightier cause of war. I will lay hands
Not on the maidens only.

CH.
What wilt thou do?

CR.
Oedipus I will seize and bear away.

CH.
Great Heaven forfend!

CR.
It shall be done forthwith,
Unless the ruler of this land prevent me.

OED.
O shameless utterance! Wilt thou lay thy hold
On me?

CR.
Be silent! Speak no more!

OED.
No more?
May these dread Goddesses not close my lips
To this one prayer of evil against thee,
Thou villain, who, when I have lost mine eyes,
Bereavest me of all that I had left
To make my darkness light! Therefore I pray,
For this thy wrongful act, may He in heaven
Whose eye sees all things, Helios, give to thee
Slowly to wither in an age like mine!

CR.
Men of this land, bear witness to his rage!

OED.
They see us both, and are aware that I
Repay thee but with words for deeds of wrong.

CR.
No longer will I curb my wrath. Though lonely
And cumbered by mine age, I will bear off
This man!

OED.
Me miserable!

CH.
How bold thou art,
If standing here thou think’st to do this thing!

CR.
I do.

CH.
Then Athens is to me no city.

CR.
Slight men prevail o’er strength in a just cause.

OED.
Hear ye his words?

CH.
He shall not make them good.
Be witness, Zeus!

CR.
Zeus knows more things than thou.

OED.
Is not this violence?

CR.
Violence you must bear.

CH.
Come, chieftain of our land!
Come hither with all speed. They pass the bound.

[Enter THESEUS.]

THE.
Wherefore that shouting? Daunted by what fear
Stayed ye me sacrificing to the God[2]
Who guards this deme Colonos? Let me know
What cause so hastened my reluctant foot.

OED.
Dear friend (I know thy voice addressing us),
One here hath lately done me cruel wrong.

THE.
Who is the wrong-doer, say, and what the deed?

OED.
This Creon, whom thou seest, hath torn away
Two children that were all in all to me.