04-18-2017, 02:19 PM
Antigone
Death upon death upon death stretch out
behind me. I come from a blood-thirsty
family, tormented by Gods, seemingly
without reason, for generations. I still
have many questions.
My father Oedipus was also my brother.
Unknowingly he’d killed my mother’s
first husband, his father. When she learned
she’d married her own son, her husband’s
murderer, my mother Jocasta killed herself.
She’d tried to circumvent the Oracle’s prophesy
by giving away her first-born son. He came back.
Can the Gods ever be tricked, or appeased?
Blinded by sorrow, Oedipus left the kingdom
of Thebes to his two son/brothers, to share.
My brothers killed each other in battle.
My uncle Creon claimed the throne of Thebes,
called my brother, Polydices, a traitor, refused
to allow his body proper burial rites. He then
arrested and imprisoned me for trying.
Had I actually buried him? Or, had I thrown
his ashes to the wind? Did this happen while
Oedipus still reigned? I hanged myself.
I was to marry my uncle’s son Haemon.
He saw my body, and joined me in death.
His mother, aunt Eurydice, killed herself
for sorrow.
Or, did Dionysus intervene, and Haemon
and I were married?
Or, did Haemon rescue me from his father,
hide me in a shepherd’s hut to give birth to
our son Maeon?
Was Maeon recognised by a dragon’s mark?
Did Heracles plead with Creon to spare our lives,
in vain?
Did Haemon then kill us all, so no one
got out of this alive? Do the Gods even know why?
Death upon death upon death stretch out
behind me. I come from a blood-thirsty
family, tormented by Gods, seemingly
without reason, for generations. I still
have many questions.
My father Oedipus was also my brother.
Unknowingly he’d killed my mother’s
first husband, his father. When she learned
she’d married her own son, her husband’s
murderer, my mother Jocasta killed herself.
She’d tried to circumvent the Oracle’s prophesy
by giving away her first-born son. He came back.
Can the Gods ever be tricked, or appeased?
Blinded by sorrow, Oedipus left the kingdom
of Thebes to his two son/brothers, to share.
My brothers killed each other in battle.
My uncle Creon claimed the throne of Thebes,
called my brother, Polydices, a traitor, refused
to allow his body proper burial rites. He then
arrested and imprisoned me for trying.
Had I actually buried him? Or, had I thrown
his ashes to the wind? Did this happen while
Oedipus still reigned? I hanged myself.
I was to marry my uncle’s son Haemon.
He saw my body, and joined me in death.
His mother, aunt Eurydice, killed herself
for sorrow.
Or, did Dionysus intervene, and Haemon
and I were married?
Or, did Haemon rescue me from his father,
hide me in a shepherd’s hut to give birth to
our son Maeon?
Was Maeon recognised by a dragon’s mark?
Did Heracles plead with Creon to spare our lives,
in vain?
Did Haemon then kill us all, so no one
got out of this alive? Do the Gods even know why?