Hercules k**s his wife and children
HERCULES I have tamed the whole of earth, the sea has ceased to swell,
the kingdom of the dead has felt my power;
heaven has so far escaped: a labour worth my hand.
I will be carried up to the heights of the universe,
up to the aether; the stars are my father's promise to me . –
What if there is resistance? I am too big for earth,
she sends me back to heaven. Look, the whole a**embly,
all the gods are calling me, they open wide the doors;
but one goddess says no. Open heaven, take me back!
Or shall I batter down the door of this stubborn world?
Why the hesitation? I will set free Saturn from his chains,
I will set my grandfather against the wicked reign
of my treacherous father. Let the Titans make war,
I will whip them up to fight. I will carry mountains, forests,
my hands will seize the clifftops, thronged with Centaurs.
I build two mountains into a path to the sky:
Pelion will see its Chiron under Ossa,
Olympus, set up in third place, will reach the heavens-
thanks to me.
AMPHITRYON No more of these terrible plans!
Your great, heroic mind has fallen sick;
restrain yourself from this insane idea!
HERCULES What is this? The wicked Giants take up arms.
Tityos has escaped from Hell, the wound in his chest
still gapes open, but how near he stands from heaven!
Cithaeron topples, high Pallene shakes,
Tempe's valleys wither. One giant grabs Mount Pindus;
another, Oeta, while Mimas goes into a terrible rage.
The Fury with her flaming torch swishes her whip,
and bringing burning brands straight from the fire
she thrusts them in my face. Cruel Tisiphone,
fenced in with snakes, slams shut the gate with her stick,
taking the place of the watchdog who was stolen.
-
But look, my enemy's children are skulking here,
the nasty seedlings of the tyrant Lycus. I hate your father;
I will send you back to him with my own hands.
Let fly
light arrows from the bow. This onslaught really is
Herculean.
AMPHITRYON Mad! He self-destructs! How will it end?
He has curved together the ends of his mighty bow,
he opens his quiver, he launches the arrow, it flies
with a swoosh-now it pierces all the way through the neck,
and comes out the other side.
HERCULES I have to drag out the others, all the hidden children.
What am I waiting for?
I still have to fight a bigger war:
at Mycenae,
my hands must tear those walls the Cyclops built
Throw down the bolt, swing wide the palace doors,
burst through the bars, knock down the entrance-way.
Let there be light on all the palace: here I see
the son that wicked father hid away.
AMPHITRYON Poor thing!
He cries for mercy, holding on to your knees
with his tiny hands. What a dreadful crime, what a sight!
He grabs the crying child, and whirls him round
two or three times in the air, and cracks his head,
bursting his brains which spatter all over the roof.
Poor Megara enfolds her baby in her arms,
rushing like a madwoman to escape.
HERCULES Fine, go hide in thundering Jupiter's arms;
my hands will find you out wherever you are.
AMPHITRYON Poor woman, where are you going? What hiding-place can you find?
No place is safe when Hercules attacks.
So do not run; embrace him, plead with him and try to calm him down.
MEGARA Husband, I beg you, stop! You know me-Megara.
This is your child;
he looks just like you.
Can you see? He reaches for you.
HERCULES Now I have you, stepmother! Time for your payback!
Set Jupiter free from his slavish, degraded marriage.
But before the mother, I will k** this monstrous baby.
AMPHITRYON Crazy! What are you doing? Shedding your own blood!
The toddler, horror-struck at his father's fiery face,
dies unwounded, terrified to d**h.
Now he bashes his heavy club at his wife:
he breaks her bones, he tears her head from her body
annihilating it. Can I bear to watch? I am old;
I should not be alive. If grief is bitter, here is
d**h ready-made. Drive your sword into my heart,
or turn on me that club besmeared with blood
from so many monsters. Get rid of this fake 'father'
who shames your name, in case I obstruct your fame.
CHORUS Why do you seek d**h of your own accord, old man?
Are you crazy? What are you doing? Run away,
and save
the hands of Hercules from this one last crime.
HERCULES Good! The house of that evil king is demolished.
These animals I k**ed, I dedicate
to you, wife of great Jove.
I gladly kept my promise,
just as you deserved. Argos will pay even more.
AMPHITRYON Son, you have not yet atoned. Finish the sacrifice.
Another victim stands by the altar: Look!
Neck bowed, he waits for you. Here I am, I am ready,
I want it. Slaughter me. - What is this? I cannot see straight;
grief makes my eyes weak. Or do I see
Hercules' hands tremble?
He is falling asleep, his head sinks down,
his neck is bowed and weary.
Now his knees collapse,
he falls to the ground,
like an ash cut down in the forest,
or a ma** of bricks hurled out into the sea to build a pier.
Are you still alive?
Or has the madness which k**ed your family
k**ed you too?
He is just asleep: I can see the movement of breath.
He needs to rest a while: deep sleep can overcome
the sickness of his heart, and comfort him.
Slaves, take his weapons away, in case the madness comes back.