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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
death_n	daughter_n	king_n	marry_v	7,147	5	8.7437	4	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A07329	The tragedy of Antigone, the Theban princesse. Written by T.M.	May, Thomas, 1595-1650.	1631 (1631)	STC 17716; ESTC S122116	25,669	72

THE TRAGEDY OF ANTIGONE The Theban Princesse Written by T. May First Edition LONDON Printed by Thomas Harper for Beniamin Fisher and are to be sould at his shop at the signe of the Talbot without Aldersgate 1631 TO THE MOST WORTHILY HONOVRED ENDYMION PORTER Esquire one of his Maiesties Bedchamber SIR THis Tragedy of Antigone may perchance considering the subiect of it be thought a Poem too sad and balefull to bee read with pleasure or presented with delight vpon any Stage I confesse the saddnesse of it but if it suffer for that it will raise a question more general Why tragedyes haue at any time bin allowed Why the ruines and calamities of some men haue beene represented as a delightsome pastime to other men Why those ancient witts whom Greece in her learned'st times did highly admire haue chosen for their deathlesse Poems almost no other arguments then those calamitous storyes of Thebes Mycenae Troy and most of all this very discourse of the fatall and incestuous family of Oedipus where almost all the passages are so farre a man would thinke from delighting men that they might mooue a suffering euen in the furyes themselues and why the greatest Princes both Graecian and Roman in their highest iollity haue not onely beheld with delight the presentation of them but for their owne excercise as many of them as haue had the itch of writing haue chosen these arguments and made them into Tragedyes VVhy this hath been generally so though the cause neede no Apology at least not mine I will venture some few coniectures All the spectatours are either wretched or fortunate the wretched in sad storyes are in some sort eased by fellowship in woe or delighted with tragicall expressions as being somewhat of kindred with their owne thoughts those that are fortunate are affected in such showes either with delight or wholsome sorrow if they be delighted it is in the tast of their own prosperity which appeares greater set off by an obiect of such contrariety this delight is not out of malice as pleased with the woes of others but acknowledgement to those high powers which made the difference if they be sorrowfull their sorrow is wholsome for as in melancholly diseases merry tales are vsed to assist nature so in too great a ioy wantonnes of the soule such sad representations are as a good allay depressing the leuity of their thoughts to such a meane as is fit to entertaine the best contemplations Moreouer Tragedyes besides the state of them are pleasing in the expression forasmuch as saddnesse doth vsually afford the best straines of writing to omit other instances loue it selfe the vsuall argument of our new Comedy is there best written where it is most distressed and in despairing passion that part of the Comedy seeming best which is nearest tragedy in that straine also goe most or the best of loue-sonnets that now are made But I wander too far in this theame excuse me noble Sir for pressing so much vpon your patience the worke it selfe did it not more trust or your goodnesse then it's owne worth would thinke it selfe too long to be read by you If you accept it it seekes no farther To speake of you as you deserue I dare not since your known modesty would checke my pen but this I dare say there are no arts or armes or any other true abilities that euer had the happinesse to know you but will spread your worth thinke you most worthy to stand as you doe in the presence of a King wishing you long blest in his Maiesties fauour the King blest with moe such seruants as you are God after all grant vnto you his blessed presence and so I rest Euer to be commanded by you Tho: May A short argument of this Tragedy ETeocles and Polynices sonnes to Oedipus by that incestuous marriage with his mother Iocasta hauing slaine each other in a single combate Creon is crowned King of Thebes Creon denyes to the Argiue bodies funerall rites which among the heathen was therefore esteemed a cruell punishment because they thought the soules of them that were vnburied wandered an hundred yeares before they could be transported by Charon into Elysium Aemon the sonne of King Creon falling in loue with Antigone the pious daughter of Oedipus cannot obtaine his fathers consent to mary her Antigone contrary to the Kings command