Battle of the Brothers

Written by Allie Kleber, 9/27/01

SCENE: The muddied, body-strewn field before the walls of Thebes which tower, unconquered, in the background.

[POLYNEICES and ETEOCLES enter from opposite sides of the stage, weapons in hand, and approach each other warily.

CHORUS: Blood hath steeped this spot these few ireful days
Laying low the pride and might of the Argive’s hallowed lands
And now, yet enthroned in the cloudstreaked sky
Weary and wan, the Sun doth shine its feeble beams
On this last meeting of the blades- last,
And yet first in importance; these enemies, these brothers
Streams of the same great and defiled river,
Last fruit of the same ancient and withered tree
Seek each to uproot the other, and yet disprove
The paternal curse upon them both!

ETEOCLES: At last, my brother, you show your traitorous face
Unworthily within sight of these holy walls!
See the waste our patriotic valor
Hath made against your poor forces-
Your allies, these invaders
To whom you intended to hand our brave city
Enslaving us all to the dictatorship of Argos!
Yet still I see you have not lost all honor
But enough remains that when we have whipped your friends
You may yet appear to fight your battle yourself!

POLYNEICES: Traitor? So he hath named me
And yet he who speaks this word knows best the meaning of it
The Gods know that what I do I do rightly
In the just petition for my lawful station
As was mandated by my elder birth
But he, greedy for more than he is deserving of
Hath stolen my birthright away
Cast me out-
And so I, the wronged
Am come to challenge him who wronged me
The true traitor, usurper of Thebes!

ETEOCLES: How easily may the vile mind of betrayal
Believe its own honeyed tales, and truly
Trust in its own twisted justice!
Yet no more of this, the blade of the sword
Is more eloquent in right’s service than the tongue
I pray the Gods of Thebes’ might
Grant me the victory that is mine
I who fight for the city
To defend it from self-serving he who brings
The foreign curs upon our soil!

POLYNEICES: Gods of my ancestors
You who took my father into your schemes
Shining Apollo who scripted
in golden letters his cruel fate-
Hear me! Hearken to my cause
My just case against this, my brother
Return to me my rightful sovereignty
Which he, the younger, from me wrested
Guide my blade truly
That with it I may rid this land
Of this unsanctioned ruler
This pretender to the throne!

CHORUS: The rush of bodies, the clash of iron!
The direful contest here is joined
Brother against brother
Kin against kin
The sons of Oedipus’ shame have come to blows!
-from which both may not emerge still breathing.
How terrible the clouts and buffets!
This bloody conflict cannot but bring
Grief to all that are involved!

[After a long and violent battle, ETEOCLES stumbles and falls to the ground. POLYNEICES brings his blade down on his brother, but in doing so falls upon the other’s sword.

POLYNEICES: Ah, father, thus you are revenged
After all, and your curse fulfilled
To my destruction and that of all my hopes
All is lost, and my soul now flees
Upon the heels of my brother, gone already ahead
To find reconciliation in the depths of Hell.
[Dies.

Battle of the Brothers ©2001 a. kleber