Sarah Ngugi, Avery Mendoza, Luke Martin, Eli Landeche, Samantha Michler

Ms. Stephanie Tatum

Honors World Literature, 2nd period
Sep 09. 2020

Antigone: Dramatic Reading Script

Messenger: It does not matter who you are, bad and good things happen to everyone by chance.
There is no real way to predict the future for any man. Not even a man such as Creon, who saved
this land of Cadmus from its enemies. He was a true leader with noble children and now look, it's
all gone. He lost everything...he might as well be dead.

Chorus Leader: [Sees messenger, to messenger]- Is there any new news from the house of
kings?!

Messenger: They’re dead. And the person responsible is among us.

Chorus Leader: [Confused] Who’s dead?! Who’s responsible?! Please tell us!

Messenger: Haemon is dead and the person responsible is among us.

Chorus Leader: JUST TELL US! Was it his father? [Gasp, quietly] - Did he kill himself?

Messenger: He killed himself out of anger at his father.

Chorus Leader: [Shocked] Teiresias was right!

Messenger: Yeah! I wonder what will happen next.

Chorus Leader: Here comes Creon’s wife, Eurydice. Do you think she knows about her son’s
death?

[Messenger shrugs]

Eurydice: I couldn’t help but overhear you talking as I was going out to pray. I heard you
speaking of terrible news regarding my family. I got so scared, I fainted into my servant’s arms.
[Confidently] - So tell me what has happened.

Messenger: Okay, if you insist, but I won’t leave out a single detail. I went to the plain with your
husband as his guide. There we saw Polyneices's corpse, torn apart by dogs. We prayed to Pluto
and Hecate and asked of their good will and for them to restrain their rage. We gave his corpse a
ritual wash and burned what was left of it on fresh-cut branches. We made a tomb and moved on
to the young girl’s cave. A man then heard a deafening scream from the chamber in which we
put her and proceeded to tell Creon. Creon made his way down and heard the screams for
himself to which he responded...
Creon: [Groans, impatiently] - Has misery made me a prophet now? I’ve just heard the voice of
my own son. [points] you servants! [waves hand to tell them to move] go ahead – get up there
fast! Remove the stones piles in the entrance way then stand beside the tomb and look in there to
see if that was Haemon’s voice I heard.

Messenger: [continuing from the last line] We followed his orders and looked. In the far corner
of the tomb we saw Antigone hanging by the neck held up in a noose. Haemon had his arms
around her and was crying out for the loss of his bride. A loss his father was responsible for.
When Creon saw him, he let out a fearful groan and said...

Creon: [Fearfully groan] You unhappy boy, what have you done?! What are you thinking? Have
you lost your mind? Come out, son – I’m begging you – please come.

Messenger: Instead, Haemon spat in his father’s face and pulled out his sword. Creon pulled
away but much to his disbelief, Haemon leaned into the sword and stabbed himself in the chest.
Still clinging onto Antigone, he took his last breathes as his blood fell over her lifeless face. So,
they lay there together. Let Haemon’s misfortune be a symbol the evil of thoughtlessness.

[Eurydice exit the frame emotionless]

Chorus Leader: How do you think she took the news?

Messenger: I don’t know but I’d be shocked if I were her, it’s her son! Hopefully she’ll do
arrange something discreet to mourn her loss.

Chorus Leader: I don’t know, something doesn’t feel right. Her silence was telling.

Messenger: You’re right, something felt off. I’ll go in and check.

[Messenger leaves frame]

Chorus Leader: [Looks out] Here comes the king and he is carrying his son in his arms.

Creon: [Sadly] This is all my fault! My family is dead, and I am the killer.

Chorus Leader: [Throws hands in the air] Finally, he’s realizing! Unfortunately, it’s too late.

Creon: Some god had shown me their rage and has taken everything from me.

[Messenger reappears in frames]

Messenger: Creon, there is something you should see in the palace.

Creon: [Concerned and confused] What? How could this get any worse?!

Messenger: Your wife is dead.

[Everyone gasp/ act shocked]

Messenger: She died recently, slaughtered by a sword.

Creon: This has become a gathering place for the dead. Why do you keep bringing me terrible
news? My wife is really dead?!

Messenger: [Nods] Yeah...look. She’s no longer hidden inside.

[Messenger pretends to open palace door to reveal Eurydice’s body]

[Everyone gasp/act shocked]

Creon: I feel miserable, this is the second horror of the day. I have just held my dead son in my
arms and now this?

Messenger: She was stabbed at the altar as she cried out for the glorious fate of Megareos and
then for Haemon, her son. With her last breath, she cursed you and wished evil things against
you, for you are the killer of your sons.

Creon: [Cries out] Why can’t someone just stab me to take me out of my fearful life.

Messenger: She killed herself by stabbing herself in the stomach after hearing what happened to
her son.

Creon: [Sadly] I am the reason for all these tragedies. I, and I alone have murdered you.
Servants! [Clap to get their attention] hurry and take me away, for I am nothing in life.

Chrorus Leader: That is the first good thing he has done in a while. I’m glad he kept his mouth
shut.

Creon: [Walking away] - It is only fair that I too face death soon.

Chorus Leader: That’s something of the future, we need to focus on the present. What’s yet to
come is the concern of those whose task it is to deal with it.

Chorus: Pray for nothing. There’s no release for mortal human beings. Not from events from
events which destiny is set.

Creon: [From a distance] – I have killed my son and wife with no intentions of doing so. I am
useless. There is no help for me, everything I touch is destroyed.

Chorus: Wisdom is vital to success. Do not act impiously towards the gods, for arrogance leads
to great consequences. So, with old age comes wisdom.