goes by night to bury the body of her brother Polynices and there meetes with Argia the widow of Polynices and daughter to king Adrastus They are surprised Aemon attempting their rescue is wounded and lyes a while conceal'd Antigone by Creon is doomed to death Aemon killeth himselfe Theseus killeth Creon and giueth funerall to the Graecians bodyes THE TRAGEDY OF ANTIGONE The Theban Princesse Actus Primus scena prima Oedipus led by Antigone Oedipus LEt go this wicked hand oh daughter leaue me Leaue me while thou art vertuous before Th' infection of my crimes do blast thy goodnesse Or draw some plague vpon thee this dire head Abhorr'd by heauen and earth liuing in Thebes Brought forth a pestilence which helpe of art Could neuer cure vntill by heauens decree Most hatefull I was banish'd from the City Oh Daughter leaue me Anti. Neuer neuer Sir While you are heere Cythaeron's craggy mount Is my abode and farre preferr'd before Labdacus stately palace or the towers Of wealthy Thebes for which my brothers striue What there I lou'd I am possest of heere My Father's presence doe not banish me Thither againe that place is banishment While you are heere what but impiety And brothers hatred shall I there behold Oed. Thou art too good Antigone thy birth Would make me Ioue my crimes but that all sense Of vertue as of light is dead in me If thou wilt guide me guide me to that high And fatall cliffe from whence vnhappy Ino Pursu'd leap'd downe into the seas and mett The danger which shee fled there let me ly Conceal'd for euer from the eye of heauen Ah could I kill my memory as well That no succeeding ages might relate The name and story of sad Oedipus Anti. Be not vniust vnto your selfe to thinke You haue deserued death the gods call that Mis-hap and errour which your cruell selfe Against your selfe call crime loue would not hold His vengefull thunder if he iudg'd it so The age were good were men as penitent For true and reall faults as you for that Which ignorance hath wrought and was the crime Of fate it selfe not yours you could not thinke That Theban Laius and Iocasta were Your happlesse parents and too great a feare Of beeing guilty made you what you fear'd Remembring what the oracle foretold You left a Kingdomes glory and forsooke Good Polybus and louing Merope Your then supposed parents and betooke Your selfe vnto a willing banishment What more then this could you haue done to keepe Your goodnesse you forsooke a crowne which others Striue to attaine by all impiety Yet cruell fate pursu'd you

Monarchy whil'st these Argolians all Vnburied lie wandring a hundred yeare Exil'd from him for want of sepulcher 2 Thine anger bootes not Creon 't is all one Whether the fire or putrefaction Dissolue them all to natures bosome goe And to themselues their ends the bodies owe If now the Argiues bodies be not burn'd They shall when earth and seas to flames are turn'd Earth will inspite of thee receiue againe What euer she brought forth and they obtaine Heauens couerture that haue no graues at all Thou that deny'st these people funerall Why dost thou fly those slaughter-smelling fields Breathe if thou canst the aire this sad place yeelds Those vanquish'd carcasses alone possesse The ground and barre the conquerours accesse 3 When that annoyance shall be vanish'd quite The wandring ghosts will still remaine and fright The balefull place plowmen shall feare to toyle In furrowes of this ill-manured soyle This ghostly land of ours perchance shall be Tane for Avernus by posterity And claim'd by Pluto as his monarchy Where thousand wandring soules together fly Cleare Dirce shall be made the Poets theame Instead of muddy Styx whose fatall streame The ghosts so striue to be transported ore By churlish Charon to Elysiums shore And rather then so great an hoast should seeme Exil'd from thence it will be thought by them Another Acheron shall heere be made And they possesse their owne Elysian shade 1. What shall we doe to cure this fatall staine Vpon our nation 2. Nothing but complaine Actus Tertius Aemon MY feares haue brought me early to this place The night is young No watches yet are set How sad and deepe a silence does possesse These mourning fields but why should that seeme strange Why shake I thus Why do my coward thoughts Tell me t is ominous is it not night And who dares tread on this forbidden ground The Rauens Wolues and Vulturs heere haue fill'd Their hungry mawes and now are gone to rest What noise should I expect vnlesse the Ghosts Of these dead Greekes with querulous cryes should fill The aire of night what horrour thus inuades me Is it because