Women of Trachis A monologue from the play by Sophocles Essay Example For Students

Women of Trachis A monologue from the play by Sophocles Essay A monologue from the play by Sophocles NOTE: This monologue is reprinted from Dramas. Sophocles. London: J.M. Dent Sons, 1906. HERACLES: How many and how fierce and sore to tell The labours I with body and hands have wrought! And such an one not even the Spouse of Jove Set me, or the abhorred Eurystheus, ever, As this, which ?neus daughter crafty-faced Fitted upon my shouldersthe web-toil Woven of the Furies, which is killing me. For plastered to my sides, it has gnawed off The surface of my flesh, and settles in And battens on the channels of the lungs, And has already drained all my fresh life-blood, And through my whole frame I am overthrown, Worsted by this unthought-for fetterment! Treatment such as I never yet endured No, not from lances in the battle-field, Or Giants earthborn army, or Centaurs might, Or Grecian or barbarian, or all lands Which I, cleansing their borders, visited; But one sole womana female, not a male By sexweaponlessputs an end to me. O boy, now show yourself my true-born son; Set not the name of mother all too high; But with your own hands hale out of the house And render her that bare you unto mine, That I may know whether you grieve to see This form of mine abused, rather than hers Righteously punished. Up, my son, take courage! Have pity on me, whom any men might pity, Weeping and moaning like a girla thing No one could say that he had seen me do Ever before; rather, where hardships led I followed uncomplaining. Now, alas, Falling from thence, I have been proved a woman. And now come near; stand by your fathers side; See under what mischance I suffer thus; Here, I will show you without coverings; Lo, behold all, a miserable frame! Mark me, poor wretch, how I am pitiable!O woe! Alas, ah me, Again, once more, that racking fever pain Right through my side! The desperate gnawing plague Will not release me from its harassing; O Hades, king, receive me! O Joves lightning, strike me! Smite me, O king! Dart down thy thunderbold, Father, on me! for once again it revels, It has blossomedit has burst forth. O handshands, O back and breast, O shoulder-blades of mine, And have you come to this, who formerly Beat down by force the lion habitant Of Nemea, the perilous beast and wild, Fatal to herdsmen; and the water-snake Of Lerna; and the two-form prancing host Of Centaurs, insolent, unsocial, rude, Rampant at might; and the Erymanthian boar; And the infernal triple-headed hound Of Hades, the resistless monster, whelp Of the dread Basilisk; and the Dragon-guard Of golden apples, growing at the worlds end? And countless other toils I tasted of, And no man set up trophies over me! Now here I lie, with dislocated bones, With lacerated flesh, by a dark mischief Utterly cast away, unhappy! I, Named of a mother most illustrious, Reputed son of Zeus, Lord of the stars! But be ye sure of this; though I be nothing, Albeit I cannot move, even as I am, Her who did this, still, I can overcome; Let her come only, that she may be taught, And have it to relate to all, how I, Living and dying, punished wickedness! We will write a custom essay on Women of Trachis A monologue from the play by Sophocles specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now