ACT V
The outer court of CREON'S _palace, as in the preceding act; the royal apartments in the background lie in blackened ruins whence smoke is still curling up; the court-yard is filled with various palace attendants busied in various ways. The dawn is just breaking.
The_ KING appears, dragging GORA out of the palace; a train of
CREUSA'S slave-women follows him.
KING. Away with thee! It was thy wicked hand
That to my daughter brought those bloody gifts
Which were her doom! My daughter! Oh, Creusa!
My child, my child!
[He turns to the slave-women.]
'Twas she?
GORA. Yea, it was I!
I knew not that my hands bore doom of death
Within thy dwelling.
KING. Knew'st not. Never think
To 'scape my wrath on this wise!
GORA. Dost thou think
I shudder at thy wrath? Mine eyes have seen—
Woe's me!—the children weltering in their blood,
Slain by the hand of her that bore them, ay,
Medea's very hand! And after that,
All other horrors are to me but jest!
KING. Creusa! Oh, my child, my pure, true child!
Say, did thy hand not shake, thou grisly dame,
When to her side thou broughtest death?