Phoebus, God, was all thy mind
Turned unto darkness?
Turned unto darkness?
Euripides - Electra
All welcome in thy brave array!
ORESTES.
What would we with our mother? Didst thou say
Kill her?
ELECTRA (_turning on him_).
What? Is it pity? Dost thou fear
To see thy mother's shape?
ORESTES.
'Twas she that bare
My body into life. She gave me suck.
How can I strike her?
ELECTRA.
Strike her as she struck
Our father!
ORESTES (_to himself, brooding_).
Phoebus, God, was all thy mind
Turned unto darkness?
ELECTRA.
If thy God be blind,
Shalt thou have light?
ORESTES (_as before_).
Thou, thou, didst bid me kill
My mother: which is sin.
ELECTRA.
How brings it ill
To thee, to raise our father from the dust?
ORESTES.
I was a clean man once. Shall I be thrust
From men's sight, blotted with her blood?
ELECTRA.
Thy blot
Is black as death if him thou succour not!
ORESTES.
Who shall do judgment on me, when she dies?
ELECTRA.
Who shall do judgment, if thy father lies.
ORESTES.
What would we with our mother? Didst thou say
Kill her?
ELECTRA (_turning on him_).
What? Is it pity? Dost thou fear
To see thy mother's shape?
ORESTES.
'Twas she that bare
My body into life. She gave me suck.
How can I strike her?
ELECTRA.
Strike her as she struck
Our father!
ORESTES (_to himself, brooding_).
Phoebus, God, was all thy mind
Turned unto darkness?
ELECTRA.
If thy God be blind,
Shalt thou have light?
ORESTES (_as before_).
Thou, thou, didst bid me kill
My mother: which is sin.
ELECTRA.
How brings it ill
To thee, to raise our father from the dust?
ORESTES.
I was a clean man once. Shall I be thrust
From men's sight, blotted with her blood?
ELECTRA.
Thy blot
Is black as death if him thou succour not!
ORESTES.
Who shall do judgment on me, when she dies?
ELECTRA.
Who shall do judgment, if thy father lies.