the Schreich owle cry'd about me Passing the gates of Thebes because to night I haue so often stumbled on dead men Tut these are toyes for children let not feare That euer was a stranger to this breast Reigne in it now But t is Antigone Whom cruell vertue will command to night Into a world of danger is the cause Of all my feare Oh faire Antigone Why art thou good so excellently good To make me more then wretched you bright starres That doe alternatlie with Phoebus rule And measure time if vertue be a kinne To heauen and you if your faire influence Gouerne this lower world let not the night Which is your time of reigne giue priuiledge To murders witchcrafts and infernall arts Whilest vertue suffers and white innocence Is made a prey I le watch the fields to night But not be seene till time require mine aide Secretly shrowded in yon Cypresse groue I le watch what fortunes doe attend my loue Exit Menaetes Argia Men. Madam the place is neere the noisome aire Which those vnburyed carcasses exhale Growes stronger still and from that feeble shine Which to the night halfe-clouded Cynthia lends How large a shade the lofty Theban walls Spread ore this field of death those twinckling lights Which we from hence discerne burne in the tower Of Creon's cruell watch Arg. Oh Thebes a name Once deare to me but now a word of horrour And endlesse sorrow yet giue leaue t' enterre My husbands hearse and I will loue thee still And leaue my heart for euermore to dwell On thy deare ground behold with what attendance What state the great Adrastus daughter comes To claime her right at Thebes how poore a claime The wronged wife of Polynices makes T is not thy wealth nor Cadmus stately throne Nor crowne nor septer that Argia claimes I craue but mourning free but death and dust And such abhorred dust as thou disdainst To harbour louingly bestow but what Thou hat'st on me and take the greatest thankes A queene can giue and thou beloued ghost Of my dead Lord if through these fields thou wander And loue the rites that I performe to night Direct me where thy wronged body lyes Men. Madam this way nearer the city walls My Lord was slaine there perchance he lyes Exeunt Dircus with a Torch Dir. Prince Aemon is abroad and woe is me Gone with too great a confidence I feare Vpon my plot which is defeated quite The watch is doubled and more strictly kept Then heretofore no possiblity To lay them all asleepe what he entended To worke vpon it is quite frustrate now Oh could I meete him but to let him know What has befall'n I le range these fields to find him Exit Menaetes and Argia with the dead body Arg. Was this the sight was promis'd me at Thebes Are these the triumphs of my dearest Lord Thus to thy natiue countrey dost thou bid Argia welcome thus dost thou requite The entertainement that kind Argos gaue To thee a stranger why prepar'st thou not The Theban palace to receiue thy queene But why complaine I vainely thou alas Art held a stranger to thy natiue Thebes Nay more a foe to whom the cruell ground Denyes that common bounty which in death The meanest creatures challenge at her hand But woe is me t' was I that caus'd thy fall T' was I that moou'd my father to this warre And all those Graecian Princes happy else Mightst thou haue liu'd at Argos still with me And ne're set foote on this accursed ground Did I for this entreat those valiant Greekes To warre with Thebes to see my dearest Lord Thus all deform'd with gore trod downe in dust And couer'd ore with filth Men. See Madam see The mortall wound yet gaping on his breast Arg. Was this a brothers hand but in that name I finde thy guilt as much I le rather thinke Thou nere hadd'st any kindred neuer brother Nor other name of blood which nature meant A name of loue For where are all their teares Where is their sorrow now if not in Thebes Where hast thou kindred none laments but I To me alone is Polynices dead Where is thy mother and thy sisters now Where is that good Antigone so fam'd For piety whom thou so oft would'st praise And tell such pleasing stories of her vertue Antigone with a Torch Ant. About this place he lyes deare Ghost forgiue Thy Sisters slacknesse and with fauour now Accept these louing though late rites I doe A Graecian Lady so her habit speakes her Some pious sorrow brings her to this place Lady the gods assist your piety Arg. Are you a wofull widow'd Lady too That come to breake dire Creons sauage law But yet you seeme a Theban all their bodyes Haue rites of funerall perform'd already Or does your too too charitable griefe Extend to some vnhappy Graecian soule Anti. I know not how to answer