The phoenician women essay
A monologue from the play by Euripides
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NOTE: This monologue can be reprinted from The Takes on of Euripides in English language, volume. ii. Trans. Shelley Leader Milman. Birmingham: J. Meters. Dent Kids, 1922.
JOCASTA: Believe me, O Eteocles my kid
Old age is definitely not by simply wretchedness exclusively
Attended: even more discreetly than rash youth
Experience talks. Why dost thou woo ambition
That a lot of malignant goddess? O forbear!
For shes a enemy to justice, and hath entered
Full many a mansion, various a prosperous town
Nor kept them until in ruin she consists of
All those who harbour her: yet this is she
In whom thou doatst. Twere better, U my boy
To progress equality, who have joins
Close friends, cities, heroes, in one steadfast league
For by the laws and regulations of character, through the globe
Equality was stablished: however the wealthy
Detects in the lesser man a consant foe
Hence unhealthy enmity comes its resource.
Equality, among the human race
Steps, and dumbbells, and numbers hath ordained:
Both the dark orb of night and radiant sunlight
Their total annual circuits similarly perform
Every single, free from envy, to the different yields
At the same time, thus night and day afford
Their very own services to man. Yet wilt not thou
End up being satisfied to keep an equal section
Of these websites, and to thy brother give
His due. Where in that case is proper rights? Such value
As dry reason disapproves, why payst thou
To empire, to oppression crowned with succeed?
To be a public spectacle thou deemst
Were honourable. Tis but empty pride.
Once thou hast much already, why fill in
To toils unnumbered? Things that are superfluous prosperity
But only name? Satisfactory to the smart
Is competence: for guy possesses naught
Which he can call his own. Nevertheless for a time
What bounty the indulgent gods bestow
All of us manage, they will resume that at their very own will:
Volatile riches fade in a day.
Can i to thee th alternative propose
Either to rule, or preserve thy local land
Couldst thou answer that thou hadst rather reign?
But if he overcome, and the Argive spears
Oerpower the squadrons who coming from Cadmus springtime
Thou wilt behold Thebes taken, wilt behold
Each of our captive virgins ravished by foe:
That empire which in turn thou seekst will show the levnedsl?b
Of thy loved country, yet thou still persistst
In mischievous ambitions crazy career.
So far to thee. And now for you I speak
O Polynices, favours the majority of unwise
Are those Adrastus hath you bestowed
And with misjudging fury will you be come
To spread dreadful havoc oer your native land.
Should you (which may possibly the righteous gods avert! )
This city consider, how will you rear end the trophies
Of such a struggle? How, if you have laid
The country spend, th initiatory rites
Carry out, and slay the victims? On the banking companies
Of Inachus displayed, using what inscription
Enhance the spoilsFrom blazing Thebes these glasses
Hath Polynices won, also to the gods
Devoted? Under no circumstances, O my son, through Greece
May well you obtain this kind of 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 run away for succour? Twill end up being said
By simply some malignant tongue: A curst cha?non
Is this which will, O Adrastus, thou hast formed:
We to the wedding of one virgin mobile owe
Our ruin. You are speeding, O my own son
In a twofold mischief: losing most
That you strive, and triggering your courageous friends
To perish. Um my daughters, this wild excess
Of rage, with joint happening, lay apart.
By similar folly when two chiefs inspired
To battle rush, dire mischief need to ensue.
