How to think the Unthinkable

After Sophocles' Antigone

Ryan Craig

• Publisher: Oberon Books
• Year: 2012
• Print ISBN: 9781849434324
• eBook ISBN: 9781849435123
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Literatur
• Subtopic: Britisches Drama

Antigone makes everything OK. Gives me hope. I'm utterly devoted to her. I couldn't imagine what would happen if she weren't here. What could a play written 2, 500 years ago possibly mean today? Ryan Craig's new adaptation of Sophocles' famous tragedy captures the passion, danger and moral deadlock of the story of Greece's most famous teenager. Set in the aftermath of a bloody civil war, Antigone fights for what she believes is right. What would you do?

ACT 1

SCENE 1	CITY STREET
TOM, a guard, enters. He carries some clothes pegs.
TOM	They sent me out for clothes pegs.
He clips the peg to the tip of his nose.
TOM	There’s a dead body and it’s rapidly going rancid...hold on. I sound a bit weird. I can’t do this if I sound weird.
He takes the clip off.
TOM	There’s a dead body in the street...that’s better...and it’s going rancid...so the others sent me out for clothes pegs and we’re gonna put them on our noses. I picked the short straw. I always pick the short straw. Always. Whenever there’s a straw picking situation, I’m always left holding the stubby straw. Every time.
He is about to put the peg on his nose, when he stops.
TOM	And it’s no ordinary dead body by the way. It’s the dead body of the Prince Polynices who rose up and led a revolt against this City of Thebes. Against his own brother King Eteocles. The two brothers fought a terrible, bloody, battle. Striking and lashing and clubbing each other until they were both finished. When the dust settled, the new king ordered that Polynices’ body be left to rot in the street for the rats and the cats, so the soul of the rebel would wander for all eternity in torment, never finding rest...so the whole city would know...that is what you get... That’s what happens to traitors.
TOM is about to put the peg on his nose and he stops again.
TOM	And now we, us three comrades, Roy, Bo and Me, we’re the ones charged with guarding the dead body. And we find anyone trying to bury the traitor, trying to send his soul to heaven, we’re to arrest them. No arguments. Take them straight to King Creon. You’re not to bury Polynices or you’ll be punished.
TOM mimes slitting his own throat.
TOM	By death. We won’t shirk from our duties. Cos you know what happens if we do? We’re for the mincer. And our heads’ll be stuck up on poles outside the city gates as a reminder to others who don’t do what they’re told. And we’ve got families. Wives and kids. What are they gonna do without us to work and provide for them? Starve, that’s what. Look, just take my word for it, it wouldn’t be good if someone came along and buried the body. It would be very bad.
TOM turns to see the other two guards ROY and BO asleep.
TOM	Oi! Asleep!? Wake up! The body!
TOM looks around and sees there is no body.
TOM	Where’s the body?
TOM kicks the other guards.
TOM	You idiots! What have you done?! Someone’s gone and buried that body!
ROY	Hey hey hey. What’s all the commotion, some of us are trying to get some kip.
TOM	You morons, don’t you know what you’ve done?
BO	D’you get them pegs? It don’t half whiff.
TOM	You were dozing on the job. We’re supposed to be professional guards. Professional guards don’t doze on the job. Rule number one. Don’t you have any pride in your work?
ROY	Sleep was the only respite from the stench mate. It was horrible.
BO	Give us that peg then.
TOM	You don’t need it now. Look. While you were dreaming sweet dreams some sneaky little bleeder came and buried the body.
ROY	Oh yeah. Look at that.
BO	They must have done it when we was asleep.
TOM	He’s whip ...

Table of contents

• Front Cover
• Half-title Page
• Title Page
• Copyright
• Contents
• Characters
• Act 1
• Act 2