THE PHOENICIAN WOMEN
A monologue from the
play by Euripides
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NOTE: This monologue is reprinted
from The Plays of Euripides in English, vol. ii. Trans.
Shelley Dean Milman. London: J.M. Dent & Sons, 1922. |
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- JOCASTA: Believe me, O Eteocles my son,
- Old age is not by wretchedness alone
- Attended: more discreetly than rash youth
- Experience speaks. Why dost thou woo ambition,
- That most malignant goddess? O forbear!
- For she's a foe to justice, and hath entered
- Full many a mansion, many a prosperous city,
- Nor left them till in ruin she involves
- All those who harbour her: yet this is she
- On whom thou doat'st. 'Twere better, O my son,
- To cultivate equality, who joins
- Friends, cities, heroes, in one steadfast league
- For by the laws of nature, through the world
- Equality was 'stablished: but the wealthy
- Finds in the poorer man a consant foe;
- Hence bitter enmity derives its source.
- Equality, among the human race,
- Measures, and weights, and numbers hath ordained:
- Both the dark orb of night and radiant sun
- Their annual circuits equally perform;
- Each, free from envy, to the other yields
- Alternately; thus day and night afford
- Their services to man. Yet wilt not thou
- Be satisfied to keep an equal portion
- Of these domains, and to thy brother give
- His due. Where then is justice? Such respect
- As sober reason disapproves, why pay'st thou
- To empire, to oppression crowned with triumph?
- To be a public spectacle thou deem'st
- Were honourable. 'Tis but empty pride.
- When thou hast much already, why submit
- To toils unnumbered? What's superfluous wealth
- But a mere name? Sufficient to the wise
- Is competence: for man possesses naught
- Which he can call his own. Though for a time
- What bounty the indulgent gods bestow
- We manage, they resume it at their will:
- Unstable riches vanish in a day.
- Should I to thee th' alternative propose
- Either to reign, or save thy native land,
- Couldst thou reply that thou hadst rather reign?
- But if he conquer, and the Argive spears
- O'erpower the squadrons who from Cadmus spring,
- Thou wilt behold Thebes taken, wilt behold
- Our captive virgins ravished by the foe:
- That empire which thou seek'st will prove the bane
- Of thy loved country; yet thou still persist'st
- In mischievous ambition's wild career.
- Thus far to thee. And now to you I speak,
- O Polynices; favours most unwise
- Are those Adrastus hath on you bestowed,
- And with misjudging fury are you come
- To spread dire havoc o'er your native land.
- If you (which may the righteous gods avert!)
- This city take, how will you rear the trophies
- Of such a battle? How, when you have laid
- Your country waste, th' initiatory rites
- Perform, and slay the victims? On the banks
- Of Inachus displayed, with what inscription
- Adorn the spoils--"From blazing Thebes these shields
- Hath Polynices won, and to the gods
- Devoted"? Never, O my son, through Greece
- May you obtain such glory. But if you
- Are vanquished and Eteocles prevail,
- To Argos, leaving the ensanguined field
- Strewn with unnumbered corses of the slain,
- How can you flee for succour? 'Twill be said
- By some malignant tongue: "A curst alliance
- Is this which, O Adrastus, thou hast formed:
- We to the nuptials of one virgin owe
- Our ruin." You are hastening, O my son,
- Into a twofold mischief: losing all
- That you attempt, and causing your brave friends
- To perish. O my sons, this wild excess
- Of rage, with joint occurrence, lay aside.
- By equal folly when two chiefs inspired
- To battle rush, dire mischief must ensue.
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MONOLOGUES BY EURIPIDES |
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